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Shohei Ohtani in the World Series sparks major excitement in Japan, attracts viewership rivaling the US

hanna park and yumi asada, cnn
·4 min read

Tokyo (CNN) — Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has turned millions of Japanese residents into fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, so much so that more than a tenth of the country’s population has been tuning in to the World Series, giving the Fall Classic better TV ratings in Japan than in the United States.

The excitement was evident in a Tokyo bar on Wednesday morning, Japan time, as fans chanted for their homegrown hero.

“Shohei! Shohei! Shohei!” erupted in Fields Shibuya, a sports dining bar, as the All-Star player stepped to the plate against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series, later turning into deafening cheers when the Dodgers’ designated hitter ripped a single.

“Ohtani’s performance is high level,” said Ryosuke Matsumoto, 22, who was among the crowd in the sports bar. “I’m very happy that a Japanese player is doing so well in the Major Leagues. That’s how I became a fan. I’m proud of him.”

There would be little else for fans of Ohtani and the Dodgers to cheer for in Game 4, as the Yankees prevailed 11-4, but the excitement is sure to return for Game 5 on Wednesday (Thursday morning in Japan) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The appearance of Ohtani in this year’s edition of the World Series has captivated Japan and emerged as a television ratings phenomenon.

Tomoyuki Masuda, from Kyoto, Japan, watches the Los Angeles Dodgers batting practice before Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, in New York, on October 29, 2024. - Seth Wenig/AP
Tomoyuki Masuda, from Kyoto, Japan, watches the Los Angeles Dodgers batting practice before Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, in New York, on October 29, 2024. - Seth Wenig/AP
Customers choose a T-shirt at a pop-up store for Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani ahead of the first World Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, in Tokyo, Japan, on October 25, 2024. - Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Customers choose a T-shirt at a pop-up store for Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani ahead of the first World Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, in Tokyo, Japan, on October 25, 2024. - Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Earlier this week, the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the Yankees in Game 2 drew an average of 15.9 million viewers, marking it as the highest-rated Major League Baseball postseason game in Japan’s history, according to the press release.

“Ohtani is an honorable person in Japan. Everyone shouts Ohtani, Ohtani, and it makes me extremely happy. We never had any Japanese person like that before. It’s our dear Ohtani,” said Mamoru Tanaka, a manager of the bar.

The first two games of the seven-game series between the Dodgers and the Yankees, averaged of 15.15 million viewers in Japan, according to Major League Baseball  — at times, more viewers than in the US. Japan’s population is approximately 124.5 million compared to the US, which has a population of about 334 million, as of last year.

The viewership in Japan is even more notable, given that the event aired during daytime hours.

“Since it’s on a weekday, people are watching the game between work or school. Young people are looking at the scores on social media. A lot of people can’t watch, and I think most of the people watching the game live are elderly people,” said Matsumoto.

When combined with US viewership, the first two World Series games have averaged 29.7 million viewers across the two countries.

For Game 3 in New York, the World Series drew an average of 13.6 million viewers in the US, making it the most-watched Monday night World Series game since 2013 – reflecting a heated enthusiasm also in the US, according to Fox Sports.

The excitement around Ohtani extends well past the TV screen.

People watch Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 4 of the baseball World Series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees during a public viewing event in Ohtani's hometown of Oshu, northeastern Japan, on October 30, 2024. - Eugene Hoshiko/AP
People watch Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 4 of the baseball World Series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees during a public viewing event in Ohtani's hometown of Oshu, northeastern Japan, on October 30, 2024. - Eugene Hoshiko/AP

CNN recently reported that a surge of Japanese tourists in Los Angeles has intensified after Ohtani joined the Dodgers from the crosstown Los Angeles Angels at the beginning of the season – a record-breaking contract of $700 million over 10 years.

A leading Japanese travel agency told CNN that it was booking up to 200 clients from Japan for each Dodgers home game this season. The Dodgers jumped on the Ohtani phenomenon by adding 12 new Japanese sponsors, providing Japanese-language stadium tours, and introducing a variety of new menu items specifically designed for Japanese fans for the fan experience.

Even viewers in the US can see a growing influence throughout the season. The logo for Daiso, a Japanese retail chain, would regularly be seen in center field as home runs were captured on TV footage.

MLB has shown a remarkable 225% increase in social media engagement, with views across various platforms rising by 229%, the league reported, reflecting the growing excitement surrounding the World Series and its star players.

The excitement in Japan for the Dodgers is not only about Ohtani. The team added Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto last off season on a 12-year, $325 million deal.

Yamamoto was the winner of Sunday’s Game 2, throwing 6 1/3 innings while only allowing one hit to the vaunted Yankee offense – all contributing to the fan enthusiasm in Japan.

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