[News Terms] Korean School Songs Resound at Koshien (甲子園)

The Reason This Year Is More Special

Every August, Japan hosts the National High School Baseball Championship, commonly known as 'Koshien (甲子園).' The reason it is called Koshien instead of its official name is that the tournament is always held at the Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Hyogo Prefecture. The 'Koshi (甲子)' in 'Koshien' comes from the Chinese character, named after the stadium's completion in the year of Gapja (1924) according to the traditional calendar.

There are about 4,000 high school baseball teams across Japan. Not all these players can enter Koshien Stadium. To gain entry, teams must first go through fierce regional qualifiers. They must win the regional tournaments held in 49 areas nationwide to earn the right to represent their region at Koshien. The more schools in an area, the tougher the competition becomes. Because of this, every Japanese baseball club member shares one dream: to step on the soil of Koshien Stadium.

Students participating in the opening ceremony of the National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien), held on the 7th at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, stand in formation. (Photo by Yonhap News)

In the main Koshien tournament, games are played in a knockout format. Teams that lose must immediately go home. Because of this, broadcasts of the tournament often show defeated players collecting soil from the field and putting it into bottles to take home. They vow to return next year and give back this soil.

As a result, Koshien has produced many star players in Japan. Major leaguers like Matsui Hideki and Otani Shohei all played on the Koshien field. Otani participated in Koshien twice but experienced the pain of losing in the first game both times.

This year's Koshien started on the 7th and will conclude with the final on the 23rd. Every year, Japanese media intensely cover Koshien from the regional qualifiers to the main tournament, but this year’s Koshien is attracting especially strong interest both inside and outside Japan. This is because Korean-heritage schools Kyoto Kokusai High School and Kanto Daiichi High School are competing for the championship trophy.

Kyoto Kokusai High School has already made a name for itself by representing Kyoto and participating in Koshien for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022. Although they narrowly missed qualifying for the main tournament last year, the Korean school anthem was already heard at Koshien Stadium in 2021 and 2022. As Koshien is known as Japan’s biggest summer festival, baseball has become another great source of strength for the Korean-Japanese community.

Kyoto International High School baseball team manager Noritsugu Komaki (far right) and players are entering Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, on the morning of the 23rd, when the final match is held. (Photo by Yonhap News)

The two teams advancing to the final are evenly matched, making it difficult to determine superiority. Kanto Daiichi High School is a strong team that reached the semifinals at last year’s Koshien. Their aces include Sakai Haru, who throws fastballs exceeding 150 km/h, and Tanaka Tetsushin, known for his sharp breaking balls. Kyoto Kokusai’s counterplayers are Nagasaki Rui, who specializes in a bending slider, and Nishimura Ikki, who throws a changeup with a large drop.

The final began at 10 a.m. that day. NHK broadcast breaking news at 7:30 a.m. showing the players of both teams entering the stadium. NHK reported, "Kyoto Kokusai players entered the stadium with calm and confident expressions," adding, "Both teams advanced with excellent stability in their pitching staffs, so the first scoring run will greatly influence the outcome of the championship."