Nippon Professional Baseball
Current season, competition or edition: 2016 Nippon Professional Baseball season
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| Formerly | Japanese Baseball League |
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| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 1950 |
| CEO | Ryozo Kato |
| Commissioner | Katsuhiko Kumazaki |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country | Japan |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
| Most titles | Yomiuri Giants (22) |
| Qualification | Asia Series |
| Official website | NPB.jp (English) |
Nippon Professional Baseball (日本野球機構 Nippon Yakyū Kikō?) or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called Puro Yakyū (プロ野球?), meaning Professional Baseball. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation of the "Greater Japan Tokyo Baseball Club" (大日本東京野球倶楽部 Dai-Nippon Tōkyō Yakyū Kurabu?) in 1934 and the original Japanese Baseball League. NPB was formed when that league reorganized in 1950.
The league currently consists of two six-team circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League. Each season the winning clubs from the two leagues compete in the Japan Series, the championship series of NPB.
Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League. There are also two secondary-level professional minor leagues, the Eastern League and the Western League, that play shorter schedules.
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