High school baseball in Japan

In Japan, "high school baseball" (????: kōkō yakyū) generally refers to baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final tournament at Hanshin K?shien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan. The tournaments themselves are commonly referred to as simply "K?shien". They are organized by the Japan High School Baseball Federation in association with Mainichi Shimbun for the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament in the spring (also known as "Spring K?shien") and Asahi Shimbun for the National High School Baseball Championship in the summer (also known as "Summer K?shien").

Jargon for lack of regional champions

Shiragawa Barrier and the Tsugaru Strait

This term is based on the barrier built in Shirakawa, Fukushima. No team north of the northern Kanto region had ever won a tournament at K?shien. This fact became known in the high school baseball world as the "Shiragawa Barrier". At the 2004 Summer K?shien, Komazawa University Tomakomai High (southern Hokkaid?) took the title, and in one bound leaped over not only the Shiragawa Barrier but also the Tsugaru Strait separating Hokkaido from Honsh?. On the plane carrying the team and championship flag back home, at the moment the plane crossed the Tsugaru Strait, the passengers joined in unison for a celebration cheer.

Related Topics:
Shirakawa - Fukushima - Kanto - Hokkaid? - Tsugaru Strait

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In 2005, Komazawa University Tomakomai High won a second straight Summer K?shien title, becoming the first to do so since Ogura Secondary (Fukuoka) in 1947-48. This title was tainted after the tournament, however, by reports of repeated incidents of physical punishment of one of the players, once during the tournament, by the baseball club advisor (a 27-year old school faculty member). Besides a reprimand for withholding the report until after the tournament, the High School Baseball Federation did not punish Komazawa Tomakomai. However, the report drew widespread attention to the issue of physical punishment in youth sports in Japan. It is believed that such physical punishment probably goes heavily underreported, due to cultural tendencies.

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Hokkaid? and T?hoku region teams in the championship game (through 2004)

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YearTournamentSchoolResultOpponent

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19151st Summer Akita (Akita)runner-up1-2Ky?to Nich? (Ky?to)

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196335th SpringHokkai (Hokkaid?)runner-up0-10Shimonoseki Comm. (Yamaguchi)

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196951st SummerMisawa (Aomori)runner-up2-4Matsuyama Comm. (Ehime)

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197153th SummerIwaki (Fukushima)runner-up0-1T?in Gakuen (Kanagawa)

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198971st SummerSendai Ikuei (Miyagi)runner-up0-2Teiky? (E T?ky?)

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200173rd SpringSendai Ikuei (Miyagi)runner-up6-7J?s? Gakuin (Ibaraki)

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200385th SummerT?hoku (Miyagi)runner-up2-4J?s? Gakuin (Ibaraki)

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200486th SummerKomazawa U Tomakomai (S Hokkaid?)champion13-10Seibi (Ehime)

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As mentioned above, Komawaza University Tomakomai won the 2004 Summer Koshien,

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becoming the northernest school to win since Sakushin Gakuin (Tochigi).

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However, the route travelled by the championship flag from Koshien to Hokkaid?

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did not actually pass through the Shiragawa Barrier by land, so many fans (especially in the T?hoku region) believe that the barrier has technically not yet been broken.

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Passing Hakone

In high school baseball jargon, a championship by a school in the region from

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Kanagawa to Tochigi.

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The first team to "pass Hakone" was Keio Futs?bu (T?ky?). After that, Shonan High (Kanagawa) won in summer of 1949. Despite the fact that Keio Futs?bu won in summer of 1916, the victory by Shonan High in 1946 is known as the first "passing of Hakone". Reasons for this include the fact that 33 years had passed since the Keio Futs?bu and Shonan High victories, the fact that western Japanese teams were seen as stronger than eastern Japanese teams at the time of Shonan High's victory, and the fact that high school baseball was not yet well known in 1916.

Related Topics:
Hakone - Kanagawa

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The first spring passing of Hakone was achieved by Waseda Jitsugy? (T?ky?)

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led by pitcher Sadaharu Oh in 1957.

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Also, the "fording of the Tone River" in northern Kant? has also been achieved.

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Since the victory of Waseda Jitsugy?, since championships by Kantou teams are not so rare, these terms have fallen out of use.

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Kanmon Straits

In high school baseball jargon, when a team from Ky?sh? wins a tournament.

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The first to "cross the Kanmon Straits" was Ogura Secondary in the 1947 Summer K?shien. Coincidentally, Ogura Secondary repeated as champions in 1948, a feat not matched until Komawaza University Tomakomai also became the first team to bring the title to their region then repeated the following year.

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Ky?sh? teams in the championship game (through 1947)

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YearTournamentSchoolResultOpponent

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193420th SummerKumamoto Tech (Kumamoto)runner-up0-2Gok? Secondary (Hiroshima)

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193723rd SummerKumamoto Tech (Kumamoto)runner-up1-3Ch?ky? (Aichi)

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194719th SpringOgura Secondary (Fukuoka)runner-up1-3Tokushima Commercial (Tokushima)

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194729th SummerOgura Secondary (Fukuoka)champion6-3Gifu Commerical (Gifu)

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Mountain of Aso

Based on Mount Aso in Kumamoto. In high school baseball jargon, when a team from the southern half of Ky?sh? wins the tournament. The first to "pass the Mountain of Aso" was Seiseik? High (Kumamoto) in the 1958 Spring K?shien. This is not been achieved in the Summer K?shien yet.

Related Topics:
Mount Aso - Kumamoto

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Ocean crossing

In high school baseball jargon, when a team from Okinawa wins a tournament.

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The first to "cross the ocean" was Okinawa Sh?gaku (Okinawa) in the spring of 1999.

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This has not been achieved in the Summer K?shien yet.

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Okinawa teams in the championship game (through 2005)

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YearTournamentSchoolResultOpponent

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199072nd SummerOkinawa Fishery (Okinawa)runner-up0-1Tenri (Nara)

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199173rd SummerOkinawa Fishery (Okinawa)runner-up8-13Osaka T?in (Osaka)

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199971st SpringOkinawa Sh?gaku (Okinawa)champion7-2Mito Commercial (Ibaraki)

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Into snow country

In high school baseball jargon, when a team from the Hokuriku region wins a

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tournament.

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As of 2005, no team has achieved this. Fukui Commercial High (Fukui) in the

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1978 Spring K?shien and Seiry? (Ishikawa, alma mater of Hideki Matsui) in the 1997 Summer K?shien reached the semifinals.

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