Notes from the President's Office No. 23: The Keio Senior High School Baseball Team's Summer Begins
July 4, 2025
Vice-President
Tatsuo Kawasaki
[Responsibilities]
Finance, fundraising, and other duties
I am Tatsuo Kawasaki, and I was appointed Vice-President at the end of May. I am primarily responsible for finance and fundraising activities, and I will work in collaboration with the responsible board members on hospital management reform and information infrastructure. For this article, however, I am writing from a personal standpoint as the chairman of the Hiyoshi Club, the alumni association for the Keio Senior High School baseball team.
The 107th National High School Baseball Championship Kanagawa Tournament will kick off with an opening ceremony at Yokohama Stadium at 4:00 p.m. on July 7. For the Keio Senior High School (Jukuko) baseball team, this marks the beginning of their intense summer battles. It is one of the toughest regional tournaments, with a national high of 172 schools competing for a spot in the final game on July 27 at Yokohama Stadium.
This year's tournament, with the special significance of the number "107," will feature Jukuko captain Nozomi Yamada, a member of the 77th graduating class, delivering the athletes' oath. I can't help but feel a sense of destiny in this coincidence, as he was chosen by lottery from among 107 candidate schools. It has been 62 years since a Jukuko captain, Yasuhisa Kaseya of the 15th graduating class, last delivered the oath at the summer tournament. While there have been other instances—such as Shoji Ogawa of the 1st graduating class at the 1949 National Invitational Tournament and Kosumi Omura of the 75th graduating class at the 2023 Spring Kanto Tournament—the "summer" stage is truly special.
And another special event awaits this summer. If they win their first game on July 10, a "Juku vs. Juku" showdown against Keio Shonan Fujisawa Senior High School will take place in the second round on July 12 at Hiratsuka Stadium. This will be the first time the two schools have faced each other in the summer tournament. For Keio fans who want to cheer for both sides, it is a thrilling matchup, but as the chairman of the Hiyoshi Club, I hope you will permit me to cheer for Jukuko.
This year's team, centered around the 77th graduating class, has trained hard under the slogan "Josho Kiryu" (Ever-Victorious, Joyful Dragons). Although they faced bitter disappointment by falling just short in both last fall's and this spring's prefectural tournaments, their determination for this summer is stronger than ever, and they show great potential.
On June 28, the Hiyoshi Club hosted a pep rally at the Fujiwara Memorial Hall. Among the third-year students on stage were some who, unfortunately, did not make the summer roster. The process of selecting 20 roster members from a large squad of 109 players involves fierce annual competition, filled with much drama and internal conflict. Nevertheless, all the players on stage had bright expressions, and I felt that a very "Keio-like" team had been formed—one that doesn't show off its daily hard work.
Supporting this large team from behind the scenes are the student coaches. After advancing to the university, they put an end to their own playing careers and dedicate themselves to helping their younger counterparts on the field. This system began informally around 1980, and I myself have experience supporting the Jukuko baseball team as a student coach about 40 years ago. Currently, there are over 100 former student coaches among the alumni, and they serve as a cornerstone of unity for the 1,600 members of the Hiyoshi Club. The management of this large team is made possible by these coaches, who work at the Hiyoshidai Baseball Field —located at the very end of Mamushidani (Viper Valley)—getting covered in mud and sweating alongside the players until sunset, all under a banner that reads "Keio Number One in Japan."
I hope that Captain Yamada and the 20 selected players will carry the hopes of their 109 teammates, the student coaches, their parents, and all Keio high school baseball fans as they race to the top.
Let's achieve "Josho Kiryu"!