News Navigator: Are there girls’ high school baseball tournaments in Japan?

The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about girls’ high school baseball tournament in Japan.

Question: Do girls get to play at the Hanshin Koshien Stadium (home of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers) for national championships like boys?

Answer: They do. Girls’ high school baseball teams also compete in the national championship tournament in the summer and invitational tournament, or “Senbatsu,” in the spring, and the final of the summer event is held at Koshien stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. In the latest 28th edition of the summer championship, Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School, representing Hyogo Prefecture, clinched its second consecutive title and fourth title overall, beating Hanamaki Higashi High School from Iwate Prefecture in the final on Aug. 3. Kobe Koryo has also won the invitational tournament two years in a row, making them the first school to clinch both the summer and spring championships in two consecutive years.

Q: What is the girls’ championships, and when did it start?

A: The championships, one of the “three major tournaments” for girls high school teams along with the national youth tournament in August (known as the rookie championships) and the spring Senbatsu, started in 1997. The summer championships have been held in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, since the eighth edition in 2004. Starting in 2023, it is now co-hosted by Tamba and the city of Awaji, also in Hyogo Prefecture, after the latter was recognized as a “women’s baseball town,” where the sport is promoted jointly by the local government and the Women’s Baseball Federation of Japan.

Q: When did they start holding the summer championship finals at the iconic Koshien stadium?

A: The finals have been held at Koshien since 2021. According to the Women’s Baseball Federation of Japan, the 2021 final was the first women’s official baseball game to be held at Koshien. Those involved with the federation expressed joy that the dream of many female players who had wanted to play at Koshien came true and that the opportunity served as a major goal and a source of motivation.

Q: How many teams are participating?

A: High schools from across the country take part in the summer championships, and this year, a record 61 teams participated — nearly double the 32 teams that played in 2019. An organizing committee representative said, “We are surprised by the large number of schools participating. This is a result of the desire of female players who want to play baseball.” We are also excited to see how much girls’ high school baseball will grow.

(Japanese original by Yuhi Yoshikawa, Osaka Sports News Department)