The Los Angeles Dodgers departed for Japan on Wednesday ahead of their matchup with the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series to begin the 2025 MLB regular season.
The two-game set is taking place at the Tokyo Dome from March 18-19, with a local start time of 7:10 p.m. (3:10 a.m. PT) for both contests.
It will represent MLB’s sixth Opening Series in Japan and first since 2019. It also marks the second consecutive year the Dodgers are starting a season with an international series, having faced the San Diego Padres in South Korea to begin their 2024 schedule.
“Excited. I think we got a little taste of Asia as far as last year in Seoul. This is a really good opportunity for us to bring our game, certainly our Japanese players to their home country, with another great organization in the Cubs,” manager Dave Roberts said.
“I think it’s great for baseball. We are thrilled and honestly, I’m looking forward to our players being received from the fans in Tokyo, in Japan. They’re just great, generous people, kind. We’re going to eat some great food, too.”
Japan has been at the center of the baseball world in recent months, with Shohei Ohtani becoming the first MLB player to join the 50-50 club, Ichiro Suzuki being elected to the Hall of Fame, and now the Tokyo Series.
“Obviously you’ve got Hideo, Ichiro making the Hall of Fame this year, obviously with our three Japanese players going to Tokyo, I think it’s a moment and a marker for Japanese baseball and Japanese baseball. It’s very exciting,” Roberts said.
Ohtani is a megastar in his home country and figures to receive a hero’s welcome when the Dodgers land in Tokyo. He will be among three Japanese players on the Dodgers roster for the Tokyo Series, along with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
The Cubs will carry two Japanese players on their Opening Day roster in Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki.
Roberts, a Japanese native himself, thoroughly enjoyed his visit the country during the offseason.
Stan Kasten: Dodgers’ relationship with Japan ‘good’ for baseball
Ohtani and Yamamoto helped the Dodgers set viewership records in Japan last year, as well as land significant sponsorship deals from notable Japanese companies.
With Sasaki now in the fold, the Dodgers should continue receiving significant attention from the country. “We’ve spent the last few years opening up Europe, and this is really helping us across the Pacific Rim,” president and CEO Stan Kasten recently said.
“Not just the Dodgers, even though we are also starting programs there with MLB’s blessings. But so is MLB, in a way that they didn’t before this recent onslaught. We’re happy to play that part. It’s good for all of us.”
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