Ohtani Shohei, who arrived in Japan for the MLB season opener (Tokyo Series) between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome, treated his teammates to an authentic Japanese banquet along with fellow Japanese players from the Dodgers.
According to Japanese media, Ohtani invited top-tier sushi chefs to the banquet hall at the Dodgers’ accommodation after Sunday’s exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers and provided a premium Japanese meal for his teammates.
Japanese news outlets reported, “Ohtani, along with teammates Yamamoto Yoshinobu and Sasaki Roki, hosted a Japanese-style banquet for the entire Dodgers team, featuring renowned sushi chefs.” The menu included fresh tuna sashimi, sushi, and Japanese-style yakitori (grilled skewered chicken).
According to Sankei Sports, Ohtani collaborated with high-end tuna supplier Yamako, Michelin three-star sushi restaurant Sushi Saito, and Japan’s most exclusive yakitori restaurant Torishiki to bring the highest-quality Japanese cuisine.
Ohtani shared the evening’s highlights on his social media, including footage of chefs skillfully breaking down a 177 kg tuna and Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman hesitantly trying sea urchin sushi before eventually smiling after tasting it. During a press conference before Monday’s game, Freeman joked that while he managed to try the sea urchin sushi, he could not bring himself to eat hairy crab.
Previously, Ohtani had hinted at organizing a Japanese-style team dinner, stating that he wanted his teammates to focus on the games, experience Japanese culture, and make lasting memories from the trip.
According to Daily Sports, the 177kg tuna used for the banquet was priced at ¥7,000 per kilogram (approximately $45 per kg). Including the cost of hiring a professional tuna-cutting master, the total expenses for the cutting show alone were estimated at ¥1.5 million (approximately $13,500). Daily Sports further reported that the total cost of the banquet likely exceeded ¥2 million (approximately $18,000).
Yamamoto co-hosted the dinner with Ohtani and told local media, “Ohtani was the main organizer of this banquet. We planned it hoping that our teammates would enjoy Japanese culture.” Japanese pitcher Sasaki Roki added, “Ohtani and Yamamoto took the lead in organizing the dinner. I just went along with it.”
