In Oshu City, Japan, Shohei Ohtani is celebrated as a hometown hero as he plays in his first World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Known for its beef and ironwork, the small rural town has organized watch parties to support Ohtani, with attendees waving inflatable sticks with his name on them. Local residents, like Yasuo Sakamoto and his wife Keiko, are proud of Ohtani’s success and have traveled to Los Angeles to see him play this summer. Despite the Dodgers losing Game 4 to the New York Yankees, Ohtani’s talent and impact on the game are admired by fans in Japan.
Ohtani, a two-time American League MVP and current favorite for National League MVP, hails from Japan’s Iwake prefecture, which has produced other professional baseball players. However, Ohtani is seen as a “once-in-a-century” talent by the people of Oshu City. Hironobu Kanno, a superfan who has collected thousands of pieces of Ohtani memorabilia, credits Ohtani’s success to the instructors who guided him through Japan’s amateur ranks and into Major League Baseball.
As the World Series continues with Game 5 in Yankee Stadium, Japan will be watching Ohtani’s performance closely, rooting for their hometown hero to achieve greatness on baseball’s biggest stage.
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