On Saturday, August 23, 2025, the 107th National High School Baseball Championship came to a thrilling close.
The final game featured a classic matchup between Nihon University Daisan High School, representing West Tokyo, and Okinawa Shogaku High School from Okinawa.
Nihon University Daisan, known for its powerful offense, was challenged by Okinawa Shogaku’s strategic use of two second-year pitchers in a finely tuned relay.
The final score was 3-1, with Okinawa Shogaku emerging as the champion! This victory was the first for Okinawa Shogaku in its 11th summer Koshien appearance.
For Okinawa Prefecture, it was a monumental win—the second in 15 years since Konan High School’s championship in 2010.
New Challenges and Innovations at This Year’s Tournament
Beyond Okinawa Shogaku’s victory, this year’s tournament introduced several new measures and became a topic of great discussion.
- A “New” Start Time: To combat the intense summer heat, the opening ceremony was held in the evening for the first time in history, with the first game also played at night. The two-part morning and evening schedule, which was introduced in the previous tournament, was also expanded on some days.
- A Record for Tiebreak Games: The tournament saw a record-breaking eight games go into a tiebreak. This rule, introduced in 2018, was shortened in 2023 to start from the 10th inning, leading to more tense finishes.
- More Home Runs Despite New Bats: Following the introduction of a new low-rebound bat standard, the number of home runs had been trending downward. However, this year saw a slight increase with 10 home runs recorded, the first time multiple home runs were hit in a tournament since the new bats were introduced.
- A First-Ever Withdrawal Mid-Tournament: A historic and unfortunate event occurred when Koryo High School withdrew from the tournament after winning its first game, following a matter of in-team violence. This was the first time in the history of both the summer and spring Koshien tournaments that a team withdrew mid-competition due to a scandal.
Okinawa’s Passion: Baseball as a Cultural Cornerstone
Okinawa Shogaku’s championship was a source of immense pride and emotion for the people of Okinawa.
In the prefecture, the passion for high school baseball is incredibly strong.
When the Okinawan team plays at Koshien, people are glued to their televisions.
It’s often said that “the roads become empty” during these games, a testament to how deeply high school baseball is rooted as a cultural phenomenon.
The New Season Begins: The Road to the Next Koshien
As the summer tournament ends, third-year students retire, and the new team of first- and second-year students begins its journey.
The Japanese school year starts in April, with the spring tournament in March and the summer championship in August.
Over their high school career, a student has a maximum of five chances to play at Koshien:
- 1st Year: Summer tournament only (as they enter school in April)
- 2nd Year: Spring and Summer tournaments
- 3rd Year: Spring and Summer tournaments (retiring after the summer tournament)
With the third-years now retired, the remaining players have already started their preparations.
They’ll begin their pursuit of next year’s spring and summer Koshien tournaments, hoping to create their own moments of drama and victory.
The summer 2025 Koshien tournament has come to an end, leaving many with unforgettable memories.
Now, the next generation is already in motion. What new stories will be born on the field next year?
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