- On 12 November 2026 the GREEN×EXPO Association announced that former professional baseball player Daisuke Miura has joined as a special supporter. The appointment took effect the same day.
- Miura was born in Kashihara, Nara. He joined the Yokohama Taiyo Whales (now the Yokohama DeNA BayStars) in 1991 and pitched for the same club until he retired in 2016. He managed the first team from 2021, won the Japan Series in 2024 and stepped down after the 2025 season. Since 2026 he has been a club ambassador.
- In his comment he says he grew up surrounded by flowers and greenery, and he signs off with his trademark “Yo-ro-shi-ku!!”.
- The association says he will help build interest in the Expo and promote it nationwide.
- No events or dates for his activities are given.
Our take
The association’s official page now lists six special supporters. QuizKnock, actor Ikue Sakakibara and garden designer Masashi Mikami were named on 8 July, and the comedy duo Igo Shogi and the idol group NMB48 on 25 August. Miura is the first addition in two and a half months, and the first from sport; the others come from quiz media, acting, gardening, comedy and pop music.
Put side by side, many of the six have ties to Kanagawa. Sakakibara is from Atsugi, the two members of Igo Shogi are from Chigasaki and Yokohama, and Mikami also serves as an ambassador for Yokohama’s flowers and greenery. Miura is from Nara, but he spent his whole career as player and manager with Yokohama’s club. Baseball crowds and visitors to a horticultural expo probably do not overlap much, so we think his role is to bring the Expo to people it has not reached so far.
The Expo opens on 19 March 2027, about four months after his appointment. The first five supporters appeared together at the half-year press event on 15 September. Where Miura will appear has yet to be announced.
Tips for visitors
- The months the first five supporters said they want to visit are in our 16 September report.
- Ticket types and how to buy them are in our ticket guide. Any supporter event held inside the venue will also need an admission ticket.
Our take
Three supporters were named in July and two in August; Miura is the sixth and the first from sport. The earlier five come from entertainment and gardening. The release does not say which events he will appear at.