The Hiroshima Prefecture Hiroryo High School baseball team declined to participate in the summer Koshien tournament due to a violent incident. The fact that the discovery was made through social media caused a huge stir in the public. Takemura Naoki, an associate professor at Josai University and has been involved in high school baseball for over 20 years, argued that “should we stop taking measures of ‘collaboration responsibility’ that high school students can’t see in other sports.” What does that mean?
(Yuasa Daiki: Freelance Journalist)
The Student Baseball Association and the High School Baseball Federation were trying to ease “collaboration responsibility”…
—Koryo High School declined to participate in the summer Koshien. The discrepancies between the victims’ views on the violent incidents and the school’s successive testimony of victims have led to many voices asking about the governance of not only the school but also the high school’s national league. Mr. Takemura, who has been the head of high school baseball club and advisor for over 20 years, how does he view this matter?
Mr. Takemura Naoki (hereinafter referred to as “titles omitted): Let’s organize the process in which baseball club scandals, including violent incidents, are followed.
First, we will submit a report in the principal’s letter, “Scandal Report,” to the local High School Baseball Federation. The chairman of the Local High School Baseball Federation will then decide whether this case should be submitted to the Japan High School Baseball Federation.
Basically, it can be said that serious proposals such as violence and criminal acts will be submitted to the Japan High School Baseball Federation. The Japan High School Baseball Federation will then hold a “Deliberation Committee” and make a decision based on the “Japan Student Baseball Charter” established by the Japan Student Baseball Association, a top organization of the High School Baseball Federation.
In response to the school’s January incident, the High School Baseball Federation has given a “serious warning based on the name of the chairman” and a “suspended for one month in official matches for the members of the club.”
Incidentally, the “caution and strict warning” measures have been generally not disclosed based on the Student Baseball Charter, but Koryo High School was forced to disclose the measures in August. If a disciplinary action is required such as a suspension of a coach or a long suspension of an external game, the High School Baseball Federation will leave its decision to the Japan Student Baseball Association.
In fact, the Japan Student Baseball Association has relaxed its standards for disciplinary actions for violations of the Japan Student Baseball Charter from April 1, 2025. The main change is the relaxed condition of the “no external matches,” which is a joint responsibility.
Specifically, the criteria for banning external matches are “more than 10 members who have committed violations, or more than 50% of the total number of members.” This is to eliminate the absurdity that even if a small number of people smoke, even if the baseball team is the only one who is involved in the baseball team, the unrelated members will be “banned from playing external games.”
By clarifying measures to suspend individuals who have committed violations from being eligible for official matches, we can see the intention to reduce the number of collateral players.
In fact, the Student Baseball Association has recognized the need to create and publish specific disciplinary standards in order to respond to the Governance Codes set out by the Sports Agency. They even held 11 working groups related to the new standards separately from the Disposal Standards Committee.
Takemura Naoki Associate Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Josai University He served as the baseball club president and advisor at a private high school for over 20 years, and while he was still in his position, he began researching the structure of high school baseball as a specialist in theoretical sociology. Graduated from Ritsumeikan University’s Faculty of Industrial Sociology and completed the master’s course at Ritsumeikan University’s Graduate School of Sociology. He obtained doctoral credits from the Graduate School of Sociology, Ryukoku University, and was expelled. Doctor (sociology). Major in sociology theory and sports sociology. His book is “High school baseball system research: Sociological analysis from the perspective of Durkheim’s theory』 (Cultural Creation Plan)
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This time, the High School Baseball Council issued a punishment on Koryo High School on March 5th, so it is unclear how much the new standards will have an impact. In any case, both the Japan Student Baseball Association and the High School Baseball Federation had a sense of concern about “only the baseball team is jointly and responsible,” and new standards have actually been created.
However, due to various social opinions and pressure, Koryo High School declined to participate in the summer Koshien due to school decision. It can be said that this has become an ironic situation for the High School Baseball Federation and the Student Baseball Association, which have been in the process of easing “collaboration responsibility.”
