Japan Series facts for kids
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Month played | Late October–early November |
| Established | 1950 |
| Administrator(s) | Nippon Professional Baseball |
| Format | Best-of-seven series |
| Teams | 2 |
| Most recent tournament | |
| 2025 Japan Series | |
The Japan Series (日本シリーズ Nippon Shiriizu) is the exciting annual championship in Nippon Professional Baseball. This is Japan's top professional baseball league. Think of it like the World Series in North America, but for Japan!
It's a special "best-of-seven" series. This means two teams play against each other, and the first team to win four games becomes the champion. The series happens every year in late October or early November. The winning team is proudly called the Japan Series Champion (日本一, Nippon Ichi, number one in Japan)!
The two teams that compete are the champions from Japan's two main baseball circuits: the Central League and the Pacific League.
The Japan Series: Japan's Baseball Championship!
The Japan Series is a thrilling event where the best teams from the Central League and the Pacific League battle it out. It's a big deal in Japan, and fans eagerly watch to see which team will be crowned the best.
How the Japan Series Works
The series follows a 2–3–2 game format. This means the first two games are played at one team's home stadium, then the next three games at the other team's stadium. If needed, the final two games return to the first team's home field.
The home team advantage for games 1, 2, 6, and 7 switches between the leagues each year. If the year ends with an odd number (like 2025), the Pacific League team hosts. If it ends with an even number, the Central League team hosts.
Playing the Games: Rules and Formats
When a Pacific League team hosts a game, they use a special rule called the designated hitter. This means a player can bat without playing a defensive position.
There's a limit of 40 players on the team roster for the postseason. Also, games that are tied after 12 innings are called a draw. This rule has been in place since 2018.
If the series is tied after seven games, an eighth game is played. The team that hosted games 6 and 7 also hosts Game 8. This has only happened once in Japan Series history, in 1986, when the Seibu Lions won against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. If Game 8 also ends in a draw, more games would be played until a winner is decided.
The longest game in Japan Series history happened on November 6, 2010. The Chunichi Dragons and Chiba Lotte Marines played for 15 innings, ending in a 2–2 draw. That game lasted 5 hours and 43 minutes! Another long game was Game 2 of the 2022 Japan Series, which was a 3–3 draw after 12 innings, lasting 5 hours and 3 minutes.
Who Has Won the Most?
Every team currently in Nippon Professional Baseball has won the Japan Series at least once. The team with the most championships is the Yomiuri Giants, with an amazing twenty-two titles!
In recent years, the Pacific League has been very strong. They won eight championships in a row from 2013 to 2020! Six of those wins were by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows broke this streak in 2021 when they beat the Orix Buffaloes.
Top Teams by Wins
Here's a look at the teams with the most Japan Series wins:
| Team | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Yomiuri Giants | 22 | 14 |
| Saitama Seibu Lions1 | 13 | 8 |
| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks2 | 12 | 10 |
| Tokyo Yakult Swallows | 6 | 3 |
| Orix Buffaloes3 | 5 | 10 |
| Chiba Lotte Marines4 | 4 | 2 |
| Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 3 | 5 |
| Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters5 | 3 | 4 |
| Yokohama DeNA BayStars6 | 3 | 1 |
| Chunichi Dragons | 2 | 8 |
| Hanshin Tigers | 2 | 5 |
| Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | 1 | 0 |
| Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes7 | 0 | 4 |
| Shochiku Robins8 | 0 | 1 |
1The team now known as the Saitama Seibu Lions won 3 titles as the Nishitetsu Lions. 2The team now known as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won 2 titles as the Nankai Hawks and 2 as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. 3The team now known as the Orix Buffaloes won 3 titles as the Hankyu Braves and 1 as the Orix BlueWave. They became the Orix Buffaloes in 2005 after joining with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. 4The team now known as the Chiba Lotte Marines won 1 title as the Mainichi Orions and 1 as the Lotte Orions. 5The team now known as the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters won 1 title as the Toei Flyers. 6This team won 1 title as the Yokohama BayStars and 1 as the Taiyō Whales. 7The Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes joined with the Orix BlueWave in 2005 to form the Orix Buffaloes. 8The Shochiku Robins joined with the Taiyō Whales in 1953, eventually becoming the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
League Rivalry: Central vs. Pacific
The two leagues have had a close competition over the years. Currently, the Central League has won 38 titles, and the Pacific League has also won 38 titles. It's a tie!
| Central League | 38–38 | Pacific League |
|---|
Great Managers and Their Wins
Many talented managers have led their teams to Japan Series victories. Since 1950, fifteen managers have won the Japan Series multiple times. Some managers, like Osamu Mihara, Shigeru Mizuhara, and Tatsuro Hirooka, even won championships with different teams!
| Manager | Championships |
|---|---|
| Tetsuharu Kawakami | 11 |
| Masaaki Mori | 6 |
| Shigeru Mizuhara | 5 |
| Kimiyasu Kudo | 5 |
| Osamu Mihara | 4 |
| Toshiharu Ueda | 3 |
| Tatsuro Hirooka | 3 |
| Tatsunori Hara | 3 |
| Takeshi Koba | 3 |
| Katsuya Nomura | 3 |
| Shigeo Nagashima | 2 |
| Sadaharu Oh | 2 |
| Motoshi Fujita | 2 |
| Koji Akiyama | 2 |
| Kazuto Tsuruoka | 2 |
Amazing Streaks and Long Waits
Some teams have had incredible winning streaks, while others have waited a long time for a championship.
- The Yomiuri Giants hold the record for the longest winning streak, with nine consecutive Japan Series championships from 1965 to 1973!
- The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks also had an impressive run, winning four championships in a row from 2017 to 2020.
- Other teams have won three championships in a row, including the Yomiuri Giants (1951–1953), the Nishitetsu Lions (1956–1958), the Hankyu Braves (1975–1977), and the Seibu Lions (twice: 1986–1988 and 1990–1992).
Some teams have experienced long waits between championships:
- The Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes never won a Japan Series in their entire history (1950–2004).
- The Chunichi Dragons waited 51 years, from 1955 to 2006, for their next title.
- The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters waited 43 years, from 1963 to 2005.
- The Hiroshima Toyo Carp have not won a Japan Series since 1984, a wait of 41 years.
- The Yokohama DeNA BayStars waited 37 years, from 1961 to 1997, and are currently in a 26-year drought since their last win in 1998.
- The Hanshin Tigers waited 37 years, from 1986 to 2022, for their next championship.
- The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (as Nankai/Fukuoka Hawks) waited 34 years, from 1965 to 1998.
- The Chiba Lotte Marines waited 30 years, from 1975 to 2004.
Special Awards for Players
At the end of the Japan Series, two special awards are given to players.
Japan Series MVP and Fighting Spirit Award
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award goes to the player who had the biggest impact on the winning team. The Fighting Spirit Award is given to the most impactful player on the losing team.
Interestingly, Kazuhisa Inao won the Fighting Spirit Award in 1956 even though his team, the Nishitetsu Lions, won the series! This was the only time a player from the winning team received this award.
Six players who won the Japan Series MVP Award later became managers in the Japan Series. Five of them, including Kimiyasu Kudo and Shigeo Nagashima, won both an MVP as a player and a Japan Series as a manager.
Eight players have won both the MVP Award and the Fighting Spirit Award, showing their consistent strong performance. Some players, like Mitsuhiro Adachi, have won the Fighting Spirit Award multiple times.
See also
In Spanish: Serie de Japón para niños
- Nippon Professional Baseball
- Asia Series
