"We are standing on a long and weighty history of 100 times now"
The 100th summer began with Omi (Shiga) captain Yuuto Nakao players oath.
High school baseball has been started twice so far.
The first step gave birth as a national secondary school championship baseball tournament in 1915 (Taisho 4) year. About half a century since the Meiji Restoration, it was in the middle of World War I. Tohoku national Akita junior high school students entered Osaka for 35 hours. The vast majority of the audience was still Japanese style, and many people first saw baseball.
The second time is a restart after the war. After the interruption for 4 years, the National Congress revived on August 15, 46, just one year after the end of the Second World War. The representative school got together with the US in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, people also played baseball, and gleamed the joy of watching baseball.
The tournament has grown like keeping pace with the reconstruction of Japan. From the Showa era, to Heisei. That last summer, the 100th convention was welcomed.
"There were many sorrows that were hit by disasters and people could not overcome with a smile alone." Captain Nakao continued the oath. "Koshien is a witness that gave courage, hope and peace has made Japan."
Captain of 15 school students who continued to participate in any era, the school flag of the successive victory school participated in the opening march of the opening ceremony. It is a distant history when thinking that the accumulation of one game including one local competition has led to today.
We must connect that baton to the future.
Children playing baseball are decreasing. How to tell the pleasure of baseball. The sphere including the pros hold hands and want to think about spread promotion measures. This year there was a record hot weather from local competition. In the opening ceremony, water supply time was established as a prevention measure against heat stroke, but it will be necessary to discuss the game schedule including reconsideration schedule.
The Japan High School Baseball Federation hosting the Koshien Tournament, Asahi, "New Years' High School Baseball Concept" by the two newspapers every day also started to move. At the end of Heisei where the declining birth rate and diversification of sports has advanced rapidly, I think the future of high school baseball and I will mark the first step toward the next 100 years.
It goes without saying that full power play of a baby girl becomes a bridge to the future.
I would like to start this competition for the third time in high school baseball. (Editorial Member, Yoshihiro Ando)