Three months of competition among Japan's 300 Little League charters had come down to the final day, and Kawaguchi Little League saved its best for last.

Eight different players hit home runs, and Kawaguchi's offense exploded for 37 runs over the course of two games as the Red Boys swept to the championship of the All-Japan tournament at the Edogawa-Ku Stadium near Tokyo.

Kawaguchi, which had scored ten or more runs only twice in eight previous tournament games, toppled Aichi Kinuura Little League 18-0 in the semifinal round, then outslugged Musashi Fuchu Little League, 19-11, in the Japanese championship game.

With the win, Kawaguchi advanced to the Asia Region tournament in Hong Kong.

Kawaguchi took control early in the championship game, scoring five runs in the first inning and added four more in the second while building a 14-0 lead. Musashi Fuchu stormed back with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to chase Kawaguchi starter Naruto Fukuyama, but reliever Kenta Murakami closed out the game while escaping major damage in the game's latter innings. Kawaguchi, which scored multiple runs in ten of its eleven offensive innings on the tournament's final day, added a five-run burst in the fifth to secure the win. Ryoya Sato and Fukuyama each homered for Red Boys, while Go Matsumoto and Hayato Hozumi added doubles.

Earlier in the day, everything came together as Kawaguchi slammed eight home runs and rode the no-hit pitching of Seigo Yada to a decisive semifinal round win over Aichi Kinuura. Kawaguchi led 8-0 after just two innings, then added three runs in the third and seven in the fourth to move into the All-Japan championship game for the first time in the league's 38-year history. Kawaguchi connected for 12 extra-base hits in the win, and Yada, a right-hander, tamed the Aichi Kinuura offense with eleven strikeouts. Yada hit one of Kawaguchi's home runs, while Fukuyama homered twice and added a double. Go Matsumoto chipped in a double and a triple, and Takehiro Imai, Fumiya Hidaka, Murakami, Masakatsu Shiroshita, and Yusuke Inuzaka each homered for the Red Boys.

Kawaguchi's offenseive firepower wasn't as evident on the opening day of the All-Japan tournament. The Red Boys trailed Hiroshima Aki Little League 2-0 after two innings of their opener before a late push secured a 7-2 victory. Matsumoto, who did not allow a run after the initial Hiroshima rallies, put Kawaguchi on the scoreboard in the third inning with an RBI single that scored Jin Ohkuma. Kawaguchi scored again in the fourth to tie the game, then took the lead with a five run rally in the fifth. Kawaguchi loaded the bases in the decisive rally, then Hidaka was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. A Hiroshoma error allowed a second run to score, and catcher Ryota Koike slammed a three-run homer to seal the victory.

Kawaguchi would not trail again in the tournament after overcoming the early opening-game deficit. Later that day, the eventual champions struck for three runs in the first inning, and defeated Ehime Tobe Little League, 6-3, to move into the semifinal round. Matsumoto drew a walk to open the rally, then Fukuyama singled to center and Yada walked to load the basees. Inuzaka's sacrifice bunt scored Matsumoto, then Muyrakami and Imai singled to drive in two more runs. Fukuyama later added the first of his four tournament home runs, and Sato, the Kawaguchi pitcher, delivered a complete game effort.

Kawaguchi opened the Asia Region tournament at Disneyland Hong Kong with their most important victory, a 7-0 decision over Fong-Nien Little League (Taitung, Chinese Taipei). Yada doubled and homered, and Matsumoto hurled a shutout for the Japanese champions. Kawaguchi opened the scoring with a run in the third inning, then added another in the fourth before breaking the game open with a three-run rally in the fifth.

Neither team would lose again in the tournament, as Kawaguchi won three straight mercy rule-shortened games before edging Korea, 2-1, in a rain-shortened contest on the final day of round robin play. Rain then washed out the next day's championship game rematch between the Japanese and Chinese Taipei champions, and with flight departures already scheduled for teams in both the Asia and Pacific region tournaments, officials cancelled the scheduled championship games, and used round-robin results to determine the two region winners. Kawaguchi's round-robin victory was the difference, and the Red Boys moved on to the Little League World Series.

Kawaguchi swept its three pool games in South Williamsport, and defeated Matamoros (Mexico), 3-0, in the international championship game. Rain postponed the championship game for 24 hours before Kawaguchi fell, 2-1, to Columbus Northern (Georgia) Little League in the Little League World Series championship game.

Kawaguchi lines up for pre-game introductions prior to their region tournament opener against Chinese Taipei at rainy Disneyland Hong Kong. (Walt Disney World Press photo. Rights authorized for editorial use.)

Go Matsumoto notched victories in the All-Japan tournament opener against Hiroshima Aki, and in this game, the Asia Region tournament opening round win over Chinese Taipei. (Walt Disney World Press photo. Rights authorized for editorial use.)

Seigo Yada homered and doubled to spark Kawaguchi's victory over Chinese Taipei at the Asia Region tournament. (Walt Disney World Press photo. Rights authorized for editorial use.)

The new Asia champions received their banner based on their perfect record in round-robin competition after heavy rain cancelled the championship game. (Walt Disney World Press photo. Rights authorized for editorial use.)

Linescores:

Opening Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R
Takarazuka	0	0	1	0	0	4			5
Chofu	0	4	0	0	1	1			6
Opening Round
Aichi Kinuura	0	1	4	4	4	0			13
Ichikawa	0	0	0	0	0	1			1
Opening Round
Kawaguchi	0	0	1	1	5	0			7
Hiroshima Aki	1	1	0	0	0	0			2
Opening Round
Ehime Tobe	0	0	4	0	2	1			7
Fuji	0	0	0	1	1	0			2
Opening Round
Kumamoto Oozu	0	2	0	2	0	0			4
Musashi Fuchu	2	0	0	2	5	x			9
Opening Round
Daito	0	4	2	1	7	5			19
Yamagata	0	0	0	2	7	0			9
Opening Round
Miyagino	0	0	0	1	0	1			2
Totsuka	1	0	0	1	1	x			3
Opening Round
Sapporo Toyohira	1	0	2	3	0	0			6
Nagano Minami	0	0	1	0	2	0			3
Quarterfinal Round
Chofu	0	0	1	3	0	0			4
Aichi Kinuura	3	1	0	0	0	1			5
Quarterfinal Round
Kawaguchi	3	0	0	2	0	1			6
Ehime Tobe	0	1	0	2	0	0			3
Quarterfinal Round
Daito	2	5	0	2	0	1	0		10
Musashi Fuchu	7	0	0	3	0	0	1		11
Quarterfinal Round
Sapporo Toyohira	2	0	9	0	1	0			12
Totsuka	2	0	5	3	0	3			13
Semifinal Round
Aichi Kinuura	0	0	0	0	0	0			0
Kawaguchi	3	5	3	7	7	x			18
Semifinal Round
Musashi Fuchu	1	7	1	0	0	1			10
Totsuka	0	0	0	1	0	0			1
Championship Game
Kawaguchi	5	4	3	2	5	0			19
Musashi Fuchu	0	0	0	8	3	0			11

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