The high school boys of summer take the field again for Koshien

CALIFORNIA — Here we go again. The summer high school championship tournament is once again upon us, an event that dates back to 1915. It is arguably the biggest sporting event in Japan and rivals even the Olympics for popularity.

With teams and supporters bused in from all over Japan, it is what top sports
journalist Masaki Tamaki has termed, “The closest thing Japan has to a
national festival.”