[Edaily Starin JOO MEE_HEE Reporter] Japanese media heavily emphasized that Japan’s national team—composed primarily of amateur players—fought a close battle all the way to the finals against South Korea, whose team was led by professional players. While reporting on South Korea’s fifth consecutive Asian Games title, the tone suggests that greater significance is being placed on the competitiveness displayed by Japanese players throughout the tournament.

The South Korean national baseball team, led by Manager Ryu Ji-hyun, defeated Japan 3-1 in the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 27th at Toyohashi Municipal Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
The game wasn’t decided until the very end. With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 8th inning, Kim Do-young and Moon Bo-kyung delivered back-to-back RBI hits to drive in two runs. In the bottom of the 8th, Park Young-hyun took the mound with one out and pitched 1⅔ scoreless innings to secure the victory.
With this victory, South Korea has claimed the Asian Games title for the fifth consecutive time, following its wins at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, the 2014 Incheon Games, the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, the 2022 Hangzhou Games, and now this tournament.
Japanese media focused more on the process than the result. They emphasized that Japan, despite fielding a team composed primarily of amateur players—unlike South Korea, which fielded a squad of professional players—held its own against South Korea until the very end.
Japan’s “TBS News DIG” reported after the final, “Although Samurai Japan claimed the silver medal, they fell just short of conquering Asia for the first time in 32 years,” adding, “Although they lost in a rematch against South Korea and allowed the host nation to secure its fifth consecutive title, they proudly hung the silver medal around their necks.”
It further assessed, “They put up a fierce fight until the very end in the tournament held on home soil, including a five-game winning streak to start the tournament.” In particular, it highlighted Shin Higuchi, who took the mound as the starting pitcher after just one day’s rest, praising him by saying, “Although he faced scoring threats in every inning from the first to the third, he prevented any additional runs with his spirited pitching.”
The Japanese baseball specialty media outlet “Full Count” also noted, “The Japanese national team, composed of amateur players, was held in check by South Korea’s hard-throwing ace Kwak Bin and had to settle for the silver medal,” but emphasized the significance of their achievement, stating, “They reached the final and put up a fierce battle against South Korea’s professional-led national team.”
The Mainichi Shimbun described the final as “a Korea-Japan match in the rain where the two sides’ pride clashed.” The newspaper reported, “Japan, composed of amateur players, suffered a disappointing loss to the South Korean professional team and failed to win a gold medal for the first time in 32 years.”
It also highlighted the significance of the Asian Games gold medal for the South Korean players. The Mainichi reported, “South Korea, where winning the championship grants exemption from military service, focused intently on the final and displayed strong determination and momentum, ultimately forcing Japan to its knees.”
Throughout the tournament, there were plenty of moments for Japanese media to highlight their national team’s strong performance. South Korea faced Japan twice, recording one win and one loss. In particular, in the first Super Round game on the 25th, South Korea was unable to break through Japan’s pitching and suffered a decisive 0-5 defeat. It was the first time in 20 years—since the 2006 Doha Games—that the South Korean baseball team had lost to Japan at the Asian Games.
Although South Korea managed to avenge that loss in the final two days later, this victory was far from easy. South Korea managed to score only one run against Japan’s pitching staff through the seventh inning and did not break the 1-1 tie until the eighth inning, when Kim Do-young and Moon Bo-kyung delivered clutch hits to decide the game.
The Japanese media outlet “Kokokara Next” highlighted this narrative, describing South Korea’s gold medal as “a hard-won achievement, earned through blood, sweat, and tears after struggling throughout the tournament while facing the formidable challenge of Japanese baseball.”
“The Digest” reported that even after achieving their goal of a fifth consecutive title, voices of criticism and self-reflection regarding the national team’s performance have emerged domestically. The outlet assessed, “Although they succeeded in avenging their loss in the final and ultimately clinched the gold medal, there remains ‘work to be done’ behind the dazzling achievement of five consecutive titles.”
For South Korea, it was not a tournament where they could simply celebrate. Although they succeeded in winning their fifth consecutive title, the national team—composed primarily of professional players—split the two games against Japan’s amateur baseball players, winning one and losing one. Even in the final, they secured a hard-fought victory after a close battle that went down to the wire. Regardless of the gold medal, the team identified challenges they must overcome to maintain a clear dominance on the Asian stage.