What does Ikumi mean by "Sand that looks like it's from Koshien"?


In the anime _Jinsei_ \- Episode 2, a boy asks them advice on what to give his
friend as a Birthday present that doesn't come off as cheap.

Ikumi gives this advice:

![Sand that looks like it's from Koshien](https://i.stack.imgur.com/B2tfN.png)

I googled `Koshien` and all I was able to figure out was that it's a Baseball
stadium built for High School tournaments. Does this mean that Koshien is a
very important place in Japan? But even if that is so, why sand?

I hope someone can explain this to me. Thanks!




[Koshien Stadium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koshien_Stadium) is the site of
the finals of two national baseball tournaments for high schoolers in Japan
(referred to as "Spring Koshien" and "Summer Koshien"). Making it to Koshien
means that your team is extremely successful, one of the best in the country.
Making it to either of these is a dream for many Japanese high schoolers who
play baseball. Players who make it to Koshien often have successful
professional careers after high school. In addition the sand from Koshien is
literally a sacred object in Shintoism (there is a shrine outside the
stadium). Losing teams at Koshien are allowed to take a bag of the sand home
as a souvenir, which is to teach them the value of earnest effort even in
defeat and supposedly holds life lessons.

As such, for many Japanese high schoolers, Koshien (and anything associated to
it, especially the sand) is something of a dream. Baseball is one of the most
popular sports in Japan, and these tournaments are famous enough that almost
every Japanese person would know them and understand this reference.

For a sports-fan like Ikumi, this seems like a perfect present. The fake
Koshien sand is actually quite cheap, but it _seems_ valuable given the
history and tradition.




[Koshien Stadium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koshien_Stadium) is the site of
the finals of two national baseball tournaments for high schoolers in Japan
(referred to as "Spring Koshien" and "Summer Koshien"). Making it to Koshien
means that your team is extremely successful, one of the best in the country.
Making it to either of these is a dream for many Japanese high schoolers who
play baseball. Players who make it to Koshien often have successful
professional careers after high school. In addition the sand from Koshien is
literally a sacred object in Shintoism (there is a shrine outside the
stadium). Losing teams at Koshien are allowed to take a bag of the sand home
as a souvenir, which is to teach them the value of earnest effort even in
defeat and supposedly holds life lessons.

As such, for many Japanese high schoolers, Koshien (and anything associated to
it, especially the sand) is something of a dream. Baseball is one of the most
popular sports in Japan, and these tournaments are famous enough that almost
every Japanese person would know them and understand this reference.

For a sports-fan like Ikumi, this seems like a perfect present. The fake
Koshien sand is actually quite cheap, but it _seems_ valuable given the
history and tradition.

