Latest news with #Ohtani-themed
SoraNews24
3 days ago
- Sport
- SoraNews24
Shohei Ohtani's hometown creates rice paddy art and manhole cover in his honour
World-famous baseball player gets a big accolade in Japan… with his beloved dog. Every year in Japan, various rice fields around the country are transformed into massive 'Rice Paddy Art' (or 'tambo art,' as it's known in Japanese), where different varieties of rice are planted in precise positions to create vast, colourful murals. This summer, one particularly eye-catching design has cropped up in Iwate Prefecture — a larger-than-life image of Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. The art appears in Oshu City's Esashi Ward, which began hosting rice paddy installations in 2009 as a way to promote agriculture and tourism. With the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar being born and bred in Mizusawa, a city that is now a part of Oshu, the massive rice paddy art is a fitting tribute to the hometown hero, and that's not the only honour he's getting, as there's also a commemorative manhole cover dedicated to him. With so much love on display for the baseball star, there's never been a better time for Ohtani fans to visit Oshu, and the adventure begins as soon as you arrive at Mizusawa-Esashi Station. Inside the station, everything is blue, in honour of Ohtani's Dodgers team colour. You'll also see Ohtani's name, '大谷翔平', on a number of tanzaku , paper strips attached to furin windchimes that blow gently in the breeze to make them ring. These particular windchimes are made with Nanbu ironware, a specialty product of Oshu that experienced a boost in sales due to the so-called 'Ohtani effect', with demand for iron kettles becoming so popular that there's now a year-long wait for them. ▼ These summertime windchimes ring with the sound of Ohtani's influence on the economy. Before stepping out of the station you'll want to pick up a 'Shohei Ohtani Hometown Map'. Distributed at tourist centres and local stores in the area, this map has been created by local supporters to help visitors explore key spots related to the baseball star, including his elementary and junior high schools, the grounds where he practiced, stores selling Ohtani-themed goods, and the manhole cover site and rice paddy art vantage point. ▼ The map invites you to 'experience the story behind the legend'. Some public sites may ask visitors to refrain from entering the premises, and if that's the case there's a note on the map reflecting this, but you can visit the junior high school if you contact the school office beforehand, and they'll even give you a commemorative gift. The manhole cover is probably the easiest site to visit first, though, as it's located at the west entrance of the station, and it's one of 12 that feature Japanese MLB players, all set up in each of their hometowns. Image: PR Times Although you can see what Ohtani's manhole cover looks like in the image below, we decided to keep its appearance in-situ under wraps, so as not to spoil the mystery for manhole cover hunters. Image: PR Times After viewing the manhole cover outside the station, the next site you'll want to head to is 'Aterui no Sato', where the rice paddy is located. ▼ You'll be able to spot the site by the watchtower vantage point that stands above the rice field. 'Aterui' was the chieftan and great hero of the Emishi people, an indigenous group who lived in the Tohoku region of Japan where Iwate is located, and this is said to be the site of an ancient battle with the imperial court forces. ▼ Today, it's home to rice fields and a wooden viewing tower. The tower has been giving visitors a bird's eye view of the rice paddy artworks that have been grown here for over a decade. While local characters and historical figures featured in previous years, Ohtani has been the star here in 2019, 2023 and 2024, and there's a photo spot at the base of the tower featuring Ohtani, with the message, 'Let's play baseball!' to help commemorate this year's appearance. The photo panel is a clever way to keep visitors entertained as the viewing tower isn't large so people have to wait to climb the stairs. Climbing to the top, we began to sweat as we felt the heat of the day intensify, but there were butterflies of excitement too as we couldn't wait to see what the Ohtani rice field art looked like. ▼ One more step, and then… ▼ … we were met by the powerful depiction of Ohtani, swinging his bat in his number 17 uniform. Ohtani's batter's stance was incredibly dynamic, with the gentle sway of the rice plants making it seem like he might actually take a swing at an incoming ball. It was awesome to see in person, and heartwarming to see other details included, with the 50-50 referring to Ohtani being the first-ever player in Major League Baseball to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, and the pup by his side being his beloved dog Dekopin, who goes by the English name Decoy. ▼ The fluffy texture of the rice plants look just like the pup's fur, adding to his cuteness. The strong bond between pup and owner is emphasised by their dual look to their left, and zooming in on the details reveals the awesome skills involved in creating the artwork. Rice paddy art is made by placing stakes in the rice field to determine the outlines before planting differently coloured seedlings within them, all individually done by hand. As it's uncertain whether the art will succeed or fail until the rice grows, the process involves months