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| Spring Highschool Baseball Invitational Tournament (Senbatsu) |
Japan Highschool Baseball Federation has decided and released the list of candidate school that meets the requirement to be selected as the "21st Century Representative Schools" to participate in the upcoming Spring Highschool Baseball Invitational Tournament (Senbatsu Tournament) that will be held in March 2026 soon.
For your information, the "21st Century Selection Slot" is a special slot in the Senbatsu Tournament given to schools that overcomes issues such as a lack of club members and facility difficulties. Those schools also being evaluated through their exemplary academic performance, contributions to the social environment and community, and of course through their baseball record.
This system is introduced first back in 2001, in aims to diversify and improve the level of highschool baseball by allowing schools that wouldn't be able to reach the big stage like Koshien through regular elimination system.
And so, these 9 schools are selected from 9 different regions of Japan, out from about 45+ schools that listed as recommendation schools which are proposed by each regional's federation. And from these 9 schools, only 2 schools that will be selected by the federation to be able to participate in the Senbatsu Tournament. Below is the list of those schools ordered by northern side to southern side.
1. Shibetsu Shoun HS (Hokkaido)
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| Shibetsu Shoun HS baseball team (via Hokkaido News) |
- School founding: 2007
- Club member: 27
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Hokkaido regional best 8
This prefectural school is located in Shibetsu City, in northern Hokkaido. In winter, temperatures can drop below -20°C, and the area experiences heavy snowfall, with accumulated snowfall exceeding six meters, rendering the grounds unusable for approximately six months.
Shibetsu City, with a population of approximately 16,000, is experiencing depopulation, and the team, concerned about the rapid decline in the baseball population, has been running baseball events for elementary school students for 13 years. A virtuous cycle has also been created, with former participants becoming club members and teaching children.
In the past three years, the school has made it to the semi-finals of the Northern Hokkaido Summer Tournament twice, and to the quarter-finals of the Hokkaido Tournament this fall. If the school makes it to the Koshien tournament, it will be the northernmost school in Japan to do so.
2. Natori Kita HS (Tohoku)
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| Natori Kita HS baseball team (via Mainichi Shimbun) |
- School founding: 1979
- Club member: 26
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Miyagi prefectural best 4, Tohoku regional first round
This prefectural general education school was founded in 1979. Located in an area that suffered extensive damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, many students, including members of the baseball team, participate in a coastal disaster prevention forest restoration project every year.
There was a time when the team's members were reduced to 10, but they believed that "if we change our approach, the results will change," and despite the constraints of no morning practice and only two hours of practice on weekdays, they cultivated tenacity through practice that was close to real games.
In the fall, they placed third in the Miyagi Tournament and made their first appearance in the Tohoku Tournament. They also engaged in research activities to think of baseball terminology that does not use words such as "stab," "kill," or "death."
3. Ageo HS (Kanto-Tokyo)
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| Ageo HS baseball team (via Kokoyakyu.com) |
- School founding: 1958
- Club member: 45
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Saitama prefectural best 4
This prefectural school is located in Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture. It opened in 1958 with both a general education and a business education department. It boasts a high success rate in getting students into prestigious universities, including national universities, and in passing qualification exams. Events are planned and run primarily by the students, and the school practices an education that fosters independence.
The baseball team has not played at Koshien since the summer of 1984, but in a prefecture dominated by private schools, it remains a "public school powerhouse" and a regular at the top of the prefectural tournament.
This fall, the school lost narrowly to Urawa Gakuin 3-4 in the semi-finals of the Saitama tournament. The school is also active in the community, having run baseball clinics for elementary school students for over 15 years, promoting and spreading the sport.
4. Yokkaichi HS (Tokai)
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| Yokkaichi HS baseball team (via Asahi Shimbun) |
- School founding: 1899
- Club member: 36
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Mie prefectural best 4
A prefectural school located in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture. Founded in 1899 (Meiji 32), this prestigious school is designated a Super Science High School. All members of the baseball team passed the academic entrance exam to enter the school.
