Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
An entire squad of Los Angeles Dodgers players conquered the New York Yankees to win baseball’s World Series. But you wouldn’t know that from Japanese headlines. “Ohtani beats the Yankees” read the front page of Tokyo’s Sports Nippon after Wednesday’s victory.
That was a reference to superstar Shohei Ohtani, who capped a record-breaking season with his first World Series ring. To call him a phenomenon in his home country would be an understatement.
Japan recorded more viewers than the US in Game 2 of the World Series, with the Dodger Stadium introducing sushi, takoyaki and katsu sandwiches this season to feed Pacific-hopping fans.
That’s contributed to the $718 million Ohtani is estimated to have generated in ticket sales, merchandise, ad revenues and the rest, making good on his $700 million contract in a single year.
Ohtani isn’t the only Dodgers player from Japan nor is the victory just his own. Nursing a shoulder injury, he was outdone in the postseason by California-born Freddie Freeman who hit home runs in four of the five World Series games. Japan likes him too.
