The Japan Championship Series(日本選手権シリーズ試合,Nihon Senshuken Shiriizu Shiai?), or Japan Series(日本シリーズ,Nihon Shiriizu?) is a seven-game championship played by the winners of Japan's two professional baseball leagues (the Central League and Pacific League). The Series is the highest level of play in professional baseball in Japan. It is usually played in October. As in all of the best of seven series, the first team to win four games is the overall winner and is declared the Japan Series Champion (日本一,the Japan Series Champion?) in each year. The 2007 Series began on Oct. 27. Japan Series' winner will be the Japan representative of Asia Series.
The Home Team for the games 1, 2 and eventual 6 and 7, alternates between the two leagues with the Pacific League having the advantage on the years ending with an odd number and the Central League on the years ending with an even number. So the 2007 Japan Series had the Pacific League team hosting the games 1, 2 and eventual 6 and 7 (Although there was no Game 6 and Game 7 as Fighters lost 1-4).
Historically, the Central League has been more successful in the Japan Series than the Pacific League having won thirty-three times versus the Pacific League's twenty-four. The team with most championships is the Yomiuri Giants, who have won the Japan Series twenty times. However, the Pacific League won four consecutive Series from 2003-2006, and did not lose the Series since the inception of their three-team stepladder playoff format to determine the league champion. But starting with the 2007 postseason, the Central League has also adopted the playoff format (now dubbed the "Climax Series"). Since Climax Series does not affact team's position in regular season, the nature of Japan Series slightly changed from a match between the Champions of leagues in the past to a mini-tournament postseason in nowadays, somewhat like World Series in MLB.
The 2007 Japan Series was a rematch of last year's matchup between the Chunichi Dragons and the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. But in a reversal of roles from last season, the Fighters won the opening game in Hokkaido but lost the last 4 to give the Dragons their first Japan Series championship since 1954. The series-clinching Game 5 was capped off by a 2-pitcher combined perfect game.
NOTE: There is a limit to the number of innings which may be played during any game in Japanese professional baseball. All ties after 15 innings (was originally 12 innings) are official tie games and must be replayed for the purpose of the Series.
