Japan's High School Football Championship Qualifiers Continue
Listen to the story
On November 7, qualifier matches for Japan's National High School Football Championship took place across the country.
This year's event is the 105th edition of the tournament, one of the most important competitions for high school football in Japan.
Matches were held in 20 different districts, and by the end of the day, 10 prefectures had confirmed their representative schools. These schools will now advance to the national tournament, which brings together the best teams from all over Japan.
In Tokyo, attention focused on two key matches played at the Nishigaoka stadium, often used for important local games. The first match was between Horikoshi High School and Tokyo Korean High School. The second was between Komazawa University High School and Tokyo Jitsugyo High School. These games were part of the Tokyo A bracket, which decides one of Tokyo's spots in the national competition.
The championship is a well-known tradition in Japanese school sports, and many talented young players use it as a stepping stone toward professional careers. Each prefecture usually sends one or more representative teams, depending on its size and population.
With qualifiers continuing across the country, more representative schools are expected to be confirmed in the coming days as the path to the national tournament becomes clearer.
Vocabulary6 words
- qualifier
- a match that decides who enters a bigger competition
- tournament
- a big sports event with many matches
- district
- a smaller area within a larger region
- prefecture
- a large administrative area in Japan
- representative
- someone or something chosen to stand for a group
- bracket
- a set of matches arranged to decide a winner
Quiz
Answer key
1. Qualifier matches for a high school football championship 2. 10 3. Nishigaoka
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
On November 7, _____ matches for Japan's National High School Football Championship took place across the country.
This year's event is the _____ edition of the tournament.
Matches were held in 20 different _____.
By the end of the day, 10 _____ had confirmed their representative schools.
These schools will now advance to the _____ tournament.
Attention focused on two key matches played at the _____ stadium.
The first match was between Horikoshi High School and _____ High School.
The second was between Komazawa University High School and _____ High School.
These games were part of the Tokyo A _____.

