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Kyoto International High School, a Korean Ethnic School in Japan, Wins Semifinal 3-2 with Comeback Victory

Kyoto International High School, an ethnic Korean school in Japan, has reached the finals for the first time in the National High School Baseball Championship, known as the "Summer Koshien."

On the 21st, Kyoto International High School won a comeback victory 3-2 against Aomori Yamada High School in the semifinals of the Summer Koshien held at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. Previously, Kyoto International High School won 7-3 in the first round, 4-0 in the second round, 4-0 in the third round, and 4-0 in the quarterfinals of this tournament, advancing to the semifinals on this day.

Korean ethnic school baseball players from Kyoto International High School in Japan are celebrating their victory after securing a win in the semifinals of the National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien) held on the 21st at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Kyoto International High School won 3-2 against Aomoriyamada High School, advancing to the Summer Koshien finals for the first time. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Noritsugu Komaki, the coach of Kyoto International High School, said after securing the finals spot, "We will proudly fight backed by the support of Kyoto and (defeated Aomori) Yamada." Kyoto International High School will face Kanto Daiichi High School on the 23rd for the championship trophy.

During the game, Kyoto International High School players were seen singing their Korean school anthem, which includes the lyrics "Across the East Sea, Yamato land is the sacred old dream place of our ancestors," live nationwide on Japan's public broadcaster NHK. At Koshien, the school anthems of participating schools are played, and NHK broadcasts all games live.

Korean ethnic school baseball players from Kyoto International High School in Japan are celebrating their victory after securing a win in the semifinals of the National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien) held on the 21st at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Kyoto International High School won 3-2 against Aomoriyamadako High School, advancing to the Summer Koshien finals for the first time. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kyoto International High School first advanced to the Summer Koshien main tournament in 2021 and reached the semifinals but failed to reach the finals. They also participated in the 2022 Summer Koshien but lost in the first round, and last year they did not qualify for the main tournament. Considering that Kyoto International High School, which established its baseball team in 1999, has reached the finals in just three years after making the semifinals, this is regarded as a remarkable achievement. The school is small in size, and the baseball team's history is relatively short, spanning just over 20 years.

Kyoto International High School, operated by Kyoto International Academy, is a small Korean school with a total of 160 students currently enrolled in middle and high school combined. About 65% of the students are Japanese, and approximately 30% are of Korean descent.

Kyoto International High School originated from Kyoto Chosen Middle School, which was established in 1947 by Zainichi Koreans who voluntarily raised funds for ethnic education. It was approved by the South Korean government in 1958 and received official school accreditation from the Japanese government in 2003, when it was renamed Kyoto International High School.