Koshien?

There seem to be a number of people researching the Koshien tournaments. I've got a questionaire in my in-box that's been there for a while as I find that I'm unable to answer very many questions about high school ball.

The only thing I can say about (HS) Koshien is that there are two tournaments each year, in Spring and Summer. The Spring tournament in invitational. Participating teams for the Summer tournament are decided as the best team in regional tournaments, all single elimination to the best of my knowledge.

Because both Koshien tournaments are single elimination, you get high emotion, fast paced, all out baseball. One person I've talked with who brings a team from Austrailia to Japan for some exhibition games every year commented that, as part of the tour, they take in a high school game at Koshien, and a Pro Yakyu game when they don't have games scheduled themselves. The general consensus is that the slow paced professional games are a bit of a let down after seeing the top high school players in the country diving and swinging as though their very existance depended on the outcome of the game.

For entering professional baseball, Koshien is a showcase of future stars. The "K-K Combi" of Kuwata and Kiyohara were the stars of the 1985 Koshien. The Giants' Matsui being walked intentionally five consecutive at bats (I think it was - please double check) drew a great deal of attention in the early '90s. Seibu's Matsuzaka's 250 pitch victory in the quarter finals, relief the next day, then starting again for the finals made him a national hero in 1998.

Oh, and Matsuzaka and many other sports starts his age in baseball an soccer have the first name "Daisuke." Apparently, Daisuke was a very popular name for his generation as many couples named their boys after Koshien ace Daisuke Araki (Yakult, Yokohama).

That's pretty much all my knowledge about Koshien. If there are any experts out there, I'd love to hear from you as well, as there seem to be a good number of high school baseball reasearchers interested in Koshien who can't read Japanese and/or come over here to research the subject first hand. (I find that last bit odd, but...)

I'm certainly no expert, but I'll tell you what I know in the hope that it might be some help to you.

In any sports competition, whether professional or otherwise, the same figures keep cropping up again and again as the main contenders, and Japanese High School baseball is no exception.

I find that there are three tiers:

1. a few teams seem to qualify almost automatically each year,
2. another few have been here before, but it's been a long time between drinks, and
3. the rest are heroes in their home towns no matter what happens, because it's the first time their school's ever made it to the Mecca of Japanese baseball.

(You think I jest about the "holy" thing? Just watch those kids when their teams get eliminated. They all scoop up fistfuls of dirt, so they can take a piece of Koshien home with them, and keep it forever.)

Schools that are likely to be at Koshien every year are: Chiben Wakayama (winners 2000), Meitokugijuku (2002), Tenri HS, perhaps Joso Gakuin, and a few others.

Those in the know will notice I have left out PL Gakuen, perennial winners, virtual residents of Koshien, and alma mater of many, many Japanese baseball stars. PL Gakuen has been barred from appearing (was it only this year? I can't remember) after ritual beatings and bullying of junior members of the baseball club by their seniors was "discovered." (Discovered? What do they mean "discovered"? Who didn't know that kind of thing goes on, and not only at PL?)

Here is a list of past winners, but I'm afraid it's in Japanese.

Anyway, there's my two yens' worth.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the info. I plan to be in Osaka with a small crew in late February and March. We'll be doing preliminary shooting as we prepare for the showdown in August.

Right now I'm trying to round up some people that are interested in working on this project. I'm looking for someone that is based there that loves baseball - somebody that can drive.

I'm also trying to find out how to get in touch with the organization that hosts the event. I guess I just need to go to Osaka and find out for myself.

Thank you for your help so far.

Peace.
Kenneth Eng

- I'm also trying to find out how to get in touch with the organization that hosts the event.

That'll be Asahi Shimbun. Their English site is here. I was unable to find a contact information link on a quick scan, perhaps you'll have better luck.

Gambare!

Doesn't Mainichi Shimbun host the spring tournament? Their English website is here.

BTW, Koshien stadium is in Hyogo prefecture, right on the border with Osaka.

Kenneth,

It's your piece, so you should certainly do what you want. But if I could ask one thing, could you focus as much on the similarities between our cultures as on the differences? I mean, I'd love to see something about baseball in Japan, even high school baseball, but I'd hate to see another, "Ooh, look at them crazy Japanese, getting so excited over something like high school baseball!" type of thing.

And please point out that one reason the Koshien tournaments are so popular is because they are the longest running representations of baseball in Japan. They've been played for over 80 years; pro baseball leagues in Japan have only been around for about 50 or so.

I am part of the team, with Mr. Eng, doing the documentary on Koshien. Thanks to everyone for all of your help. The purpose of this film (and all of our films) is to foster greater understanding between cultures. We will focus on the Koshien experience, for the players, their families, their schools, the fans, and the nation. Although Japanese culture and values will certainly be on display, the real focus will be on the universal features of this communal experience: the intense passion, the incredible hard work, and the struggle to succeed under extreme pressure. Baseball is a common denominator that can bring these two cultures together.

We are grateful for any help anyone can offer, especially with contacting key individuals. We will certainly do everything we can to recognize those people who help us with this project. Should be an incredible experience, and hopefully an incredible film.

-Alex Shear
Field Producer, Projectile Arts

Point well taken.

I have run up against this in my 3 documentary films:

1. NY Grafitti (scratching on the subways) kids doing it today (talk about an inside exclusive brotherhood protective of their identity).
2. Maha Kumbh Mela (largest gathering in the history of mankind - mother of all Hindu festivals - Indian from Bharat are very protective of their culture as well). Who am I, an Asian-American, to do this kind of film?
3. and Koshien would be my 3rd...

