Koshien at 100: ‘Sacred’ dust, the Hanshin Tigers and a storied highschool tourney

Nishinomiya, Hyogo Pref. –
If it weren’t the non secular house of Japanese baseball, there could be little to tell apart the realm round Koshien Station from every other suburban locale within the nation.

A big shopping center, an imposing elevated freeway connecting Osaka and Kobe, extensive boulevards, and some peculiar eating places and bars dot this space of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture — and for roughly two-thirds of the 12 months, that’s concerning the extent of the exercise permeating the neighborhood.

But when the Hanshin Tigers are enjoying, or the National High School Baseball Championship is on, the realm transforms right into a sea of baseball followers from Kansai and past, all making a pilgrimage to their holy land: Koshien Stadium.