In the spring and summer, epresentative high schools from around the country converge on Koshien Kyujo in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. Every aspect of the tournaments, from the opening ceremony to the award ceremony is televised nationally. The fall tournament, is held in Tokyo's Jingu Kyujo and receives scant attention. The teams in the spring tournament are invited to attend and represent their district. It has been rumoured that, in the past, some schools' booster organizations offered cash to influence officials involved in the selection process.
Teams take part in the summer tournament after winning their prefectural-level tournament.
College Baseball Universities throughout Japan take part in local university leagues. As in high school ball, these leagues are split into spring and summer tournaments. Unlike high school ball, however, the focus is on the local tournaments with the national college championship earning scant attention from the media. The two most prestigious, but not necessarily the best, leagues are located in Tokyo. After the league season ends, the last-place team from the upper division has to play a series against the lower division winner.