As coach Kenichi Wakatabe (若田部 健一, Wakatabe Kenichi, born August 5, 1969) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, and current first squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

[3] On November 22, 1991, Wakatebe was the first pick in the 1991 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, competing with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, Yomiuri Giants, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and Seibu Lions, with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks winning the right to negotiate.

[6] But he recovered in 1999, winning 10 games as a starting rotation pitcher and helping the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks to their first championship.

[7] On October 21, 2000 Wakatabe pitched the first game of the 2000 Japan Series along with Kimiyasu Kudo, who had moved from the Hawks to the Yomiuri Giants the previous year.

[6] Since his retirement, Wakatabe has worked as a baseball commentator; in 2015, he served as pitching coach for the Japan national baseball team and was named second squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the 2017 season.