of waiting to see the end result, and it requires great technique as the artists/growers have to consider the issue of diagonal perspective from the viewing spot. ▼ Taking a look at last year's design (pictured below), we reckon the technique is improving every year. The art stretches 100 metres (328 feet) across and changes over time as the rice matures, revealing even deeper contrast between the colours. Peak viewing season is from now until around mid-August, and by September, the whole field turns brown, with the rice harvest taking place at the end of October. After leaving the rice field, there are other Ohtani-related spots to visit in the area. Since it was a school holiday when we visited, we skipped the schools and instead made our way to the Hotel Plaza Inn Mizusawa, where the press conference for Ohtani's debut with the Nippon-Ham Fighters was held. One other important site is the Maesawa Batting Center, where Ohtani used to practice with his Little League mates during his elementary and junior high school days. The batting centre is still operating, and the facility also has karaoke, rental rooms, and a go-kart track, making it a popular place for local children to hang out. Although Ohtani was born into a sports family, he wasn't reared as a sports prodigy so it's amazing to think that the talented, world-famous sportsman honed his techniques at this humble public facility. ▼ Ohtani represents hope for children in rural communities that dreams really can come true when you make the most of what you're given. If you pick up a map at the station you can receive a sticker from the 'Hometown Supporters Group' who says it 'supports the star in good times and bad.' With Ohtani being an active star player who sets records almost daily, people around the world are now showing an increasing interest in the town that helped to shape him. It's a quiet rural area that seems a world away from where the star is now, but the place is filled with heart and a lot of passion for supporting one of their own, and the rice paddy art is just one wow point that makes the area definitely worth seeing. Photos © SoraNews24 unless otherwise stated ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Japan Times
18-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Nothing sells like Shohei Ohtani, MLB's marketing megastar
Shohei Ohtani is everywhere. Living in Tokyo, it's almost impossible to go outside and get through the day without seeing him on an ad somewhere — whether it's on a billboard, on an LED screen, on a vending machine, inside a train or a taxi, or at a supermarket. The razzmatazz surrounding Ohtani's influence in the advertising world is only growing. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is currently partnered with more than 20 brands, including many familiar names such as security service provider Secom, beauty company Kose, watchmaker Seiko, beverage maker Ito En, MUFG Bank and Japan Airlines. According to a recent report from U.S. sports business website Sportico, Ohtani is set to make over $100 million in 2025 thanks to his impressive endorsement portfolio, joining Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Stephen Curry as the only athletes ever to surpass $100 million annually from sponsorships. Ohtani is at the peak of his stardom, and brands are rushing to cash in with huge sponsorship deals. Are they getting their money's worth? Apparently, yes. 'There's more buzz surrounding our products and campaigns than we had anticipated,' Kose public relations officer Yuki Nagamine said, revealing that an Ohtani-themed pop-up-store, which opened in Tokyo's Omotesando between March 15 and April 13, was a real revenue driver. Kose signed Ohtani to a global ambassador deal in December 2022 and named him as the face of its ultra-luxury line, Cosme Decorte, in March 2023. The Japanese cosmetics giant got a lucky surprise when, on April 3, Ohtani's teammates celebrated his walk-off homer by poking a little bit of fun at his Decorte commercial — parodying a part of the ad where Ohtani passes a bottle of the product in front of his face. It's no coincidence that sales of Decorte's Liposome Advanced Repair Serum skyrocketed three days later, the day the internet uncovered the origins of the Dodgers' new hit celebration. 'We're honored to know that the commercial he did for us inspired the Dodgers' celebration and glad that we can play a small part in lifting the team's spirit,' Nagamine said. That wasn't enough. Online sports apparel retailer RotoWear gave it a name — the skincare swipe — and turned the celebration into a T-shirt. After FamilyMart appointed Ohtani as its omusubi (rice ball) ambassador in February, the convenience store chain launched an Ohtani-led 'two-way rice ball' campaign — a play on him being a two-way player — and sold 3 million of these two-ingredient rice balls in the first week. 