Adjusting to life in the United States has been no simple task for Hirokazu Sawamura, and understandably so.
The Japanese reliever has had to cope with several cultural differences after joining the Boston Red Sox on a two-year, $3-million contract in February. Diet has been one of his biggest issues.
Sawamura admittedly “lost weight just a little bit” following his transition from Japan to the U.S. and initially found it difficult to gain back.
Getting a rice cooker, though, was a game-changer.
“The white rice is the biggest difference,” Sawamura said via translator Yutaro Yamaguchi, per MassLive. “I couldn’t get the rice cooker for a long time. And after I got that finally, I was really glad I was able to finally eat white rice. And I think just the differences in the daily life, I think time will solve that.”
Diet might have been one Sawamura’s core problems. But he said it was not the only factor in his weight loss.
“When I was in Japan, it was pretty easy for me to maintain my weight,” he said. “The diet is obviously the difference. So it was pretty easy for me to maintain my weight. But after coming here — because of the jet lag and all the changes in environment and everything — it was harder for me to maintain my weight.”
Now, Sawamura is pleased with where he’s at physically. He even earned his first win of the season Saturday night against the Seattle Mariners.
