| Koshien Bowl | |
|---|---|
| Mainichi Koshien Bowl | |
| 甲子園ボウル | |
| Stadium | Koshien Stadium |
| Location | Nishinomiya |
| Previous stadiums |
Nishinomiya Stadium (1960) Nagai Stadium (2007 — 2008) |
| Previous locations | Osaka (2007 — 2008) |
| Operated | 1947-present |
| Sponsors | |
Mainichi Shimbun Nissin Foods (1985 — 1987) Sanwa Group (1988 — 1991) Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (1992 — 1999) House Foods (2000 —) Mitsubishi Electric (2016 —) | |
| Former names | |
Mainichi Bowl (1960) Mainichi Koshien Bowl in Nagai (2007 — 2008) | |
| 2023 matchup | |
| Hosei vs. Kwansei Gakuin ( Kwansei Gakuin 21-61) | |
| 2024 matchup | |
| TBD | |
The Koshien Bowl (甲子園ボウル) is the annual Japanese American college football national championship game, [1] usually played in December at Koshien Stadium.
From the 1949 season until 2008 season, the game was held as the final game of Japan University American Football Championship. From the 2008 season until 2023, the game was held between 2 universities from East Japan ( Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto) and West Japan ( Tokai, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chushikoku, Kyushu).
On December 4th, 2023, the Japan American Football Association announced it will move the Japan University American Football Championship to a 12 team format, eliminating regional matchups in favor of a mixed-conference bracket beginning in 2024. [2]
Kwansei Gakuin University Fighters is the most successful team with 34 titles (4 shared). Nihon University Phoenix is second with 21 titles (2 shared).
Game results
| Season | Date Played | Kanto | Score | Kansai | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 1947 April 13 | Keio | 45-0 | Doshisha | ||
| 1947 | 1948 January 1 | Meiji | 0-6 | Kansai | ||
| 1948 | 1949 January 9 | Keio | 14-7 | Kansai | ||
| 1949 | 1949 December 18 | Keio | 7-25 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1950 | 1950 December 10 | Keio | 6-20 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1951 | 1951 December 9 | Rikkyo | 19-14 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1952 | 1952 December 7 | Rikkyo | 20-0 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1953 | 1953 December 6 | Rikkyo | 7-19 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1954 | 1954 December 5 | Rikkyo | 7-15 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1955 | 1955 November 23 | Nihon | 26-26 | Kwansei Gakuin | Draw | |
| 1956 | 1956 November 23 | Nihon | 0-33 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1957 | 1957 November 24 | Nihon | 14-6 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1958 | 1958 December 7 | Nihon | 13-12 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1959 | 1959 December 6 | Nihon | 42-0 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1960 | 1960 December 4 | Rikkyo | 36-16 | Kwansei Gakuin | held at Nishinomiya Stadium | |
| 1961 | 1961 December 10 | Nihon | 14-6 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1962 | 1962 December 2 | Nihon | 28-24 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1963 | 1963 December 8 | Nihon | 30-18 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1964 | 1965 January 15 | Nihon | 48-14 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1965 | 1965 December 5 | Rikkyo | 22-22 | Kwansei Gakuin | Draw | |
| 1966 | 1966 December 4 | Nihon | 40-12 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1967 | 1967 December 10 | Nihon | 12-31 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1968 | 1968 December 15 | Meiji | 36-38 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1969 | 1969 December 14 | Nihon | 30-14 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1970 | 1970 December 13 | Nihon | 6-34 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1971 | 1971 December 12 | Nihon University | 28-22 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1972 | 1972 December 10 | Hosei | 34-20 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1973 | 1973 December 9 | Nihon | 7-24 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1974 | 1974 December 8 | Nihon | 20-28 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1975 | 1975 December 14 | Meiji | 7-56 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1976 | 1976 December 12 | Meiji | 22-29 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1977 | 1977 December 11 | Nihon | 20-51 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1978 | 1978 December 10 | Nihon | 63-7 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1979 | 1979 December 9 | Nihon | 48-0 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1980 | 1980 December 13 | Nihon | 42-7 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1981 | 1981 December 13 | Nihon | 42-31 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1982 | 1982 December 12 | Nihon | 65-28 | Kyoto | ||
