The Los Angeles Dodgers held a Japanese heritage night at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, July 2nd. The Dodgers gave fans various experiences to celebrate the Japanese culture in Los Angeles, and Shohei Ohtani gave fans another reason.
The Dodgers have recently had success signing Japanese players. This offseason, the team signed Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both players hail from Japan and spent time in the NPB before being signed by an MLB team.
Upon entering the stadium, fans who purchased a ticket package received a special Dodgers jersey. The jersey features sleeves with traditional Japanese artwork, including koi fish. The jersey also features a green pheasant, the official bird of Oshu, Japan, where Ohtani was born. On the back, “Dodgers” is spelled out in phonetic Japanese in red lettering.
Dodgers Japanese heritage night jerseys 2024 (left) and 2023 (right) pic.twitter.com/nLqxXI8aHh
— 🌎SUN (@grey__sun) June 13, 2024
Some of the entertainment at the game was Koshin Taiko, a local group out of Venice, performing with eight drums. DJ Crew, from Japan, spun music in the Centerfield Plaza for fans. Under the right field pavilion, fans can view an installation celebrating legendary Japanese-born Dodgers from past and present.
The Dodgers also recognized Yoshiko Miwa on the field. She is believed to be the oldest Japanese American in the country and the oldest survivor of World War II internment camps.
The @Dodgers recognized the oldest living Japanese-American, 110-year-old Yoshiko Miwa, at their Japanese Heritage Night! pic.twitter.com/49C8yjVvUw
— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2024
During the game against the San Francisco Giants, Shohei Ohtani continued his electric start to the season, going three for five with a home run, bringing his total to 27 on the season. Ohtani scored two runs and played a key role in the Dodgers’ victory on Japanese heritage night. Through 83 games, he is batting .320 with a 1.048 OPS.
Photo Credit: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after he scored on a two-run rbi double from Will Smith #16 against the San Francisco Giants. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
