Baseball competition initiates in Japan, with Shohei Ohtani sparking triumph for the Dodgers against the Cubs, reviving national fervor.
Tokyo roared with excitement on Tuesday as the Major League Baseball (MLB) season kicked off, offering fans a tantalizing opportunity to witness homegrown sensation Shohei Ohtani in action.
Thousands of fans flooded the Tokyo Dome to watch the reigning World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, take on the Chicago Cubs. Between the two teams, five Japanese players showcased their skills, but the main attraction was the three-time MVP, Ohtani, who crushed records during the previous season with an astonishing 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
As Ohtani stepped up to the plate for the Dodgers' 4-1 win, the tension inside the stadium grew palpable. The loudest cheers echoed when Ohtani claimed the team's first hit of the season in the fifth inning. He also smacked a double in the ninth inning, joining the ranks of the third Japanese player to achieve multiple hits in an MLB game at the Tokyo Dome.
When interviewed by MLB Network, Ohtani admitted to feeling pretty nervous. "[The fans are] expecting me to get some hits. That was a little bit different," he remarked.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers' pitcher, also caught the fans' attention, with a notable performance of five innings, giving up one run while striking out four. However, the Dodgers were without Freddie Freeman, scratched from the starting lineup due to a rib injury, and Mookie Betts, absent due to illness.
The Dodgers and the Cubs will face off again in Tokyo on Wednesday, before resuming regular-season action on March 27, marking the commencement of the new MLB season.
Fandom for baseball in Japan has reached manic levels amidst Ohtani's stardom, according to David Leiner, president of trading cards at Topps. "[Baseball] dominates. The fandom and team fandom and player fandom is on a whole other level here," he told CNN.
This passion fuels significant business opportunities for companies like Topps, who see increased demand for their products in Japan. "Every single day our trading cards sell out extremely fast, even though we limit them to one box per person and we have some small limits. They sell out really, really fast,” Leiner said.
While Japan has had its own league, Nippon Professional Baseball, for decades, fans are drawn to the impressive performances of Japanese players in the MLB. Hideo Nomo, the National League Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 1995, paved the way for other Japanese players like Ohtani to excel in the MLB. The Dodgers' history-making season with Ohtani in 2024 has only fortified his status as a national icon in Japan.
For NFL analyst Robert Whiting, "You can't say anything negative about Ohtani ... The guy's just spectacular. He hits 500-foot home runs and throws the ball a hundred miles an hour!" Undoubtedly, Ohtani has left a lasting impact on Japanese baseball fans, making the 2025 MLB season opening in Tokyo an unforgettable experience.
Celebrations of Shohei Ohtani's rare talents reached unprecedented heights in Japan, with fans eagerly anticipating his every move during the MLB season, particularly when he competed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.db11f463c0871edc6e909b6887b767c's sensational performance in the Tokyo Dome, consisting of a home run and a double, only served to solidify his status as a national icon in the country. The fervor for baseball in Japan has become so intense that it presents significant opportunities for companies like Topps, whose trading cards are being snapped up at breakneck speeds.