| 1983 | 1983 December 11 | Nihon | 14-30 | Kyoto | Starting in 1983, the winner would play an X-League team in the Rice Bowl. | |
| 1984 | 1984 December 9 | Nihon | 42-42 | Kwansei Gakuin | Draw; Nihon participated in the Rice Bowl | |
| 1985 | 1985 December 8 | Meiji | 46-48 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1986 | 1986 December 14 | Nihon | 28-49 | Kyoto | ||
| 1987 | 1987 December 13 | Nihon | 17-41 | Kyoto | ||
| 1988 | 1988 December 11 | Nihon | 35-28 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1989 | 1989 December 17 | Nihon | 45-14 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1990 | 1990 December 16 | Nihon | 34-7 | Kyoto | ||
| 1991 | 1991 December 15 | Senshu | 20-25 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1992 | 1992 December 13 | Hosei | 7-17 | Kyoto | ||
| 1993 | 1993 December 19 | Nippon Sports Science | 10-35 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 1994 | 1994 December 18 | Hosei | 22-24 | Ritsumeikan | ||
| 1995 | 1995 December 17 | Hosei | 17-24 | Kyoto | ||
| 1996 | 1996 December 15 | Hosei | 21-28 | Kyoto University | ||
| 1997 | 1997 December 20 | Hosei | 21-21 | Kwansei Gakuin | Draw; Hosei participated in the Rice Bowl | |
| 1998 | 1998 December 19 | Hosei | 17-25 | Ritsumeikan | ||
| 1999 | 1999 December 19 | Hosei | 13-52 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 2000 | 17 December 2000 | Hosei | 28-21 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 2001 | 16 December 2001 | Hosei | 6-24 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 2002 | 15 December 2002 | Waseda | 14-51 | Ritsumeikan | ||
| 2003 | 21 December 2003 | Hosei | 6-61 | Ritsumeikan | ||
| 2004 | 19 December 2004 | Hosei | 17-38 | Ritsumeikan | ||
| 2005 | 18 December 2005 | Hosei | 17-14 | Ritsumeikan | ||
| 2006 | 17 December 2006 | Hosei | 45-43 | Kwansei Gakuin | ||
| 2007 | 16 December 2007 | Nihon | 38-41 | Kwansei Gakuin | held at Nagai Stadium | |
| 2008 | 21 December 2008 | Hosei | 8-19 | Ritsumeikan | held at Nagai Stadium | |
| Season | Date Played | East Japan | Score | West Japan | Attendance | Note |
| 2009 | 13 December 2009 | Hosei | 38-50 | Kansai | ||
| 2010 | 19 December 2010 | Waseda | 21-48 | Ritsumeikan | 29,000 | |
| 2011 | 18 December 2011 | Nihon | 3-24 | Kwansei Gakuin | 35,000 | |
| 2012 | 16 December 2012 | Hosei | 17-20 | Kwansei Gakuin | 29,000 | |
| 2013 | 15 December 2013 | Nihon University | 9-23 | Kwansei Gakuin | 32,000 | |
| 2014 | 14 December 2014 | Nihon | 10-55 | Kwansei Gakuin | 32,000 | |
| 2015 | 13 December 2015 | Waseda | 27-28 | Ritsumeikan | 33,000 | |
| 2016 | 12 December 2016 | Waseda | 14-31 | Kwansei Gakuin | 35,000 | |
| 2017 | 13 December 2017 | Nihon | 23-17 | Kwansei Gakuin | 36,000 | |
| 2018 | 16 December 2018 | Waseda | 20-37 | Kwansei Gakuin | - | |
| 2019 | 15 December 2019 | Waseda | 28-38 | Kwansei Gakuin | - | |
| 2020 | 13 December 2020 | Nihon | 24-42 | Kwansei Gakuin | - | |
| 2021 | 19 December 2021 | Hosei | 7-47 | Kwansei Gakuin | - | |
| 2022 | 18 December 2022 | Waseda | 17-34 | Kwansei Gakuin | - | |
| 2023 | 17 December 2023 | Hosei | 21-61 | Kwansei Gakuin |
Winners
In Italics title shared.
| Rank | University | Region | Wins | Years won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kwansei Gakuin Fighters | 
Hyōgo
|
34 | 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| 2 | Nihon Phoenix | 
Tokyo
|
21 | 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2017 |
| 3 | Ritsumeikan Panthers | 
Kyoto
|
8 | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2015 |
| 4 | Kyoto University |
Kyoto
|
6 | 1983, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996 |
| 5 | Hosei University |
Tokyo
|
5 | 1972, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2006 |
| 6 | Rikkyo University |
Tokyo
|
4 | 1951, 1952, 1960, 1965 |
| 7 | Keio Unicorns |
Tokyo
|
2 | 1946, 1948 |
| 7 | Kansai University | 
Osaka
|
2 | 1947, 2009 |
See also
References
- ^ "::Metropolis Tokyo :: SPORTS - Pearl bowl". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- ^ "KCFA｜【日本学生協会】2024年以降の全日本大学選手権の方式について | 一般社団法人 関東学生アメリカンフットボール連盟". www.kcfa.jp. Retrieved 2023-12-18.