広陵こうりょう高校こうこう 野球やきゅう部ぶの中井なかい哲之てつゆき監督かんとくが交代こうたい 部員ぶいんの暴力ぼうりょくめぐる問題もんだいで

Multiple baseball team members at Koryo High School withdrew from the national high school baseball tournament in the middle of the event due to issues such as violence against underclassmen. The school announced that longtime manager Tetsuyuki Nakai will be replaced, and that an “School Improvement Review Committee” made up of external experts will be established to incorporate third-party perspectives into school management.

Koryo High School participated in the National High School Baseball Championship, which started in August, as the representative of Hiroshima, but due to the seriousness of various information circulating on social media regarding issues such as violence among team members, they decided to withdraw from the tournament before the second round.

The baseball club had formed a new team with second-year and first-year students and was reviewing its coaching structure, but the school judged that it would be difficult to continue activities under the current system. On the 21st, it announced that manager Tetsuyuki Nakai and his son, club director Junichi Nakai, would be replaced.

Director Nakai is 63 years old.

In 1990, he became the manager of his alma mater, Koryo High School, and led the team to two victories in the Spring Senbatsu tournament, establishing the school as a regular at Koshien and producing many players who went on to play professional baseball.

The new manager will be Kengo Matsumoto, 34, who had been serving as a coach, and Takao Takiguchi, who was the advisor for the basketball club, will become the department head.

Koryo High School conducted a survey of all its club members and confirmed that there were no problems such as violence or bullying among the second- and first-year students. Therefore, the school will participate in the district qualifiers for the autumn prefectural tournament starting on the 23rd.

On the other hand, regarding the incident of violence in the dormitory that triggered the situation, it was also announced that, in light of concerns about the baseball team’s culture and whether there have been past instances of violence or abusive language, a “School Improvement Review Committee” composed of external experts will be established. This aims for a fundamental reform and organizational improvement not only of the baseball team but the entire school, and the findings from a third-party perspective will be reflected in school management.

As a result, it will serve as important material when selecting the teams to participate in next springs Senbatsu.

The Hiroshima Prefectural High School Baseball Federation, which organizes the tournament, reported on the 21st that Koryo High School had informed them that both the manager and the club director would be replaced, and that an investigation had been conducted among the second- and first-year club members, confirming that there were no issues such as violence or bullying. Based on this, the school would participate in the district preliminaries of the prefectural tournament, and the federation has approved this.

The prefectural high school baseball federation has reportedly requested that the school continue to fully cooperate with the police and third-party committees, respond carefully to the victims, and that the entire school work together on fundamental reforms aimed at rebuilding the baseball team.

The regional qualifiers for the prefectural tournament will begin on the 23rd, and Koryo High School, being seeded, will play their first match on the 30th.

The Background of the Issue: The Koryo High School baseball team secured their spot in the summer Koshien tournament for the 26th time in three consecutive years by winning the Hiroshima tournament. However, just before the tournament began, information was posted and spread on social media alleging that there had been violence within the team.

Koryo High School explained that in January of this year, four second-year baseball team members each individually committed inappropriate acts involving violence against a first-year member who had eaten cup noodles, which were prohibited in the dormitory. As a result, in March, the Japan High School Baseball Federation issued a strict warning and suspended the involved members from participating in official games for one month.

The affected club member reportedly transferred to another school at the end of March.

Koryo High School played in the first round at Koshien Stadium on August 7, and around that time, another report was posted on social media and spread, claiming that two years ago, a former team member had been subjected to violence and verbal abuse by the coach, coaches, and some team members.

The school released a statement about this matter immediately after winning the first round, revealing that they had received a report of harm from a former club member in March last year and conducted two investigations, but were unable to confirm the alleged issues. They also stated that the case is currently being investigated by a third-party committee composed of outside lawyers and others.

On social media, various information such as the club members real names and face photos spread, and the school corporation operating Koryo High School held an emergency board meeting on the 9th and decided to withdraw from the tournament before the second round. On the 10th, Principal Masakazu Hori held a press conference and announced the withdrawal.

Afterwards, a series of weekly magazine articles about the baseball club continued to appear, and on the 16th, the high school announced that it had received a stern warning from the High School Baseball Federation in March regarding an inappropriate act involving violence among club members that occurred in January this year. The school also stated that it plans to conduct a reinvestigation into the incident and is considering a fundamental review of its coaching system.

According to investigators, in June they accepted a damage report regarding an incident in January this year, in which a first-year club member was allegedly subjected to violent acts, and they are proceeding with the investigation by interviewing those involved.

It is also reported that they are aware of the incident from two years ago in which a former club member was allegedly subjected to violence and verbal abuse.