On Tuesday, July 7th, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters held a press conference at their team facility in Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture, to announce the signing of Toki Hiwatari, who joined the team from the Chunichi Dragons. His uniform number will be 120.

Hiwatari cited his batting ability as his strong point, saying confidently, "I want people to see my strong swing, my batting power, and my ability to hit for power." He also said that he has been working on improving his defensive skills in the two and a half years since joining the team, and he felt he was making progress, saying, "I think I'm getting a little closer to what I'm aiming for with everything, from blocking to throwing."
Regarding his future goals, he looked ahead and said, "First, my goal is to become a registered player. Once I'm on the main roster, I want to play an active role in the first team."
Acting General Manager Masao Kida, who was also present at the press conference, expressed his expectations, saying, "We acquired him after comprehensively evaluating his approach to baseball, and we believe he will definitely contribute to the Fighters' victories in the near future."