Top Japanese amateur teams to battle in Intercity Baseball Tournament finals

Top Japanese amateur teams to battle in Intercity Baseball Tournament finals
26/07/2022
The event is held annually since 1927. The Mainichi Shimbun website is live-streaming each game.

The 93rd Intercity Baseball Tournament is down to elimination games. The quarterfinals open on Wednesday, 27 July, at the Tokyo Dome.

The 32 top amateur teams from across Japan participate in the tournament, held annually since 1927. Many Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) draft candidates and former professional players compete in the event.

A unique feature of the tournament is the fans' ways of rooting for their teams. Each club's cheering squad can go so far as to recreate scenes from their home city's festivals. Others dance and cheer in their daily work clothes or uniforms.

The Japan Amateur Baseball Association oversees the Intercity Baseball Tournament.

The Mainichi Shimbun, one of Japan's biggest newspapers, is broadcasting the games on its website, including the final on 29 July.