Shohei Ohtani Sparks Baseball Frenzy in Japan During World Series

In Japan, the viewing figures for the World Series soared, with over 15 million tuning in for the first two games, driven largely by the performances of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, creating an unprecedented baseball celebration across the nation.

As the World Series unfolded, so did a remarkable wave of enthusiasm in Japan, particularly among fans of Los Angeles Dodgers' star Shohei Ohtani. The remarkable player not only elevated the Dodgers but also heightened Japan’s longstanding affection for baseball, evidenced by Jun Mizuno, who operates a bar in Toyama. Once opening at 5 p.m., Mizuno now opens his establishment at 8 a.m. to accommodate fans eager to cheer Ohtani during the games.

On Thursday, as the Dodgers faced the New York Yankees in Game 5, Ohtani secured his first World Series title, with his team triumphing 7-6. According to Mizuno, who had a banner of Ohtani displayed outside his bar, the celebration resonated widely across the nation, marking a unique cultural moment in Japanese sports history.

The impact of Ohtani and his fellow Japanese teammate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, has not gone unnoticed. Early ratings revealed an impressive average of 15.2 million viewers in Japan for the first two games of the series, slightly outpacing the U.S. viewership at 14.5 million. Japan adjusted its daily routines to catch the games starting at 9 a.m., leading to breakfast watch parties where avid fans enjoyed morning sets featuring traditional fare of eggs, bacon, and coffee at bars like Mizuno's.

This current World Series experience illustrates how a single player can galvanize national interest and pride, with Ohtani's presence representing both a unifying figure and a beacon of hope for aspiring young athletes across Japan. The baseball community looks on as this phenomenon may set a new standard for sports viewership in the country, solidifying Ohtani's status as a transcendent sports icon.