Superstar Shohei Ohtani for Prime Minister
Returning to Tokyo as a World Series champion, baseball’s golden boy is an inspiration to a nation in need of role models.
Shohei Ohtani and his dog Decoy.
Photographer: Harry How/Getty Images
It’s the time of year when warm spring winds blow through Tokyo, heralding the coming of cherry blossoms that will briefly drape the city in pink. But this year, there’s a fleeting arrival that’s even more exciting.
Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers phenom and Japan’s most famous sporting export, is back in town for Major League Baseball’s opening day game against the Chicago Cubs. The city is abuzz for the event: Nearly 100,000 seats over two nights at Tokyo Dome sold out in moments. Resale tickets are changing hands for amounts approaching $13,500. Think of the hype when Taylor Swift visited your city. Then double or triple it.