[Summer Koshien] What Are the “Surprisingly Popular Games”? The Top 20 “Memorable Games” That Had Viewers on the Edge of Their Seats

Games That Captured Our Hearts

In the top of the 10th inning of a tiebreaker, with the score tied at 3-3, Keio (Kanagawa) took a one-run lead with a groundout to second base with one out and the bases loaded. They then added two more runs on a hit, bringing an end to the thrilling game.This was the Keio vs. Koryo (Hiroshima) game (August 16, ’23) that captivated so many high school baseball fans——.

Fierce battles continue at Koshien this summer. The ranking below is based not on TV ratings—which rise simply by turning on the TV—but on “viewer engagement,” which measures how captivated viewers were by the screen (see the end of the article for detailed “measurement methods”).

The data analytics firm “REVISIO” (hereinafter referred to as “R”) has been conducting its own measurements of the tournament for five years since ’21. What makes a game a truly memorable classic? Saori Yasutake, R’s PR and Marketing Manager, explains.

“Matches that capture viewers’ attention share several characteristics. They include a series of unpredictable comebacks that make you involuntarily stare at the screen; the prospect of a dramatic conclusion as the game goes into extra innings; and the involvement of teams that are the talk of the town.

The opening match was a showdown between Keio, a prestigious school aiming for its first championship in 107 years, and Koryo, a powerhouse that had advanced to the semifinals of the Spring Senbatsu tournament that same year. Furthermore, while Keio held the advantage early on, Koryo managed to catch up in the late stages. With the match heading into extra-inning tiebreaker, it’s only natural that viewers couldn’t take their eyes off the TV screen.”

Let’s take a closer look at the rankings. In first place was the Keio vs. Koryo game mentioned at the beginning . Second place also went to a Keio game: the championship match against Sendai Ikuei (Miyagi) held on August 23, 2023.

“With the team’s first championship in 107 years on the line, the game had already drawn significant attention even before it began, with Keio alumni posting numerous comments on social media and elsewhere.The game itself got off to a surprising start when Keio’s leadoff hitter, Minato Maruta—who had become a hot topic known as the ‘Fair-Skinned Prince’—hit a leadoff home run. The early going was a back-and-forth battle; it was a game that even non-Keio alumni couldn’t take their eyes off of,” said Mr. Yasutake.

The school song is in Korean

The match between third-place Chiben Wakayama and Kokugakuin Tochigi (August 13, 2022) also saw the momentum swing back and forth.

“Kokugakuin Tochigi took on Chiben Wakayama, the defending champion and one of the favorites to win the title.The game followed a pattern where Kokugakuin Tochigi took the lead, Chiben Wakayama tied it up, and then Kokugakuin Tochigi regained the lead. In the bottom of the sixth inning, trailing by one run, Kokugakuin Tochigi scored four consecutive hits to retake the lead. They weathered Chiben Wakayama’s fierce late-game rally to secure a hard-fought victory.

Coming in at No. 4 was the game between Kyoto International and Ichinoseki Gakuin (Iwate) on August 6, 2022. While the dramatic ending—in which Ichinoseki Gakuin scored a walk-off win in the bottom of the 11th inning to advance past the first round of the Summer Koshien for the first time in 20 years—was certainly a highlight, there may have been other factors contributing to the high level of attention the game received.“The Korean lyrics in Kyoto International’s school song had become a talking point. You see, Kyoto International’s predecessor was Kyoto Korean Academy,” (ibid.)

There are also some unexpectedly popular games. The fifth-ranked match was between Kanagawa powerhouse Yokohama and Gifu Prefectural Commercial High School (August 19, ’25). Koki Mitsuhashi, a marketing team manager at Company R, explains:

“It’s rare for a public school like Gifu Commercial High to draw this much attention, but the school sparked a ‘public school sensation,’ defying the odds to defeat Yokohama and advance to the Final Four. Atsuhiro Yokoyama, a player from that school who has lived with a congenital left-hand disability, also drew attention by getting a hit in four out of five games.”

On the other hand, there are some games featuring high-profile teams that aren’t drawing as much attention. Mr. Mitsuhashi continues:

“These are games where a large lead builds up early on. The match between 14th-ranked Urawa Gakuin (Saitama) and Sendai Ikuei (August 6, 2023) was a clash between two powerhouses, but Sendai Ikuei scored nine runs by the third inning. The game was decided early on, and viewer interest waned.”

Comeback victories, walk-off wins… Every summer, fans are moved by the drama woven by these young baseball players.

From the September 4, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*