Begin Japanology
BEGIN Japanology invites you into the world of Japanese culture, both traditional and modern, explaining how traditions evolved and the part they still play today in people's everyday lives.
24. High School Baseball
0.0Jul 12, 2012 · 28 min
Each summer, Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, becomes the stage for a drama that grips the entire nation. Here, high school baseball teams from across the country assemble to compete for the national championship. Fans, in the stands and at home, go wild with excitement. Yu Darvish, Hideki Matsui, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and many other Japanese players who have gone on to play Major League baseball in the US made their names at Koshien as youth players. One epic 18-inning game is considered Koshien's greatest ever. Where are the players now? Some men continue to chase the dream of playing at Koshien Stadium decades after finishing high school. But how? On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, we look at high school baseball - how it is more than just a sport and why it captivates the Japanese imagination like nothing else.