Japan's passion for baseball on full display at Tokyo Series special events

TOKYO -- It is hard to find a block in the heart of Tokyo that does not feature a banner or advertisement featuring Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. This week, images of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, along with Cubs stars Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki, have also popped up around the city.

Near Miyashita Park, two oversized hats -- one for the Dodgers and another for the Cubs -- sit atop each other, creating a photo opportunity for fans as they stroll past. Really, baseball is a part of the fabric of the city, even in neighborhoods away from Tokyo Dome, where the Tokyo Series will open the 2025 season on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Just jumping in a taxi,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, “they don't know who you are, but mentioning the series, everybody's very aware of the series. That is evident, for sure -- more than I feel like it would be in America. More people are talking about it, absolutely. That's a great feeling.”

Given the long, rich history of baseball in Tokyo and Japan as a whole, Major League Baseball went to work on making this edition of the MLB World Tour the biggest standalone event in the 25 years since playing the first regular-season games in Japan. Baseball was already an ever-present part of the city, but things were dialed up for the Tokyo Series.

And why wouldn’t there be a push to seize on the moment at hand?

Ohtani is a global sensation -- much in the way that Michael Jordan dominated the world stage at the height of his career. The Dodgers are coming off a World Series triumph that included a brilliant outing from Yamamoto, and L.A. just signed rookie phenom Roki Sasaki. On the other side, Imanaga is coming off a strong rookie year, Suzuki is quietly one of the game’s top hitters and the North Siders believe they have a playoff-caliber team in ’25.

“Ohtani is in a class of his own,” Topps president of trading cards David Leiner said. “But I think the impact of these Japanese stars across the board is really helping create sustained momentum. It’s really exciting.”

Leiner helped organize the Topps ZeroBase Shibuya Activation that popped up this week near Shibuya Crossing. It was one in a considerable list of activations and brand collaborations in conjunction with the MLB Tokyo Series. Within the hectic section of the city, an estimated 5,000 fans got a look at the multi-level, interactive space.

The Topps activation had an entire floor dedicated to Ohtani, who -- along with some collectors -- personally loaned items to be displayed. Beyond cards, the exhibit featured a base from the game against the Marlins in which Ohtani sealed his 50-homer, 50-steal season. One of Ohtani’s game-used bats was also on hand.

Fans who got a look inside were able to see spaces dedicated to Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui, while learning about Topps’ ever-evolving card offerings. Seiya Suzuki and Imanaga were also highlighted, including on the oversized cards that covered the face of the building.

“In Japan, in general, there’s definitely a card-collecting culture,” Leiner said. “I think there’s a lot of untapped potential here. And I think it’s really fun what we’re doing with card collecting, and no better time to really pour fuel on the fire than when you have Ohtani doing what he’s doing with the Dodgers.”

MLB also collaborated with a group of Japanese entertainment brands to up the experience for the fans in the city.

MLB teamed with Demon Slayer on multiple fronts, including a short anime-style film featuring Ohtani, Imanaga, Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Mookie Betts. Walking around Tokyo Dome, the video has played on massive video boards all week.

MLB has also worked with Chiikawa and artist Takashi Murakami on merchandise related to the Tokyo Series. MLB has teamed up with Pokémon as well to have some of its characters featured during the pregame ceremony of the first game between the Dodgers and Cubs.

There is an ongoing fan fest in Tokyo Skytree Town -- in the shadow of one of the world’s tallest towers. And the Skytree Tower will be lit up in colors representing the Cubs, Dodgers and the Tokyo Series throughout the week.

The Tobu Railway Limited Express Ryomo is wrapped in MLB colors with imagery for the Tokyo Series inside the train cars. A Dodgers immersive experience is running through March 30 at Tokyo Node.

And to top it all off, MLB is broadcasting the Tokyo Series across 200 countries and territories, and will also be available through MLB.TV.

The series will be televised nationally in the United States (FOX on Tuesday, FS1 on Wednesday and FOX Deportes for both games), as well as on each team’s regional network (Marquee Sports Network and SportsNet LA). In Japan, it will air on NTV, be streamed on Amazon Prime, shown in up to 150 movie theaters, as well in Giants Town Stadium in Tokyo and at the fan fest.

“Players love big events. That's why we do this,” Counsell said. “That's why we love to do it. So, to be a part of that is another reason it's so special.”