Imanaga's 2022 no-hitter was DeNA's first in 52 years. Japan asked why he showed no emotion, and what he had been studying

On June 7, 2022, Shota Imanaga pitched a no-hitter at Sapporo Dome, and DeNA beat Nippon-Ham 2-0. Daily Sports counted 117 pitches, nine strikeouts and a single baserunner, a two-out walk to Kotaro Kiyomiya in the second inning. Weekly Baseball, writing on the NPB site, added that his fastball topped out at 151 km/h, about 94 mph, and that seven of his nine strikeouts came on it. He was the 85th pitcher to throw one in NPB history and the first for the BayStars in 52 years, since Hiroshi Kito in June 1970. It was the third no-hit game of the year after Roki Sasaki's perfect game in April and Nao Higashihama's no-hitter in May.

The route there was bumpy. Weekly Baseball reported that Imanaga strained his left forearm at February camp and missed opening day, a year after left shoulder surgery in October 2020, as Baseball Channel noted in 2021. He made his first start on May 6. Daily Sports counted DeNA as 5-0 in his starts since he returned.

Daily Sports published a second story the next morning that Japanese readers passed around. It said Imanaga thinks hard even away from the ballpark. In the car he listens to YouTube explainer programs, and on June 6, the day before, he said he had learned that mitochondria matter for recovery the day after a start. He named tomatoes, onions and bell peppers as foods said to help, and said the club's machines and therapy equipment were part of the effort. This is his own account as reported, not advice.

The calm face was the other story. Writer Takashi Ishizuka asked about it in Number Web on June 20. Imanaga said it was a road game and he did not want to celebrate too much. He also said he felt relieved that the outing would not become a burden for him later, and called it "an ordinary pitching performance." Daily Sports reported that he named Hanshin's Aoyagi as the kind of pitcher he wants to be.