Japan’s high school baseball sees continued drop in team participation

The Japan High School Baseball Federation reported that the 108th national tournament will feature 3,662 schools and 3,363 teams, down from 3,680 schools and 3,396 teams the previous year. Participation has been falling each year since 2021, when 3,827 schools entered. Aichi prefecture has the most teams (174), while Tottori records the fewest with 21.

An archive piece revisits the 1972 summer national tournament in Kyoto, highlighting the strong performance of schools from northern Kyoto that reached the final. The historical reference underscores how high‑school baseball has long been a celebrated event in Japan, contrasting with the current decline in overall team numbers.