Who is Yoshio Itoi? Everything You Need to Know About Physique: Asia Team Japan Competitor
Netflix’s latest reality competition series, Physics: Asiapremiered on October 28, bringing together various athletes and fitness personalities from eight different countries. Similar to the original series, Physics: 100Competitors must compete in a series of intense games and strength-based challenges to survive and ultimately win the competition.
However, unlike the original series, the competition has expanded its reach internationally, featuring a variety of competitors including Olympic-level athletes, world champion wrestlers, CrossFit champions, and more. One of the many competitors who caught the attention of viewers is Team Japan’s Yoshio Itoi, a legendary baseball player who is part of the national team.
Instagram ID: @itoiyoshio_7
The following article will elaborate more on Physics: Asia The Japanese team’s competitor, Yoshio Itoi.
Everything you need to know about Physics: Asia Japanese team competitor Yoshio Itoi
Yoshio Itoi is a 44-year-old renowned baseball player and athlete, famous for his nickname Superman. He is a nine-time all-star in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He was born on July 31, 1981 and debuted with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in March 2007. He also played as a pitcher or outfielder for about 18 years before his retirement in 2022.
However, throughout his career, he also expanded his skills on other baseball teams. Some of the teams he played for include the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2007, the Orix Buffaloes in 2013, and the Hanshin Tigers in 2017. He is also known for being ambidextrous with his baseball skills, where he hits with his left hand and throws with his right hand.
In 2013, he played for the Japan national team at the WBC (World Baseball Classic) and was the pinch hitter against Brazil and China. He is recognized as the most consistent player of the Japan national team, with a hit in almost every game. Before participating in Physics: Asiahe also participated in and won first place in Netflix’s first-ever Japanese survival series, Final projectwhich premiered in August 2025, and won a winning prize of 27 million yen.
After his retirement, Yoshio Itoi mainly focused his attention on participating in television and reality shows like Final project And Physics: Asia. He is also currently involved in local agricultural initiatives and community work. He recently collaborated with AGRIST, an agricultural society in Kyoto, to encourage and revive local agriculture while urging young people to participate in sports and related activities.
This collaboration has also resulted in the production of its own premium rice brand, Superman Rice, with a portion of sales being donated to the purchase of sports equipment for local primary schools. Additionally, Yoshio Itoi also regularly appears on Japanese variety shows and he also currently works as a baseball commentator. Therefore, many fans and viewers were looking forward to his participation in the battles of Physics: Asia.
On the other hand, Physics: Asia is a reality-derived competition series, featuring eight different country teams, namely South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Mongolia, Australia, Turkey and the Philippines. Following the recent release of episodes 7, 8 and 9 on November 11, three teams were eliminated from the series: Team Indonesia, Team Thailand and Team Philippines.
The final of Physics: Asia is scheduled for November 18, and fans and netizens have been eagerly waiting to see the ultimate winning team who will take home 1 billion KRW.
Edited by Aishwarya Sai