Aiming to be "Japan's best in both academics and athletics," the school practices after school for around two hours, but the students put in creative efforts. Research activities include experiments using baseball equipment and research into the economic effects of baseball. The results are shared and applied to practice and games.
The school has participated in Koshien once in the spring and twice in the summer. The school won the national championship in the summer of 1955, but has not made it since the summer of 1967. This fall, the school made it to the semi-finals of the Mie tournament.
5. Wakasa HS (Hokushinetsu)
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| Wakasa HS baseball team (via Fukui News) |
- School founding: 1897
- Club member: 33
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Fukui prefectural runner-up, Tokai regional first round
This prefectural school is located in Obama City (小浜市), Fukui Prefecture. It has been designated a Super Science High School and focuses on learning that utilizes local resources.
The baseball team members are also curious and eager to learn, practicing both academic and athletic excellence. The school is also keen to expand the baseball base, and as the number of baseball players is declining due to the local population decline, the school holds tee-ball classes at nursery schools and baseball classes for junior high school students.
In recent years, the school has performed well within the prefecture, and this fall it came second in the Fukui Tournament and will be competing in the Hokuriku Tournament. This is the third time in the past four years that the school has been recommended by the prefecture, and the fourth time overall, and the first time it has been selected as a regional candidate school.
6. Koriyama HS (Kinki)
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| Koriyama HS baseball team (via Fukushima Minpo) |
- School founding: 1893
- Club member: 36
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Nara prefectural best 4
This prefectural school is located in Yamato-koriyama City, Nara Prefecture. Founded in 1893 (Meiji 26), it is one of the prefecture's leading schools, and offers a high level of academic and club activities.
The baseball club is a veteran, having participated in the Koshien tournament six times each in the spring and summer, but has not made it to Koshien since the summer of 2000. In recent years, the club has had only around 10 students per grade join. Despite this, the students themselves have been discussing practice schedules and bench member selection, and have been making many creative efforts.
In 2012, the school made it to the final four in all three Nara tournaments, spring, summer, and fall, but this fall they were narrowly defeated in the third-place deciding match. The club is also actively involved in activities to promote baseball.
7. Yamaguchi Kojo HS (Chugoku)
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| Yamaguchi Kojo HS baseball team (via Yamaguchi Shimbun) |
- School founding: 1889
- Club member: 31
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Yamaguchi prefectural best 4, Chugoku regional first round
Founded in 1889 (Meiji 22), this private school is located in Yamaguchi City. The baseball club, which was founded in 1915 (Taisho 4), has the philosophy of being "a team that walks with the community," and continues to visit nearby elementary and junior high schools to greet students and actively participate in local events.
There was a time when the club struggled with a lack of members, but steady efforts and hard work have paid off, and the club currently has 31 members in its second year, including students from outside the prefecture.
In recent years, the club has made it to the quarterfinals of the prefecture, and this fall they placed third in the Yamaguchi Tournament, making their first appearance in the Chugoku Tournament in 46 years. They have participated in the summer Koshien tournament once each during the Taisho, Showa, and Heisei eras, and are aiming for their first appearance in the Reiwa era.
8. Kochi Agricultural HS (Shikoku)
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| Kochi Agricultural HS baseball team (upfront one, via Kochi Shimbun Plus) |
- School founding: 1890
- Club member: 21
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Kochi prefectural best 8
This prefectural school was founded in 1890 (Meiji 23). The baseball club, which was founded in 1947, was disbanded after four years of activity, but was revived in 1999 and continues to this day.
The club has 21 members, including three managers. In 2021, there were no new members and the club had to compete in tournaments as a combined team, but the club has continued to contribute to the community by working hard to promote baseball as a pioneer in the prefecture, such as by hosting youth baseball clinics. Despite being unable to gather coaches and players due to agricultural training, the club overcame the challenges with ingenuity and hard work.
In the quarterfinals of this fall's Kochi tournament, the club played a close game against the powerful Meitoku Gijuku, which went into extra innings.