'Average rice ball sales per store increased by 120% compared to the same period last year. It's a home run!' the company said in a news release. Ohtani is a powerful influencer. Whether it's a ¥20 million ($140,500) Porsche, a ¥12,000 ($84.28) skin serum or a ¥200 ($1.40) rice ball, he seems to make everything more appealing. More men are buying beauty products simply because of him. The baby-faced 30-year-old — who was praised for his 'movie star' looks by U.S. President Donald Trump during the Dodgers' recent visit to the White House — turns everything he touches into gold, even things he's not out to promote. Last summer, when Ohtani's pup Dekopin 'threw out' the ceremonial first pitch before a home game, eagle-eyed fans noticed a mini treat pouch the player had in his hand. It became an instant hit, with fans quickly identifying the product and buzzing on social media about the incredibly normal and affordable item the $700 million man uses. Around the same time, Japanese rice snack maker Kameda Seika — which is not one of Ohtani's sponsors — thanked the superstar for being a customer on its official X account by reposting a photo of him carrying a paper bag bearing its company logo. Online sales tripled immediately after the post, spokesperson Yumiko Obata said. 'Being a world-famous athlete, everything Ohtani says and does attracts attention. The photo of him carrying a Kakitane Kitchen paper bag that went viral on social media helped bring many customers to our shops and boosted brand awareness,' Obata said. Itaru Kobayashi, professor of sports management at Tokyo's J. F. Oberlin University, thinks Ohtani is every marketer's dream. | Mai Yoshikawa Whatever he wears off the field often flies off the shelves afterward: a Porsche polo shirt, a Czech Republic baseball cap, New Balance sneakers, you name it. At this point, there is probably nothing Ohtani can't sell. Itaru Kobayashi, a former professional baseball player who is now professor of sports management at Tokyo's J. F. Oberlin University, said Ohtani's face on ads actually sways our buying decisions. 'Ohtani is the ideal person to create the bandwagon effect,' Kobayashi said. 'He's a national hero and consumers trust a product that is endorsed by a celebrity they admire. Japanese people see Ohtani as an aspirational figure. They identify with him, and they believe that purchasing the products he endorses brings them closer to emulating his success.' U.S. sports stars have compared Ohtani's fame in Japan to that of Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, the Beatles and Michael Jackson. Kobayashi said the only Japanese athletes who come close would be Shigeo Nagashima, arguably the most popular player in the history of Japanese baseball, and Naomi Osaka, a tennis icon with four Grand Slam titles. Kobayashi thinks Ohtani is every marketer's dream, having achieved many firsts in MLB and found success in the U.S. 'When Japanese people talk about 'global success,' they often mean succeeding in America. So especially for Japanese companies that want to go global and expand, Ohtani is a perfect endorser because he embodies the same principles that these brands stand for,' Kobayashi said. Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, has said he is very selective about the brands they work with. | Sarah Hozumi Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, told Sportico he is very selective about the brands they work with, only agreeing to endorse products the player actually uses. That strategy seems to be paying off. 'Brands Ohtani represents are already reaping huge rewards, with increases in sales, brand awareness and reach,' Kobayashi said. 'After signing on Ohtani, Ito En has seen a 25.5% growth in 'Oi Ocha' bottled green tea sales in the Tohoku region, Kose reported a 7.5-time increase in the number of men shopping for Decorte products, and HR service provider Dip has been performing well SEO-wise. 'These examples clearly indicate the economic impact of having Ohtani as an endorser.'
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hernández: Shohei Ohtani's Tokyo Series home run is the culmination of the 'Week of Ohtani'
The entire week was a buildup to this. Whether the ball struck by Shohei Ohtani would have cleared the right-field wall at the Tokyo Dome if some fans hadn't reached over the railing is immaterial. In baseball, results are marked in absolute terms, and the official record will forever show that Ohtani homered in the fifth inning of the Dodgers' season-opening, two-game series finale against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Which is how it had to be. Because this week wasn't about the defending World Series champions visiting Japan, or Yoshinobu Yamamoto's transformation, or even Roki Sasaki's major league debut. This week was the Week of Ohtani. Read more: Dodgers vs. Cubs live updates: Shohei Ohtani homers, Dodgers finish Tokyo Series sweep This was the week when Ohtani brought his team to Japan. This was the week when Ohtani's adopted country of the United States became aware of the degree to which he was admired in his homeland. And this was the week in which Ohtani homered in the Dodgers' second win in as many nights over the Cubs. Ohtani's penchant for delivering on command is something that has been discussed ad nauseam — I wrote about it again after Ohtani homered in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants four days earlier. But his reliability is what made this entire week possible. That Shohei swing. #TokyoSeries — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 19, 2025 Sponsors paid a premium to have Ohtani pitch their products on the never-ending stream of commercials that were shown inside of the Tokyo Dome because they know he will produce. Other companies made similar wagers on Ohtani, their Ohtani-themed advertisements found everywhere around this city. Fans paid outrageous prices for tickets to watch these games because they knew there was a good chance Ohtani could produce a moment like this for them. And he did. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
