Bullying 'takes root' in Japanese schools

GD&TĐ - Koryo High School, Japan, withdrew from a famous national school sports tournament due to signs of school violence within the team.

This shows that the problem of bullying in the Japanese education system has not been thoroughly resolved.

The Koshien Summer High School Baseball Championship is one of the most popular and widely watched sporting events in Japan. However, in early August, Koryo High School in Hiroshima Prefecture suddenly announced its withdrawal from the tournament amid allegations that some of its players had bullied a younger teammate.

Koshien is not only an annual sports tournament, but also considered a symbol of Japanese sports culture. With the participation of 49 teams representing provinces and cities, the tournament takes place at Koshien Stadium near Osaka, attracting millions of television viewers and live audiences.

The tournament has been a “launching pad” for many Japanese baseball stars, notably Shohei Ohtani, now a superstar for the Los Angeles Dodgers, USA. Therefore, the withdrawal of a strong team like Koryo midway through the tournament is not only rare, but also a huge shock.

According to the internal investigation, in January this year, four Koryo students attacked a young male student in the dormitory, pushing him in the chest and slapping him in the face. The victim later transferred schools despite the bullies apologizing.

The school reported the incident to the Japan High School Baseball Federation in March. The case was handled as a private reprimand. It was only when the media got involved that the news spread and caused outrage. People demanding the team withdraw from the tournament appeared heavily on social media.

Under pressure from public opinion, Principal Masakazu Hori announced the withdrawal of the team from the tournament to “protect students and staff”, and pledged to quickly reform the educational method. Head coach Tetsuyuki Nakai was removed from his position to serve the investigation.

This is the first time in the more than century-old history of Koshien that a team has withdrawn after the tournament has begun. Images of some opposing players refusing to shake Koryo's hand after the first-round match have gone viral online, as evidence of a rift in sportsmanship.

Observers say the incident reflects a long-standing problem of violence and harsh hierarchical relationships in Japanese school sports. The “senpai-kohai” (senior-junior) system is deeply ingrained in team culture and, if left unchecked, can easily turn into pressure and even a breeding ground for bullying.

The Japan High School Baseball Federation has vowed to “continue efforts to eradicate violence, bullying and unreasonable hierarchical relationships.” However, many are skeptical that current measures will be enough to change a long-standing culture that values ​​rigid discipline over student safety and well-being.

This is not the first time Koshien has faced scandal. In 2015, PL Gakuen, a high school baseball empire, was forced to stop recruiting new players after allegations of violence and bullying. In 2023, a prominent coach was forced to resign after assaulting a student. Last month, organizers caused controversy when they required teams to march in strict formation at the opening ceremony of the preliminaries, without smiling or waving to the crowd.

According to The Guardian

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