It was an atmosphere at the Tokyo opening series that even the great Shohei Ohtani could not help but feel nervous. Shohei Ohtani lit up Tokyo Dome, overcoming the immense spotlight and leading his team to victory.

On the 18th, Ohtani started as the designated hitter in the first game of the Major League Baseball World Tour Tokyo opening series against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome, going 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Ohtani's multi-hit performance led his team to a 4-1 come-from-behind victory.

This was the first Major League regular season opening game held in Japan in six years since 2019, and it was the sixth time in history. Although he had visited Tokyo Dome as a member of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) team, this was his first visit to Tokyo Dome and Japan as a Major League player.

The words of his teammates that "Ohtani could be seen anywhere" confirmed the Ohtani fever in Japan, and the Tokyo opening series proceeded with unprecedented enthusiasm. A total of 5 Japanese players, including Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki (both Dodgers), Shota Imangata, and Seiya Suzuki (both Cubs), participated in the Tokyo opening series. However, Ohtani's popularity was undeniable as he played a leading role. With a capacity crowd of 42,365 filling the Tokyo Dome, there was interest in the historic matchup between rookie Japanese pitchers Yamamoto and Imangata, but the audience was more focused on every play Ohtani made. Ohtani felt this atmosphere.

Ohtani grounded out in both his first and second at-bats against Imangata. He clearly seemed tense in his swing. However, starting in the 5th inning, Ohtani came back to life. In his third at-bat with one out and a runner on first in the 5th inning, he produced a hit against the Cubs' second pitcher Ben Brown. It was the Dodgers' first hit of 2025 and Ohtani's first hit. After Ohtani's hit opened the scoring floodgates, the Dodgers scored 3 runs to come from behind at 3-1. He then hit a double in the ninth inning to add a crucial run.

After the game, Ohtani spoke in a ground interview with 'Fox Sports,' saying, "I usually don’t get this nervous at the plate, but I entered the box feeling nervous for the first time in a while. The unique atmosphere of Japan... so many fans came out, and there was a bit of a feeling that I had to get a hit. But I'm glad I was able to get a hit somehow," he said, smiling awkwardly. In an official interview with reporters later, he noted, "There was a burden playing in Japan. I usually don’t feel too nervous when batting, but I felt nervous in the early innings. I wanted to avoid a walk at all costs, which I think made me tense. However, I was able to respond calmly at the plate after that and expressed his feelings about the game.

While doing so, he took pride in watching his Japanese teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto's outstanding performance. Yamamoto pitched 5 innings in his first appearance of the opening game, throwing 72 pitches, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, striking out 4, and giving up 1 run. He used 29 fastballs, 29 splitters, 9 curves, 3 sinkers, 1 cutter, and 1 slider. The fastball reached a maximum speed of 98.1 mph (157.9 km/h) and an average speed of 96.8 mph (155.8 km/h), while the splitter peaked at 94.1 mph (151.4 km/h) and averaged 92.4 mph (148.7 km/h). Yamamoto left the mound after giving it his all.

Ohtani praised Yamamoto’s performance, saying, "He has been a reliable player from the start. His calm mentality when pitching and superb baseball skills were outstanding. What impressed me the most was how he remained composed after giving up his first run. Even when facing the third batting order, he persevered and continued to pitch well, which is a crucial factor. That’s why I found him even more reliable."

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