Female Umpires to Officiate at Japan's Koshien for First Time in Over a Century

(CNA, Tokyo, 19th) Female umpires will officiate at Japan's summer Koshien high school baseball tournament this August, a first in its over 100-year history. One of the female umpires serves as a nurse while officiating in various locations, while another is fulfilling her childhood dream through this role. According to Kyodo News Chinese, the Japan High School Baseball Federation (JHBF) hopes to recruit diverse talent, provide a stage for them to shine, and further promote baseball's development, as well as attract and cultivate new umpires. The JHBF oversees Japan's high school baseball competitions, including the prestigious Spring Koshien and Summer Koshien tournaments, which have a history spanning more than a century. In early May, at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, clear and firm calls of "Out!" and "Safe!" were heard. Several women participated in this national umpire workshop to learn rules and related techniques. Kana Sato, 39, from the Saitama JHBF, also took part in the workshop. She enthusiastically stated, "I want to approach the game with a meticulous attitude. A woman's voice is different from a man's, but I hope people will find this kind of voice good too." Sato began her umpiring journey over 10 years ago while serving as an advisor to her middle school's baseball team, hoping to "guide the children from a different perspective." After accumulating experience, she umpired at the U-18 Baseball World Cup last year. She is also a mother of two and relies on the support of those around her to look after her children while she officiates, continuously developing her umpiring career. Another participant, Kasumi Iwao, 33, was on her high school baseball team and had yearned for Koshien, thinking, "It's great that boys can go to Koshien." She became an umpire after graduation, continuing her passion as a "baseball girl," and now works as a nurse while officiating across the country. She stated, "I want to show that women can also thrive in this way," embracing a sense of mission to inspire future generations. Prior to women officiating at Koshien, female umpires have already appeared in top global sporting events. The NBA saw its first female referees about 30 years ago, the FIFA World Cup appointed six female referees for the first time in 2022, and MLB had its first female umpire officiate in a regular-season game last year, also serving as a home plate umpire. According to 2024 statistics, there are about 20 women on the umpire committee lists of JHBFs across Japan. Taisuke Ozaki, chairman of the JHBF's umpire rules committee, stated that with the declining player population, the problem of umpire succession is becoming increasingly severe. Ozaki said, "To gather the strength of more people to support this sport, we want to create an environment that can attract more support." (Compiled by: Yang Wei-ching)