–The angry voices on social media are mainly “accusations of social media accounts that appear to be victims” and “Koryo High School’sReportI think there is a huge gap between the two. The number of people and the content of the violence that the two have announced is too different, but will the truth be revealed?
Key Data Points in high School Baseball disciplinary Actions
To better understand the evolving landscape of disciplinary measures in Japanese high school baseball, let’s examine some pivotal data points directly related to the Koryo High School case and the broader trends in the Japan Student Baseball Association’s responses. (Note: specific numerical data, such as the exact number of individuals involved in the Koryo High School incident and the precise nature of the violations, are not fully available in the provided text therefore, the table is created using relative information).
| Issue | Details | Impact & Implications |
| ——————————————— | ————————————————————————————————————————————- | ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- |
| Initial Report & Assessment | Principal submits “Scandal Report” to the Local High School Baseball Federation; federation chair decides on escalation to the Japan High School Baseball Federation. | Establishes the formal chain of command for addressing incidents, emphasizing the role of local authorities in initial assessment. |
| charter & Deliberation | Japan High School Baseball Federation uses the “Japan Student Baseball Charter” established by the Japan Student Baseball Association. | The Charter’s stipulations underpin the decision-making process, guiding consequences based on the severity and nature of the violation.|
| Disciplinary Actions (Pre-2025) | Measures can include warnings, suspensions for individuals, and no external matches (collective punishment). | Highlighted the use of “collaboration duty” can lead to criticism, especially if unrelated teammates are penalized for the actions of a few. |
| Change in Standards (From April 1, 2025) | Relaxation of “no external matches” criteria of joint responsibility: specifically, the criteria is “more than 10 members who have committed violations, or more than 50% of the total number of members.” | Aims to mitigate injustices to reduce collateral impact on the team by penalizing fewer players. |
| Koryo High School Case (2025) | Issued a “serious warning based on the name of the chairman” and a “suspended for one month in official matches for the members of the club.” | The final disciplinary actions for Koryo high School from the High School Baseball federation are vital. These actions can indicate whether the new standards adopted have a bearing on them. |
| Social Media Scrutiny | Social media accounts accused the school and shared their concerns and demands. | Reveals the role of the public, which pressured Koryo High School to decline to participate in the Koshien tournament.|
FAQ: Addressing Common Questions About Disciplinary Actions in Japanese High School Baseball
This FAQ section aims to provide clarity on the intricacies of disciplinary measures in japanese high school baseball, including the Koryo High School controversy.
Q: What is “collaboration responsibility” in the context of high school baseball?
A: “Collaboration responsibility” (also known as collective responsibility) refers to the historical practice were the entire team could face penalties-such as bans from games-for the actions of a few members, even if most team members were not involved. It can be used for a period of time in order to prevent similar action.
Q: How are disciplinary cases handled in Japanese high school baseball?
A: The process begins with a report submitted by the school principal to the local High School Baseball Federation. Serious cases may than be referred to the Japan High School Baseball Federation, which makes decisions based on the Japan Student Baseball Charter. Disciplinary measures can range from warnings to suspensions of players or teams.
Q: What changes have been made to the disciplinary standards?
A: The Japan Student Baseball Association relaxed its criteria for “no external matches” that are considered under “collaboration responsibility.” From April 1, 2025, the prohibition of matches will only apply if multiple members are found violating the rules.The purpose is to lessen the impact on the team.
Q: what role did the Koryo High School incident play in these changes?
A: The Koryo High School incident highlighted the complexities and potential inequities of the previous disciplinary standards. The case triggered public and media scrutiny, leading the high School Baseball Federation to re-evaluate its rules.
Q: How has social media affected the governance of high school baseball?
A: Social media has increased public awareness of incidents, which has heightened the pressure on schools and governing bodies to address issues transparently. It also has provided the public with a platform to voice concerns about these cases.
Q: Where can I find more information about high school baseball regulations?
A: Information is usually available on the websites of the Japan Student Baseball Association, the Japan High School Baseball Federation, and the individual prefectural federations. You can also access detailed reports through official school announcements.
