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,

Last year, the Padres and Dodgers got the MLB regular season started early with two games in South Korea. This year, it’s the Cubs and Dodgers kicking things off the week before league-wide Opening Day.

The spotlight will be on slugger Shohei Ohtani this week when the superstar returns to Japan and leads the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in the first two games of the Major League Baseball season at the Tokyo Dome.

Years from now, people who weren’t here will claim they were. The people who actually were here won’t be complaining about the outrageous ticket prices.

What can't Ohtani do? Despite the 30-year-old dual-threat taking the 2024 season off from pitching due to an elbow injury, he not only won his second consecutive MVP, but also led

Shohei Ohtani met the moment in his return to the Tokyo Dome, because of course he did. In Saturday’s exhibition against the Yomiuri Giants, Ohtani – ever the showman – was quick to slug a home run while wearing a major league uniform in his home country for the first time for the Los Angeles Dodgers.