This large, sepia tone, postcard sized pure card with Ruth's facsimile autograph emblazoned over the image was produced in honor of Babe Ruth and the 1934 U.S. All Star Tour of Japan. The card is rare, as it has achieved the scarcity designation of R5 in the Japanese Baseball Card Checklist & Price Guide, Version 2.1 by Gary Engel, signifying that five or fewer copies of this card are known to exist. Ruth is seen wearing his U.S. All Star Team jersey in the photo. Accompanying Ruth in the image is the mustachioed catcher for the Japan All Stars, Jiro Kuji. At age 36, Kuji was the elder statesman of the All Japan team. A native of Hokkaido, Kuji starred in the Tokyo Big Six University League for Waseda U. from 1917 to 1922. A champion of amateur baseball, he returned to his home prefecture to play for the Hakodate Ocean team, rather than joining semi-pro or industrial league teams in Tokyo. A veteran of the 1931 U.S. All Star Tour of Japan, Kuji returned to play for the 1934 Japan All Stars. He was the immortal Eiji Sawamura's batterymate for the famous game in which Sawamura struck out Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx in succession and lost 1-0 on Gehrig's 8th inning homer. Kuji will be forever remembered as one of the most tragic figures in world sports history. In 1939, during the National Intercity Tournament in Sapporo, Kuji, while batting, was struck in the back of the head and killed by a catcher's errant pickoff throw. He was 40 years old at the time of his death. If you are a Ruth collector, this is your opportunity to own an exceedingly rare and precious memento of the Bambino in Japan.

Size: 3 3/8" x 5 5/16"

Condition:  Would be Ex, except that there is faint horizontal creasing in the waist area of both players.