Tohoku Little League (Iwate, Japan) has been named the first team to clinch a spot in the 2025 Little League Softball® World Series, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, after winning the Asia-Pacific Region championship in a best-of-three series against the Philippines.
The win marks a historic event as this season marks the first year that Japan has chartered softball through Little League® International, helping bring the excitement of the game to communities across the country while also stepping up to the plate to host the 2025 Little League Softball Asia-Pacific Region Tournament. Dating back to 1996, the Philippines have been the sole representative (other than Guam in 2009) for the Asia-Pacific Region at the Little League Softball World Series, which included a third-place finish at the 2022 LLSWS in Greenville.
“The growth of our softball program has been felt in countries all around the world over the past five years, and to have a team from Japan qualify for this year’s event displays not only the increased interest in the game but also the high level of competition these girls are playing at,” said Ashlea Miller, Little League Director of Softball Development. “We are very thankful to our Country Director, Steve Mita, for helping bring this opportunity to life and look forward to welcoming Japan to Greenville this August. We hope their participation in our event this summer inspires more communities across the Region and around the world to continue to be a part of the Little League International Tournament experience.”
Already a major women’s sport in Japan, the sport of softball has continued to grow throughout the country from the grassroots level through the professional ranks, with the nation’s Olympic team taking home the gold medal most recently in 2008 and 2020. Since 2018, the Little League Softball program has also seen rapid global growth driven by the success of the Little League Girls with Game Initiative.
In addition to the fun and excitement of the 2025 Little League Softball World Series, participants at this year’s event will also have the unique experience to spend time with the top athletes in the game as the AUSL heads to Greenville for the 2025 AUSL Pro Games at the LLSWS, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, featuring a doubleheader at East Carolina University on Wednesday, August 6.
Starting with a Little League Softball West Region matchup between Utah and Northern California on Saturday, July 19, at Noon ET on ESPN+, there will be a total of 129 softball games broadcast on ESPN Platforms over the course of five weeks in 2025. As part of that action-packed schedule also includes a record number 27 softball games set to air on linear networks, featuring all seven U.S. Region Championship games as well as 13 of the 22 games at the LLSWS, including the championship game on ABC for the third-consecutive year.
The 2025 LLSWS is set to take place on August 3-10 in Greenville, North Carolina. For more information about the LLSWS, including the full schedule, visitor resources, and more, visit LittleLeague.org/WorldSeries. As a reminder, there is no cost to attend the LLSWS as parking and admission are completely FREE. To plan your visit to Greenville, and learn more about what to expect during your trip, be sure to check out the visitor’s tab at LittleLeague.org/LLSWS. Additionally, the dates for future World Series events can also be found at LittleLeague.org/WSDates.