Japanese Baseball History

Below is a history of the Nippon Professional Baseball when both the Pacific and Central League were formed. Japanese baseball actually began much sooner than that with the start of the Central League prior to World War II. The only teams named are the winners of the divisions and the final Japan Series winner. With the advent of the wild card, you could have a team named as the Japan Series winner that did not win a Division.

Year	Japan Series Champion	Central League Champion	Pacific League Champion	*Central League Wild Cards*	*Pacific League Wild Cards*
1950	Mainichi Orions	Shochiku Robins	Mainichi Orions
1951	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1952	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1953	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1954	Chunichi Dragons	Chunichi Dragons	Nishitetsu Lions
1955	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1956	Nishitetsu Lions	Yomiuri Giants	Nishitetsu Lions
1957	Nishitetsu Lions	Yomiuri Giants	Nishitetsu Lions
1958	Nishitetsu Lions	Yomiuri Giants	Nishitetsu Lions
1959	Nankai Hawks	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1960	Taiyo Whales	Taiyo Whales	Daimai Orions
1961	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1962	Toei Flyers	Hanshin Tigers	Toei Flyers
1963	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nishitetsu Lions
1964	Nankai Hawks	Hanshin Tigers	Nankai Hawks
1965	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1966	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1967	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Hankyu Braves
1968	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Hankyu Braves
1969	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Hankyu Braves
1970	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Lotte Orions
1971	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Hankyu Braves
1972	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Hankyu Braves
1973	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nankai Hawks
1974	Lotte Orions	Chunichi Dragons	Lotte Orions
1975	Hankyu Braves	Hiroshima Carp	Hankyu Braves
1976	Hankyu Braves	Yomiuri Giants	Hankyu Braves
1977	Hankyu Braves	Yomiuri Giants	Hankyu Braves
1978	Yakult Swallows	Yakult Swallows	Hankyu Braves
1979	Hiroshima Carp	Hiroshima Carp	Kintetsu Buffaloes
1980	Hiroshima Carp	Hiroshima Carp	Kintetsu Buffaloes
1981	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nippon Ham Fighters
1982	Seibu Lions	Chunichi Dragons	Seibu Lions
1983	Seibu Lions	Yomiuri Giants	Seibu Lions
1984	Hiroshima Carp	Hiroshima Carp	Hankyu Braves
1985	Hanshin Tigers	Hanshin Tigers	Seibu Lions
1986	Seibu Lions	Hiroshima Carp	Seibu Lions
1987	Seibu Lions	Yomiuri Giants	Seibu Lions
1988	Seibu Lions	Chunichi Dragons	Seibu Lions
1989	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Kintetsu Buffaloes
1990	Seibu Lions	Yomiuri Giants	Seibu Lions
1991	Seibu Lions	Hiroshima Carp	Seibu Lions
1992	Seibu Lions	Yakult Swallows	Seibu Lions
1993	Yakult Swallows	Yakult Swallows	Seibu Lions
1994	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Seibu Lions
1995	Yakult Swallows	Yakult Swallows	Orix Blue Wave
1996	Orix Blue Wave	Yomiuri Giants	Orix Blue Wave
1997	Yakult Swallows	Yakult Swallows	Seibu Lions
1998	Yokohama Bay Stars	Yokahama Bay Stars	Seibu Lions
1999	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks	Chunichi Dragons	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
2000	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
2001	Yakult Swallows	Yakult Swallows	Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
2002	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Seibu Lions
2003	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks	Hanshin Tigers	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
2004	Seibu Lions	Chunichi Dragons	Seibu Lions
2005	Chiba Lotte Marines	Hanshin Tigers	Chiba Lotte Marines
2006	Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters	Chunichi Dragons	Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
2007	Chunichi Dragons	Yomiuri Giants	Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters	*Chunichi Dragons beat the Hanshin Tigers*	*Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Softbank Hawks*
2008	Seibu Lions	Yomiuri Giants	Seibu Lions	*Chunichi Dragons beat the Hanshin Tigers*	*Nippon Ham Fighters beat the Orix Buffaloes*
2009	Yomiuri Giants	Yomiuri Giants	Nippon Ham Fighters	*Chunichi Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows*	*Rakuten Golden Eagles beat the Softbank Hawks*
2010	Chiba Lotte Marines	Chunichi Dragons	Fukuoka Softbank Hawks	*Yomiuri Giants beat the Hanshin Tigers*	*Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Seibu Lions*
*2011*	*Fukuoka Softbank Hawks*	*Chunichi Dragons*	*Fukuoka Softbank Hawks*	*Yakult Swallows beat the Yomiuri Giants*	*Seibu Lions beat the Nippon Ham Fighters*
*2012*	*Yomiuri Giants*	*Yomiuri Giants*	*Nippon Ham Fighters*	*Chunichi Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows*	*Softbank Hawks beat the Seibu Lions*
*2013*	*Rakuten Golden Eagles*	*Yomiuri Giants*	*Rakuten Golden Eagles*	*Hiroshima Carp beat the Hanshin Tigers*	*Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Seibu Lions*
2014	*Softbank Hawks*	*Hanshin Tigers*	*Softbank Hawks*	*Hanshin Tigers beat the Hiroshima Carp*	*Nippon Ham Fighters beat the Orix Buffaloes*
*2015*	*Softbank Hawks*	*Chiba Lotte Marines*	*Softbank Hawks*	*Yomiuri Giants beat the Hanshin Tigers*	*Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Nippon Ham Fighters*
*2016*	*Nippon Ham Fighters*	*Hiroshima Carp*	*Nippon Ham Fighters*	*Yokohama Bay Stars beat Yomiuri Giants*	*Softbank Hawks beat Lotte Marines*
*2017*	*Softbank Hawks*	*Hiroshima Carp*	*Softbank Hawks*	*Yokohama Bay Stars beat the Hanshin Tigers*	*Rakuten Golden Eagles beat the Seibu Lions*
*2018*	*Softbank Hawks*	*Hiroshima Carp*	*Seibu Lions*	*Yomiuri Giants beat Yakult Swallows*	*SoftbankHawks beat Nippon Ham Fighters*