I assure you, that is the purpose of doing these films - to bring people together.

Send me an e-mail and I'll send you a DVD.

Peace
Ken Eng
www.projectilearts.org

1. NY Grafitti (scratching on the subways) kids doing it today (talk about an inside exclusive brotherhood protective of their identity).
2. Maha Kumbh Mela (largest gathering in the history of mankind - mother of all Hindu festivals - Indian from Bharat are very protective of their culture as well). Who am I, an Asian-American, to do this kind of film?
3. and Koshien would be my 3rd...

That's a broad range of interesting topics. Very interesting.

I suppose everyone takes something different out of things they see (as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder), and Koshien will certainly prsent you with a broad spectrum of plots, subplots, and emotions to capture.

One of the things I always marvel at is that, in a society in which the concept of "gaman" (perseverance in times of hardship, gritting your teeth and bearing it, etc.) has traditionally been a major social trait, some might even say it's a duty, here are these kids bawling their eyes out when they lose a game of baseball.

Good luck to you.

After reading yours and Mr. Shear's comments, this looks more and more like something I would enjoy seeing. I wish I was still in Japan so I could help you guys out.

Best of luck!

Hi,

So I guess the tournament will start on March 22, 2003. I believe it will take place in Hyogo...(?)

Does NHK have anything to do with the tournament? Are they the sole rights holders for broadcast?

And, does anyone know of a good site for Japanese fantasy baseball?

peacez,
kenz

> Does NHK have anything to do with the tournament? Are
> they the sole rights holders for broadcast?

They provide coverage, if that's what you mean. I seem to remember they air half the day's play on the NHK General channel, and then switch over to their educational channel for the remainder. That may be only for the summer tournament, though. I'm not exactly sure if it also applies to the spring competition.

- And, does anyone know of a good site for Japanese fantasy baseball?

That would be Fantasy Sports Japan, who also happens to own the server you are accessing now. I know I treat this server as though it were my very own, but if it weren't for FSJ's sponsorship, you wouldn't have this forum.

[No, I don't get paid by FSJ - this is 100% voluntary. But electricity, bandwidth, and the hardware to get this to you do have their costs. Since I avoid Microsoft completely and mainly use Open Source, software isn't a burden.]

Hello, from a fan of the game.

I am also involved with the shooting of the documentary being shot. I will be working as the cameraman. We are currently trying to learn as much about the Koshien as possible. From a camera standpoint I would love to open a dialogue with a cameraman who has shot either this tournament and/or the professional game. If there is anyone who knows anything about this aspect please reply. I'm just curious about a few topics, like:

- How bright are the stadiums for camera exposure?
- Are there certain stadiums more photogenic than others?
- etc...

Thank you,
Mattingly

UPDATE

We have just launched the website for Ken's Koshien documentary, "Kokoyakyu - High School Baseball." The site is now online at www.projectilearts.org/kokoyakyu/.

We will have a message board up soon.

- Scott Kundla

I highly recommend reading the Koshien chapter, "The Schoolboys of Summer," of Robert Whiting's book "You Gotta Have Wa."

Looking good.

But that's "yakyu" and not "yakkyu."

[westbaystars: "Yakyuu" is also acceptable as it's a more accurate transliteration from Hiragana, but "yakyu" is much preferred. And I don't want to start a flame war on the various kana-romaji mappings.]

How about the Korean variation: Yagu?

In 1998, Daisuke Matsuzaka won the tourney in a dramatic fashion with a no hit game. His perfomance was one of the best in Koshien history. But there were many other dramatic perfomances during the long history of Koshien which started in 1915. The ace pitcher, who is often the best hitter on the team, is the star at Koshien. Here are the top 6 individual performances in the storied history of Koshien tourney.

1. 1939 Summer, Kaisou High ace Seiichi Shima wins the tourney by pitching 5 consecutive shutouts in all tourney games. In the semi-final and the final, he pitched 2 consecutive no-hitters. He was a tall southpaw with a mesmerizing fast ball. Unfortunately his career was cut short while he was a student at Meiji University. He perished while fighting in the coast of Vietnam in WWII. He is considered to be the best player in Koshien history.
2. 1933 Summer, Chukyo vs. Akashi High, 25 innings, 4 hours 55 minutes game. Chukyo ace pitcher Masao Yoshida pitches the whole game with 336 pitches. Remember, in the Koshien tourney, the ace pitcher pitches every game. Chukyo ended up winning their 3rd consecutive summer championship.
3. 1947 Summer, Kokura High pitcher Kazuo Fukushima wins first of his consecutive summer tourney chamionships by pitching 5 consecutive shutouts in all 5 tourney games. My uncle, Toshihisa Hashizume of Kainan High, lost to him with a score of 2-0 in the second round.
4. 1957 Spring, Waseda High ace pitcher and slugger Sadaharu Oh wins the tourney. In the summer, he pitches a no-hitter and slugged 2 homeruns.
5. 1958 Summer, Tokushima High ace Eiji Bandoh (now a TV personality) won the first round with 17 Ks, second round with 15Ks, pitched an 18 inning tie game against Uozu High and a rematch the next day and won with 25 Ks. He lost in the final from exhaustion.
6. 1973 Spring, Sakushin High ace Suguru Egawa won the first round with 19 Ks, second round with 20Ks, third round with a one hitter with 20 Ks, but lost in the semi-final giving up only 1 run to Hiroshima High. He went 135 innings without giving up a run since the year before.