After the exhilarating high school baseball tournament winning at the Koshien Stadium in Japan, the victorious team partakes in an age-long tradition of collecting and taking home a handful of the sacred stadium soil, causing a wave of national discussion. This act symbolizes their hard work, dedication, and time spent on the field. Though it has been an ongoing custom in Japan for years, it recently became viral, drawing national and international attention.
In Japan, baseball is considered more than a game, it's a tradition and a core part of the Japanese culture. High school baseball, especially the national tournament held at Koshien, embodies this passion more than anything. This celebration of gathering soil after a victory is seen as a symbol of respect for the field they've battled on and an embodiment of their unforgettable experience. The topic can elicit a deep emotional resonance among the Japanese, connecting the past, present, and future of national sportsmanship.
In the United States or the European Union, there are similar instances where athletes take a memento from a major sporting victory. However, these are usually physical items, such as a part of the net in basketball or match balls in football. The concept of taking a piece of the ground as a memento isn't traditionally practiced like it is in Japan.