9. Nagasaki Nishi HS (Kyushu)
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| Nagasaki Nishi HS baseball team (via Nagasaki Culture BS) |
- School founding: 1948
- Club member: 38
- Latest Fall Tournament record: Nagasaki prefectural runner-up, Kyushu regional second round
Founded in 1948, this prefectural high school in Nagasaki City is a prefectural preparatory school. It has produced many successful applicants to top universities such as the University of Tokyo and medical schools at national and public universities. Classes are 50 minutes long and run until the seventh period every day, with mock exams on weekends.
The team has 38 members. They practice for 90 minutes on weekdays, focusing on the theme of "temporal discipline," in keeping with the school's motto of "self-discipline." To visualize data, the team uses an app created by the manager to evaluate practice and analyze opposing teams.
This fall, the team was runner-up in the Nagasaki Tournament. They made it to the quarterfinals of the Kyushu Tournament, where they held their own against Kyushu International University High School (Fukuoka), winners of the Meiji Jingu Tournament.
Additional: List of all recommendation schools from each region & prefecture
| Region | Prefecture | School Name | Fall Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tohoku | Aomori | Aomori Akenohoshi HS | Prefectural best 16 |
| Iwate | Takata HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Akita | Akita Minami HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Yamagata | Yonezawa Kakujo HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Miyagi | Natori Kita HS | Prefectural best 4, regional first round | |
| Fukushima | Iwaki Yumoto HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Kanto-Tokyo | Ibaraki | Ibaraki HS | Prefectural best 4 |
| Tochigi | Happy Science Gakuen HS | Prefectural best 4 | |
| Gunma | Takasaki Keidai HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Saitama | Ageo HS | Prefetural best 4 | |
| Yamanashi | Kofu Technical HS | Prefectural runner-up, regional second round | |
| Chiba | Kokubun HS | Prefectural best 16 | |
| Tokyo | J.F. Oberlin HS | District best 4 | |
| Kanagawa | Tachibana HS (Kawasaki) | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Tokai | Shizuoka | Hamamatsu Nittai HS | Prefectural best 4 |
| Aichi | Seishin HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Gifu | Nakatsu Commercial HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Mie | Yokkaichi HS | Prefectural best 4 | |
| Hokushinetsu | Nagano | Suwa Seiryo HS | Prefectural best 4 |
| Niigata | Muikamachi HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Toyama | Takaoka Daiichi HS | Prefectural runner-up, regional second round | |
| Ishikawa | Komatsu Commercial HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Fukui | Wakasa HS | Prefectural runner-up, regional first round | |
| Kinki | Shiga | Notogawa HS | Prefectural best 8 |
| Kyoto | Fukuchiyama HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Nara | Koriyama HS | Prefectural best 4 | |
| Wakayama | Hidaka HS Nakatsu | Prefectural best 4 | |
| Osaka | Ikuno HS | Prefectural best 16 | |
| Hyogo | Rokko Island HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Chugoku | Okayama | Kasaoka Commercial HS | Prefectural best 8 |
| Tottori | Tottori Higashi HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Shimane | Matsue Technical HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Hiroshima | Miyoshi HS | Prefectural best 16 | |
| Yamaguchi | Yamaguchi Kojo HS | Prefectural best 4, regional first round | |
| Shikoku | Kagawa | Kagawa Chuo HS | Prefectural best 8 |
| Ehime | Niihama Nishi HS | Prefectural best 16 | |
| Tokushima | Komatsushima HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Kochi | Kochi Agricultural HS | Prefectural best 8 | |
| Kyushu | Fukuoka | Kurume Commercial HS | Prefectural best 4 |
| Saga | Kanzaki HS | Prefectural best 4 | |
| Nagasaki | Nagasaki Nishi HS | Prefectural runner-up, regional second round | |
| Kumamoto | Kumamoto Gakuen Univ HS | Prefectural best 16 | |
| Oita | (No recommendation) | (No recommendation) | |
| Miyazaki | Nobeoka HS | Prefectural best 16 | |
| Kagoshima | Tokunoshima HS | Prefectural best 4 | |
| Okinawa | Nago HS | Prefectural best 8 |
Source: https://mainichi.jp/koshien/senbatsu2026/21c/
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