Japan Series

Kazuhisa Inao, as an exception, won the Fighting Spirit Award (in 1956) while playing for the victorious Nishitetsu Lions.

With changes introduced as of 2021, the current rules stipulate there is a 12 inning limit. If tied after 12 innings, the first seven games originally scheduled are called. If extra games are necessary, the games are played until a victor is decided (unlimited innings), with no curfew limitations, and using the World Baseball Softball Confederation two-runner tiebreaker with runners on first and second base to start the 13th inning.

Historically:

• Until 1966 (except 1964): Game is called at sunset (all games were played as day games)
  • 1964 (all games at night): No new inning may start after 10:30 p.m.
• 1967-1981: No new inning may start after 5:30 p.m.
• 1982-1986: No new inning may start after the game time reaches four-and-a-half hours
• 1987-1993: 18-inning limit until Game 7, unlimited innings Game 8 and onward (change introduced due to Game 8 being necessary in the 1986 series due to Game 1 being called after 14 innings)
• 1994: 18- (day game) / 15-inning (night game) limit until Game 7, unlimited innings Game 8 and onward
• 1995-2017: / 15-inning limit until Game 7, unlimited innings Game 8 and onward
  • The three-and-a-half hour cut-off rule used in the 2011 regular season was not used for the Japan Series.
• 2018-2020: 12-inning limit until Game 7, unlimited innings Game 8 and onward
• 2021-present: 12-inning limit. Games ruled tie until Game 7. Starting in Game 8, 13th and further innings will be played with the WBSC two-runner tiebreaker.

¹The franchise currently known as the Saitama Seibu Lions had a Japan Series record of 3–2 as the Nishitetsu Lions.
²The franchise currently known as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks had a Japan Series record of 2–8 as the Nankai Hawks, and 2-1 as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
³The franchise currently known as the Orix Buffaloes had a Japan Series record of 3–7 as the Hankyu Braves, and 1–1 as the Orix BlueWave. It took its current name in 2005 after merging with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes.
⁴The franchise currently known as the Chiba Lotte Marines had a Japan Series record of 1–0 as the Mainichi Orions, 0–1 as the Daimai Orions, and 1–1 as the Lotte Orions.
⁵The franchise currently known as the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters had a Japan Series record of 1–0 as the Toei Flyers.
⁶The franchise has a Japan Series record of 1-0 as Yokohama Baystars and a Japan Series record of 1–0 as the Taiyō Whales.
⁷The Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes were merged with the Orix BlueWave in 2005 to form the Orix Buffaloes.
⁸The Shochiku Robins were merged with the Taiyō Whales in 1953, eventually becoming the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.

• The Yomiuri Giants won nine consecutive Japan Series championships from 1965 to 1973. The second-longest streak is four consecutive championships, accomplished by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks from 2017 to 2020. Three consecutive championships have been accomplished by the Yomiuri Giants (1951–1953), the Nishitetsu Lions (1956–1958), the Hankyu Braves (1975–1977), and twice by the Seibu Lions (1986–1988 and 1990–1992).
• The Yomiuri Giants also won five consecutive Central League pennants from 1955 to 1959, and 19 of the 23 Central League pennants from 1951 to 1973. The Giants also won two or three consecutive Central League pennants on several other occasions. The other teams to win consecutive Central League pennants are the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (1979–1980 and 2016–2018) , the Yakult Swallows (1992–1993 and 2021–2022), and the Chunichi Dragons (2006–2007 and 2010–2011).
• The Nankai Hawks won three consecutive Pacific League pennants twice (1951–1953 and 1964–1966). The Hankyu Braves won nine of the 12 Pacific League pennants from 1967 to 1978, including three consecutive (1967–1969) and four consecutive (1975–1978). The Seibu Lions won 11 of the 14 Pacific League pennants from 1985 to 1998, including four consecutive (1985–1988) and five consecutive (1990–1994). The Orix Buffaloes are the most recent team to win three consecutive Pacific League pennants (2021–2023).
• Franchises have gone 20 years or more without a Japan Series championship over the following intervals:
  • Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, 55 years (1950–2004, the entire franchise history; the drought extends to 72 years if one includes the history of the merged Orix Buffaloes, who finally won the 2022 Japan Series).
  • Chunichi Dragons, 52 years (1955–2006)
  • Toei Flyers / Nippon-Ham Fighters, 43 years (1963–2005)
  • Hiroshima Toyo Carp, 39 years (1985–present)
  • Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars, 37 years (1961–1997)
  • Hanshin Tigers, 38 years (1986–2022)
  • Hanshin Tigers, 35 years (1950–1984)
  • Nankai/Fukuoka Hawks, 34 years (1965–1998)
  • Lotte Orions / Chiba Lotte Marines, 30 years (1975–2004)
  • Hiroshima Toyo Carp, 29 years (1950–1978)
  • Kokutetsu Swallows / Sankei Atoms / Yakult Swallows, 28 years (1950–1977)
  • Hankyu Braves, 25 years (1950–1974)
  • Yokohama BayStars / Yokohama DeNA BayStars, 25 years (1999–present)
  • Mainichi/Daimai/Tokyo/Lotte Orions, 23 years (1951–1973)
  • Nishitetsu Lions / Seibu Lions, 24 years (1959–1981)
• Franchises have gone 20 years or more without a league pennant over the following intervals:
  • Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars, 38 years (1961–1997)
  • Lotte Orions / Chiba Lotte Marines, 31 years (1975–2004)
  • Yokohama BayStars / Yokohama DeNA BayStars, 25 years (1999–present)
  • Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, 30 years (1950–1978)
  • Hiroshima Toyo Carp, 26 years (1950–1974)
  • Nankai/Fukuoka Hawks, 26 years (1974–1998)
  • Nippon-Ham Fighters, 25 years (1982–2005)
  • Hiroshima Toyo Carp, 25 years (1992–2015)
  • Hanshin Tigers, 21 years (1965–1984)

Two individual awards are given out at the conclusion of the Japan Series: the Most Valuable Player Award, given to the most impactful player on the winning team;^{[citation needed]} and the Fighting Spirit Award, given to the most impactful player on the losing team.^[4][5] As stated above, the FSA was only given to a player on the winning team once; Kazuhisa Inao won it in 1956, despite being on the winning side, the Nishitetsu Lions.

• Nippon Professional Baseball
• Asia Series