As die-hard baseball fans gather to watch America's two largest cities battle it out for the World Series title, many come from all over the world to this Los Angeles neighborhood because of one player.
People here in the Los Angeles suburb of Little Tokyo call it the “Ohtani Effect.”
Shohei Ohtani – the star player of the Los Angeles Dodgers – dominates the historic district, personified in a 45-meter mural and his name engraved on the jerseys worn by fans here.
Baseball may be known as “America's Pastime,” but its biggest star comes from Japan. The player signed a record contract to play this season – a whopping $700m (£540m) over 10 years – and the hype around him has only grown, attracting new fans and new traditions in a multicultural Los Angeles.
Business has boomed here. Tourists come from everywhere, including the star's home country.
“When Shohei comes to bat, they know if he hits the home run, we start pouring sake shots,” says Don Tahara, the owner of Far Bar where dozens of televisions broadcast Dodgers games. Home runs equal free rice wine – often for hundreds of fans.
That's a lot of sake. Ohtani has hit 54 home runs this regular season – but none so far in the World Series against the New York Yankees.
“It’s good for the Dodgers – maybe not so good for my wallet.” But it's significant, it warms my heart.
Far Bar was packed during the World Series.
Mr. Tahara handed out mochi, a Japanese rice cake, decorated with the Dodgers logo and free margarita shots in honor of Fernando Valenzuela, the recently deceased Dodgers legend. The Mexican-born left-handed pitcher is also immortalized in a mural – across the river from Little Tokyo in Boyle Heights.
Splattered with paint, muralist Robert Vargas took a break from painting Valenzuela to watch the game at Far Bar. It's hard to imagine Mr. Vargas buying his own drink at Far Bar — in Little Tokyo, he is perhaps as beloved as Ohtani for immortalizing the baseball star on the massive wall of the Miyako Hotel.
“I’ve been a Dodgers fan my whole life,” says Mr. Vargas, who says he painted Ohtani “in the spirit of representation.”
And the mural has become a popular destination for Japanese tourists who come by busloads to pose for photos with the artwork.
Takatani Kiuchi came from Japan to watch Game 2 of the series at Dodger Stadium in the heart of Los Angeles and he watched Game 3 from Far Bar with his friends. Dressed head to toe in Dodgers gear and Ohtani jerseys, Kiuchi met fans from Los Angeles and around the world.
“We are new Dodgers fans. From Tokyo. For us, it's more about the Yankees versus the Dodgers – that means a lot more than the World Series.
They were excited that the second game of the series also featured the team's other Japanese star, Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched six innings, allowing just one hit to the Yankees.
Kiuchi last came to Los Angeles as a child 50 years ago and says he will definitely come back to see the Dodgers play again.
“We came here to see this,” Kiuchi cheered as the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman homered in Game 3 and the bar crowd erupted in joy.
The city's tourist office also applauds. In 2023, there were 230,000 Japanese visitors to Los Angeles, an increase of 91.7% from 2022.
And by the end of the year, the city is expected to welcome 320,000 visitors, says Bill Karz, senior vice president of brand marketing at LA Tourism. That's still a decline from pre-pandemic levels, but tourism officials are celebrating the increase.
“The Ohtani effect is real,” says Karz. “It impacts our entire economy.”
This, he says, translates into increased hotel occupancy, ticket sales at area theme parks like Universal Studios and visits to Dodger Stadium, which has, in turn, increased the number of Japanese language tours offered.
Even some devoted Yankees fans have jumped on the Ohtani bandwagon.
In a sea of Dodger blue, Vince Gonzales sported a black and red “Ohtani” jersey from the Japanese national team.
“Shh, I’m a Yankees fan,” he whispers at the bar as he mingles with Japanese tourists. “But more importantly, I am an Ohtani fan because I have a passion for Japanese baseball.”
Far Bar erupted in cheers and “I love LA” blared over the sound system as Game 3 ended in a Dodgers victory.
Robert Vargas – the muralist – couldn’t escape. A Japanese woman ran out of the bar to ask for photos in front of the mural. He agreed, and soon dozens of people were posing for photos with him and chanting, “Let’s go, Dodgers!” »
