Farsad and Ikuyo married and moved to Osaka in 1982. In 1986, Farsad started working for the United States Junior Chamber and Ikuyo gave birth to Yu. Initially Farsad tried to teach Yu soccer and then motocross both of which did not appeal to Yu's talents. Yu is the elder of their two sons.
Darvish first inspired interest in Japan in 2004 after playing an active role in the Koshien National High School Baseball Championship, including pitching a no-hitter, during his senior year for Tohoku High School, a school that has produced many professional players, including Major League and Japanese All-Star Kazuhiro Sasaki and Takashi Saito. He participated in the Koshien High school Baseball Tournament 4 times.
He was extensively scouted since his days in Junior High School by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Atlanta Braves who later tried to sign him. The New York Mets also were in competition for his services. The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Chunichi Dragons, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and Orix Blue Wave were also in the battle to sign Darvish.
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters won the first pick of the 2004 draft and proceeded to draft and sign. During that year Darvish occupied a large part of the sports news in Japan.
He received further press when he was caught smoking in a pachinko parlor on an off-day at his first Spring Training in 2005, despite being underage for both activities. The incident led to his subsequent suspension from his team and high school, along with orders to give community service time.
Despite his suspension, Darvish made his professional baseball debut later in the season in an interleague game against the Hiroshima Carp. Darvish went 8 innings and got the win, despite giving up back-to-back solo home runs in the 9th.
In 2006, Darvish helped the Fighters win their first Japan Series since 1961, over the Chunichi Dragons. Darvish lost Game 1 to Chunichi ace Kenshin Kawakami, but the Fighters were able to overcome the loss and Darvish pitched the clinching Game 5 at the Sapporo Dome, 4-1. Darvish also won the championship game of the Konami Cup Asia Series 2006, played between the league champions of Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea at the end of the 2006 season. He won the Most Valuable Player Award for that series, and is considered to be one of Japan's biggest rising stars.
Darvish also concluded an exclusive management contract with Avex network in 2006. Trey Hillman, the former manager of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, has said of Yu Darvish "How good do I think he can be? I think he can be the best in the world. He's not there yet ... but I think he can potentially pass a guy like Matsuzaka."
Since Daisuke Matsuzaka signed for the Boston Red Sox and left Japan for the United States of America, attention has been focused on Yu Darvish to help keep up the popularity of baseball in Japan. As a young star in Japanese baseball Darvish is expected to fill the void left by Matsuzaka’s departure. Unlike Matsuzaka, Darvish has told the Japanese press that he has no intention of seeking a move to America anytime in the future.
On August 9, 2007 after winning against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Yu acknowledged reports of a relationship with the Japanese actress Saeko. He went onto declare that he was going to get married and that Saeko is pregnant. Darvish said he had vowed to Saeko that he would win that night's game because he wanted to be interviewed on TV and make their news official. The 35,000 spectators in the stands responded with thunderous approval. "I was surprised at first, but now I am happy there is a baby of my own blood on the way," Darvish said.
As Japanese law requires a person holding dual citizenship to choose a single nationality before reaching the age of 22. Darvish had to choose either his Iranian or Japanese nationality. He decided to take his Japanese nationality so that he could play for the Japanese national baseball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He had his national team debut in the 2007 Asian Baseball Championships, against Taipei.
On October 29, 2007, he won the Sawamura Award meeting all seven criteria.
--Wikipedia
JAPAN