Koshien, Japan's midsummer sporting tradition, has staged so many great, unforgettable battles in its one-century history. Quite impressively, they have stayed in the collective memory of the nation's baseball fans, partially thanks to its win-or-go-home format.

There are numerous deserving candidates that could appear on a list of top contests, but for brevity The Japan Times selected these seven remarkable summer tournament games to highlight:

Saga Kita vs. Koryo, 2007 final