Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi congratulated Okinawa Shogaku, a high school in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on Monday for winning the high school baseball tournament and bringing Okinawa Prefecture its first national baseball title.
Okinawa Shogaku defeated Mito Shogyo of Ibaraki Prefecture 7-2 at Koshien Stadium on Sunday in the 71st high school baseball national invitational.
The victory fulfilled the island prefecture's long-sought dream of winning the high-school baseball championship in either the spring invitational or the summer national tournament.
"I tried to call the governor of Okinawa and the principal of the school yesterday but couldn't reach them because they had apparently left for Koshien. I'd like to give them my deepest congratulations on Okinawa's first title," Obuchi said at his official residence.
While the city has lately been the site of heated protests with the central government over U.S. military bases, economic talks and other matters, no signs of turmoil were seen in the streets of Naha following Okinawa Shogaku's victory Sunday afternoon.
The city was draped with banners celebrating the school's victory, painting offices and shop windows in festive colors. Several stores immediately kicked off special bargain sales when the school clinched the title.