BOSTON — As flashbulbs from Japanese and American photographers popped all around him, Junichi Tazawa, the Red Sox’ newest Japanese pitching acquisition, explained exactly why he picked the Red Sox over three other teams that were seriously bidding for him.

None of the difference-makers had to do with money, and all spoke to the fact that the Red Sox have built a pipeline in Japan that should funnel them the best Japanese talent for the foreseeable future.

“There are three main reasons for this. One is the development program, which I think is excellent. Another factor is that there are Japanese players here, as well as Japanese staff, and Japanese speakers,” Tazawa said, citing the presence of the man he called his hero, Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Tazawa’s third reason for signing a three-year deal with Boston spoke to the commitment the Red Sox have made to Japan, and the loyalty that that investment may bring now and in the future.

“The third reason is that the Red Sox are the first team to scout me,” Tazawa said.

The Red Sox first scouted Tazawa in November 2007, before he was on the radar of many Japanese professional teams, general manager Theo Epstein said.

“When they first started scouting him, he was a relative unknown, even to most Japanese clubs, certainly to most American clubs,” Epstein said.

That level of interest, combined with the high profiles of Japanese players Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, should ensure that Japanese players put the Red Sox at the top of the list when deciding which major league team to sign with.

In that regard, Tazawa’s signing may be the first of many long-term supplementary rewards from the expensive Matsuzaka acquisition.

“We certainly hoped and considered the fact that signing Daisuke would allow us to establish a heightened presence in Japan and around the world, really, and someday there would be some ancillary benefits to the signing,” Epstein said.

“Certainly because of Junichi’s admiration for Daisuke and the Red Sox increased presence, perhaps we saw some of that benefit here in this signing,” Epstein said.

Tazawa signed a major-league deal with the Red Sox that will reportedly pay him a total of $3.3 million over the life of the contract.

Tazawa reportedly spurned higher offers from other teams to join Boston, and the 22-year-old right hander will likely start the season in Double A Portland, Epstein said yesterday.

According to multiple sources, the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners courted Tazawa, and the Rangers reportedly offered more money than the Red Sox.

But it was the Red Sox’ early interest in Tazawa, and their Japanese-friendly infrastructure, that caught on with the pitcher.

Craig Shipley is one of the two men who first scouted Tazawa. As the Sox’ vice president for international scouting, Shipley was on the ground in Japan watching Tazawa more than a year ago, the first of 20 times Sox scouts would see Tazawa throw.

“What piqued my interest, and what usually piques your interest in players, is he had four pitches he used and threw for strikes. He pitched with confidence and he’s young,” Shipley said.

Right away Shipley and the Red Sox conducted their due diligence — and then wanted to see more.

Epstein soon found that Tazawa throws his fastball between 91 and 94 mph, and his repertoire includes four-seam and two-seam fastballs, a split-fingered off-speed pitch that he can throw to righties and lefties, an effective slider, and a curveball.

“He’s got outstanding makeup on the mound. He’s a competitor, he attacks the strike zone,” Epstein said.

Tazawa, who has never pitched in the Japanese professional leagues, had a 13-1 record and a 0.80 ERA in 21 games for Nippon Oil ENEOS of the Japanese Industrial league. Some have wondered about the competition he faced in Japan’s equivalent of the minor leagues, and whether his talent will transition to the United States. Shipley said that Tazawa’s trajectory should be no different than any other minor-league prospect.

“There’re things players encounter when transitioning from being an amateur to professional no matter where they come from, and it won’t be any different for Junichi. He does have the tools to make that transition. He has some international pitching experience last year in Taiwan. He’s had attention more than what is warranted in this situation. I think it was blown totally out of proportion.”

The Red Sox will start Tazawa off in the minors as a starting pitcher, but he may end up as a reliever in the long run, Epstein said.

With reports from Journal staff writer Joe McDonald