For the second year in a row, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks finished the 2019 regular season in second place in the Pacific League (PL) behind the Saitama Seibu Lions, securing them a place as host team for the First Stage of the Climax Series, a best-of-three series against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

After defeating the Eagles 2–1, SoftBank advanced to the Final Stage, where they competed against the pennant winning Lions.

[2] A Japanese baseball dynasty of the 2010s, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks had won the previous two Japan Series and four in the last five years.

The Yomiuri Giants had won 22 Japan Series championships, more than any other team in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

[3] A week before the post-season began, Yomiuri catcher Shinnosuke Abe announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season after 19 years with the Giants.

[4] Home field advantage for the Japan Series alternates between the Pacific and Central leagues every year.

In Game 1, the starting pitchers for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Yomiuri Giants were Kodai Senga and Shun Yamaguchi, respectively.

Takumi Ohshiro hit a solo home run for the Giants in the ninth inning to complete the game's scoring.

With Kan Otake pitching for the Giants in the seventh inning, an error then a single allowed two players to reach base.

Abe singled for the Giants to close the score to 6–3, but Mori retired the next batter, ending the game.

[17] Gracial hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning for SoftBank to open the scoring.

Mori finished the victory for SoftBank by pitching a scoreless ninth inning, earning the save, to cap the sweep.