1.In a video posted to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ X account, pitcher Blake Snell walks toward the drinks section of a Family Mart and points up at a sign as the convenience store’s familiar jingle plays in the background. What caught his attention was a large ad featuring Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani holding a pair of rice balls as part of a campaign with the chain.
2. “I know that guy,” Snell says in the video. The rest of the team is probably having a similar experience. Ohtani’s face is everywhere around Tokyo, on billboards, on bottles of tea and on countless other items. The Dodgers have explored various parts of the Japanese capital, and it’s a safe bet that wherever each player went, Ohtani was not far behind in some form.
3.The Dodgers are in Japan for MLB’s Tokyo Series and will open the 2025 MLB campaign against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday night. While the team sees Ohtani’s immense popularity daily at home, this trip showed how big of a deal the world’s most popular player is in his home country.
4.“I think with Ohtani, it’s kind of what we expected,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during a team workout Monday morning. “He’s just so revered here in the country, and I think he handles it with such humility and grace.
5. “He just represents the people of Japan. So for us to be able to see that firsthand and see how Shohei is received by everyone is just a very exciting experience for everyone,” he added. “Back home, people love players and love teams, but there’s really no person that really represents the entire country like Shohei represents the country of Japan.”
6. Five Japanese stars will take the field at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start the opener for Los Angeles and Roki Sasaki is scheduled to pitch Game 2. Shota Imanaga will oppose Yamamoto in the first game, and the Cubs also feature slugger Seiya Suzuki.
7. Ohtani, though, is by far the main attraction. He has received a hero’s welcome in Japan on the heels of a historic 2024 campaign that ended with the Dodgers lifting the World Series trophy. Ohtani was also named National League MVP last year, after winning the award twice in the American League with the Los Angeles Angels.
8. He took the field to thunderous applause during the Dodgers’ first exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers on Saturday, when the over 40,000 fans in attendance hung on his every movement.
9. “I think the thing that was most telling is when he was at bat, it was complete silence,” Roberts said after that game. “And every time he did something, take a swing, foul a ball off, there was just a gasp. I think that it was a great welcome, but I think there was just so much anticipation to see anything he did, which was different than any of our other players.”
・Considering Ohtani’s widespread recognition, what are the potential benefits and drawbacks for a company that chooses him as a brand ambassador?
・What role does the MLB Tokyo Series play in promoting baseball globally?
