Koshien Stadium, located near Kobe in western Japan, is hallowed ground for high school baseball players. This special place hosts the National High School Baseball Championship every August. Bringing together around 50 teams from all over Japan that have survived a tough series of preliminary games to get to Koshien, the tournament features one hard-fought game after another.

(Universal Music Japan)

At the same time as these battles unfold on the field, another equally fierce competition is taking place in the stands. The brass bands of the rival schools set up shop in the stands along the first- and third-base sides of the field (called the "Alps stands" at Koshien), where they play one tune after another to boost morale for their school's team. The sounds of trumpets, horns, and drums reverberate around the stadium, combining with the cheers and applause of students and parents who have traveled from their hometowns to see their school compete on this grand stage, with everyone giving their full support to their school's team.