In what's quickly becoming a rite of winter, the Chunichi Dragons are in the final stage of the Central League Climax Series, which was introduced in 2007.
The Dragons spent most of 2011 looking up at the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the CL standings, before turning it on late and hauling down the Birds in October to claim their second straight CL pennant.
Now, starting Wednesday, they'll have to go through that same Yakult squad in order to reach the Japan Series for the fourth time since 2006.