PICTURE: Shohei Ohtani's hometown in Japan dedicates rice paddy portrait to Dodgers superstar after World Series win
Shohei Ohtani's presence has drawn millions of Japanese fans to love the Los Angeles Dodgers. So much that during the World Series, all fans from his native country got hooked in the early morning hours to not miss any bit of the classic World Series showdown against the New York Yankees.
Though Ohtani played through a shoulder injury, his mere presence at the plate is enough to turn up the TV ratings. After the Japanese slugger won his first World Series title on Wednesday by deafeating the Yankees in five games, his hometown Oshu sent love to him with an incredible portrait carved in the middle of rice paddy field.
New York Times writer Mariella Rudi shared a post on Twitter in which Ohtani's image along with his famous dog Decoy were carved in a rice paddy field. This type of art is famous in Japan, where different rice varieties are strategically planted to form images as the plants grow.
Japan celebrates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as World Champions
It's postseason baseball both in Japan and the US. While the season in the US is over with the Dodgers winning the Fall Classic title, NPB's Japan Series is still ongoing between the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Despite NPB being a major attraction in Japan, Shohei Ohtani entering his first World Series changed the narrative on its heads, with fans tuning into World Series games that started at 9 am in Japan.
Several watch parties were organized for Japan's poster boy Shohei Ohtani and along with him, they also rejoiced Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Japanese news outlet Taipei News interviewed several people who reserved praise for Ohtani and Yamamoto.
“I can’t believe that such an amazing person comes from Japan,” one woman said. “He’s such a good influence on kids. It’s great that a sportsperson is like that.”
“He’s someone who makes the dreams and hopes of Japanese people come true. He’s a big presence,” said 34-year-old Kenichi Masumura in Tokyo’s Shibuya district.
After winning the World Series, Ohtani sent love to his country.
“I want to thank my Japanese fans for coming all the way to cheer me this season,” Ohtani said on Japanese television. “That cheering gave me some energy, so I’m glad I could return the gratitude by winning.”
With both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed to decade-long contracts, the people of Japan are hoping for more World Series triumphs in the coming years.