Koshien Stadium
The Hanshin Koshien Stadium (Japanese阪神 甲子 园 球场, Hanshin Koshien KYUJO, short甲子 园, Koshien ) is the name of a baseball stadium in the region Koshien the Japanese city of Nishinomiya ( Hyogo Prefecture), which is primarily for the taking place there finals of the high schools Championships is famous. The term is also used as a synonym for this tournament, in addition to other national competitions of high school students, even if the do not have nothing to do with baseball with the stadium a bit.
Etymology
" Koshi " (甲子) is the name for the first year in the 60-year cycle of the Chinese astrology. This part of the name was chosen because the stadium was built in 1924 and this year falls into the category. The other part of "en" (园) usually involves the garden or park. A baseball stadium is called in English often called a " ball park ".
Stadium
The stadium holds over 50,000 visitors and is the home stadium of the Hanshin Tigers. It was built in 1924, with one oriented to the stadium Polo Grounds in New York.
1929, the grandstand was rebuilt by a wooden structure on reinforced concrete. In the great earthquake of 1995, the Kobe grandstand was heavily damaged.
Secondary schools championship
The " national baseball championship of secondary schools " (全国 高等学校 野球 选手 権 大会, Zenkoku Koto Gakko Yakyu senshuken taikai ), usually referred to as " Summer Koshien " (夏の甲子園, natsu no Koshien ) called, is held annually since 1915 at Koshien. Since 1924, every year in addition takes place in the spring, the " selection baseball tournament of the top schools " (选 抜 高等学校 野球 大会, Senbatsu Koto Gakko Yakyu taikai ), the "Spring Koshien " (春 の 甲子園, haru no Koshien ) instead.
The two tournaments are in addition to the professional championship highlights of the National Baseball calendar and will be broadcast live on radio and television. The stars of the tournament are regularly in the coming years professional baseball player. The organizer is the Japanese High School Baseball Association along with major media companies: the publisher of the Asahi Shimbun, the Summer Koshien and the publisher of the Mainichi Shimbun the Frühjahrskōshien.
On Sommerkōshien take 49 teams participate: two high schools from the prefectures of Tokyo and Hokkaido and one other from each prefecture. Already the results of taking place from mid-June upstream Prefecture qualifiers are reported in national media. The tournament will be conducted in the knockout system, it being lost, which teams have to play in the first or in the second round. When Frühjahrskōshien play - also in the knockout system with one round less - 32 high schools who are invited by the Upper School Baseball Federation due to its performance in regional qualifying tournaments in the fall.