As the SMBC Japan Series 2025 was in full swing, the 50th Japan Amateur baseball Championship kicked off on Tuesday, October 28th. The tournament, arguably the pinnacle of amateur baseball, is being held at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

What is the Japan Amateur baseball Championship?

This tournament was created in response to the demand for a tournament where individual teams could compete to be number one in Japan, in contrast to the Intercity baseball Tournament, which has a "reinforcement player system." It was a revamp of the "Japan Industrial baseball Tournament," which was originally held by industry, and the first tournament was held at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in 1974.

The event was later held at Osaka Stadium (Osaka Stadium), Green Stadium Kobe (now Hotto Motto Field Kobe), and has been held at Osaka Dome (now Kyocera Dome Osaka) since 1997.

In the past, the tournament was open to teams that had won regional qualifiers, but now it is open to the winners of the Intercity baseball Tournament, the All-Japan Club baseball Championship, the winners of the 11 JABA tournaments, and the teams that won the qualifiers, for a total of 32 teams. It is positioned as the "annual championship game" for amateur baseball.

In the past, players currently in Pacific League have also made their presence felt. In the 2018 tournament, pitcher Ryusei Kawano (then with JFE West Japan) won the Fighting Spirit Award. pitcher Koshiro Sakamoto (then with Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Hirohata) and Sena Tsuge (then with Honda Suzuka) also received the Outstanding Player Award. The following year, in 2019, Hiroto Kobukata contributed to Osaka Gas's first championship, and in the first round against Honda Suzuka, he faced pitcher Ryota Takinaka.

Former Orix Nakata Yuto (Matsugen Minoshima Hardball baseball Club) also pitched, leading to a heated opening game

The opening match of the milestone 50th tournament will be between Tokyo Gas, which has participated in four consecutive tournaments, and Matsugen Minoshima Hardball baseball Club, which has won the All-Japan Club baseball Championship two years in a row.

In the stands, the united cheering, one of the attractions of amateur baseball, was also evident. At Tokyo Gas on the first base side, supporters and cheerleaders led the way to the lively music of a brass band. On the third base side, spectators wore the team's red color and banged stick balloons to support the Matsugen Minoshima baseball team.

In the top of the first inning, Matsugen Minoshima baseball, who survived a pinch with two outs and bases loaded without a runs, took the lead with a timely doble by No. 3 Keita Shirataki. However, in the top of the second inning immediately after, Tokyo Gas' No. 1 player Yusuke Nakao hit a timely hit and immediately tied the game. After that, the pitcher teams of both teams persisted and ended the first half with a 1-1 score.

In the top of the 6th inning, Yuito Nakata, who played for Orix until last year, took the mound pitcher (Matsugen Minoshima Rigid Division baseball). He overcame the pinch with one out on first and second base with two consecutive struck out, but left the game with two Walk in the top of the seventh inning of the second inning. After that, three timely hits were born to the Tokyo Gas batting line from two outs, and the score was 5 to 1. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Matsugen Minoshima Keishi baseball scored one run, but Tokyo Gas, who kept the lead, broke through the first round.

Legends will be on the mound to throw the first pitch for the game that starts at 6pm!

Before the third game on Tuesday the 28th, Atsushi Nomi, a Hanshin Tigers Orix OB who won the Fighting Award at Osaka Gas in 2003, took the mound at the first pitch ceremony. The next day, on Wednesday, the 29th, Kosuke Fukudome, who was active in Japan and the United States from Japan Life Insurance, and on Thursday, the 30th, Takashi Yamaguchi of former Hankyu (now Orix), who participated in the first tournament as an ace at Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic), came up to the mound and cheered the players with one pitch with all his might.

To commemorate the 50th tournament, the "Legendary First Pitch Ceremony" will be attended by baseball OB, a member of society who is also active in the pros. It will be held in the final game of each day (starting at 18 o'clock) from November 4th (Tuesday) onwards to liven up this tournament. In addition, information on the participating players can be found in the news section (https://www.jaba.or.jp/news/) of the Japan baseball federation website.

The baseball Japan Championship is a tournament where strong players gather together and play with all their might. I hope you will experience the heat at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

Overview of the 50th Japan Amateur baseball Championship

Dates: October 28th (Tue) to 30th (Thu), November 4th (Tue) to 12th (Wed) - 12 days in total
Stadium: Kyocera Dome Osaka
Participants: 32 teams
combination: https://www.jaba.or.jp/50baseball/?oytype=S
*Fan club members of Orix, Tohoku Rakuten, Chiba Lotte Marines, Chunichi, Yokohama DeNA, Hiroshima, Yakult, and Hanshin Tigers can enter special seats at a discounted rate only if they purchase tickets on the day.
*Present your fan club membership card at the same-day ticket sales counter at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

Interview and text by Yuna Takahashi