Little League World Series in Japan

Japan Region
Most recent season or competition:
2024 Little League World Series qualification
FormerlyFar East Region
Asia Region
SportBaseball
Founded2007; 18 years ago (2007)
Country Japan
Most recent
champion(s)		 Johoku Little League, Nakano, Tokyo
Most titles Chōfu Little League, Chōfu, Tokyo (12)

Japan first participated in the Little League World Series in 1962. Between 1962 and 2000, Japan participated in the Far East Region of the LLWS. In 2001, the Far East Region was divided into the Asia Region and the Pacific Region. From 2001 to 2006, Japan competed in the Asia Region. In 2007, the Japan Region was created, so that the winner of the Japanese championship receives an automatic berth in the Series.

Japan Championships

In 1967, the first All-Japan championship took place. Prior to 1967, Japanese teams participated in the Far East region in each year between 1962 and 1966. In 1969, the Far East Region conducted its first regional tournament, with teams from six nations.

Year Champion City Runner-up City Region LLWS Record
1961 Misawa Aomori Pacific DNQ –
1962 Kunitachi Tokyo Far East 7th place 1–2
1963 Gyokusen Tokyo Far East Withdrew –
1964 Tachikawa Tokyo Far East 4th place 1–2
1965 Arakawa Tokyo Far East 6th place 1–2
1966 Wakayama Wakayama Far East 4th place 1–2
All-Japan Championship
1967 West Tokyo Tokyo Osaka Nishi Osaka Far East Champions 3–0
1968 Wakayama Wakayama Little Hawks ? Far East Champions 3–0
1969 Chōfu Chōfu Little Hawks ? Far East DNQ –
1970 Wakayama Wakayama Chōfu Chōfu Far East DNQ
1971 Chōfu Chōfu Wakayama Wakayama Far East DNQ
1972 Chōfu Chōfu Izumi Otsu Otsu Far East DNQ
1973 Chōfu Chōfu Sendai Minami Sendai Far East DNQ
1974 Chōfu Chōfu Nerima Tokyo Far East DNQ
1975 Chōfu Chōfu Tokyo Machida Tokyo Far East Banned
1976 Chōfu Chōfu Komae Tokyo Far East Champions 3–0
1977 Chōfu Chōfu Higashi Osaka Osaka Far East DNQ –
1978 Amagasaki Kita Amagasaki Suginami Tokyo Far East DNQ
1979 Settsu Settsu Sendai Chuo Sendai Far East DNQ
1980 Suginami Tokyo Wakayama Wakayama Far East DNQ
1981 Motomaki Chuo  ? Nakano Higashi Tokyo Far East DNQ
1982 Chōfu Chōfu Kohhoku Yokohama Far East DNQ
1983 Osaka Yodogawa Osaka Asahi Yokohama Far East 3rd place 2–1
1984 Taisho Osaka Hamamatsu Hamamatsu Far East DNQ –
1985 Hoya Tokyo Adachi Kita Tokyo Far East DNQ
1986 Tokorozawa Tokorozawa Ehime Nishi  ? Far East DNQ
1987 Chōfu Chōfu Aichi Iwakura Iwakura Far East DNQ
1988 Osaka Higashi Osaka Nagoya Higashi Nagoya Far East DNQ
1989 Settsu Settsu Chōfu Chōfu Far East DNQ
1990 Hadano Hadano Takaishi Takaishi Far East DNQ
1991 Omiya Ōmiya Takatsuki Takatsuki Far East DNQ
1992 Minato Tokyo Hasuda Hasuda Far East DNQ
1993 Sumida Tokyo Kumamoto Chuo Chūō Far East DNQ
1994 Edogawa Minami Tokyo Seya Yokohama Far East DNQ
1995 Izumisano Izumisano Midori Chuo Kanagawa Far East DNQ
1996 Matsusaka Matsusaka Hiratsuka Hiratsuka Far East DNQ
1997 Seya Yokohama Takarazuka Takarazuka Far East 3rd place 2–2
1998 Kashima Kashima Seya Yokohama Far East Runner-up 3–2
1999 Hirakata Hirakata Hyogo Harima Harima Far East Champions 4–1
2000 Musashi Fuchu Tokyo Kodaira Kodaira Far East 3rd place 3–1
2001 Tokyo Kitasuna Tokyo Nagoya Kita Nagoya Asia Champions 5–1
2002 Sendai Higashi Sendai Takarazuka Takarazuka Asia Runner-up 5–1
2003 Musashi Fuchu Tokyo Chōfu Chōfu Asia Champions 6–0
2004 Sendai Higashi Sendai Tokyo Kitasuna Tokyo Asia DNQ –
2005 Chiba City Chiba Gifu Tohno Gifu Asia 4th place 4–2
2006 Kawaguchi Kawaguchi Musashi Fuchu Tokyo Asia Runner-up 5–1
2007 Tokyo Kitasuna Tokyo Hiratsuka Hiratsuka Japan Runner-up 4–1
2008 Edogawa Minami Tokyo Matsusaka Matsusaka Japan 3rd place 5–1
2009 Chiba City Chiba Izumisano Izumisano Japan Quarterfinals 2–2
2010 Edogawa Minami Tokyo Hirosaki Aomori Hirosaki Japan Champions 5–0
2011 Hamamatsu Minami Hamamatsu Seya Yokohama Japan Runner-up 5–2
2012 Tokyo Kitasuna Tokyo Matsusaka Matsusaka Japan Champions 5–0
2013 Musashi Fuchū Tokyo Sendai Aoba Sendai Japan Champions 5–0
2014 Tokyo Kitasuna Tokyo Toyonaka Toyonaka Japan 3rd place 4–2
2015 Tokyo Kitasuna Tokyo Hachioji Tokyo Japan Champions 5–0
2016 Chōfu Tokyo Sendai Higashi Sendai Japan Round 1 1–2
2017 Tokyo Kitasuna Tokyo Chiba City Chiba Japan Champions 5–0
2018 Kawaguchi Kawaguchi Nagasaki Minami Nagasaki Japan 3rd place 4–2
2019 Chōfu Tokyo Ushiku Ushiku Japan 3rd place 4–1
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 crisis
2021 Takarazuka Takarazuka Fukaya City Fukaya Japan No Int'l teams –
2022 Takarazuka Takarazuka Hiroshima Aki Hiroshima Japan Round 2 0–2
2023 Musashi Fuchu Tokyo Shōnan Shōnan Japan Round 4 3–2
2024 Johoku Tokyo Joto Tokyo Japan Int'l Semifinal 2–2

Summary

As of the 2024 Little League World Series.

Prefecture JC WS Record PCT
Tokyo 35 20 71–19 .789
Osaka 7 2 6–2 .750
Saitama 4 2 9–3 .750
Wakayama 3 2 4–2 .667
Kanagawa 3 1 2–2 .500
Hyogo 3 1 0–2 .000
Chiba 2 2 6–4 .600
Miyagi 2 1 5–1 .833
Shizuoka 1 1 5–2 .714
Ibaraki 1 1 3–2 .600
Mie 1 0 – –
Aomori 1 0 – –

See also

Asia-Pacific Region in each Little League division

References

  1. ^ "Japanese Region Little League World Series". UNPage.org. 25 August 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  2. ^ See: Little League World Series (Far East Region) § 1975 Ban.
  3. ^ "Past Divisional Champs – Little League Baseball®".
  4. ^ "Little League® Cancels 2020 World Series and Region Tournaments". 30 April 2020.
  5. ^ "2021 Little League® World Series and Regional Tournament update". littleleague.org. May 3, 2021.