Shohei Otani has changed the landscape of LA

Little Tokyo: “Otani’s influence is fully established”

Pitcher Shohei Otani moved to the Dodgers this season, and in addition to winning the double crown for home runs and RBIs, he also contributed to the team’s division championship with an unprecedented 54 home runs and 59 bases on the theft (54-59). He was active in the playoffs, hitting three home runs, and became a key player in advancing to the World Series, which will begin on the 25th (Japan’s 26th period). The “Otani effect” is visible everywhere in Los Angeles, where the team is based, and was featured in an official MLB feature.

Otani has been with the Los Angeles Angels for the past six years, but fan expectations and popularity seem to have increased significantly since his move to the popular Dodgers. Coupled with the fact that he signed a huge 10-year contract worth 700 million dollars (about 106.6 billion yen), this season has really made him “man of the hour”. He also revitalized the city of Los Angeles.

Write MLB on Official Mail. Mr. Vargas became a hot topic after he painted a mural of Otani at Los Angeles’ Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo.

With the Miyako Hotel in the background, Vargas said, “There’s a mural of Shohei Ohtani that’s 150 feet tall.” There’s no other place in town with a 150-foot mural of a man. Asian.’” “Where is he. ?” and “You could say this mural is a symbol of Little Tokyo.”At nearby ramen shops, when Otani hits a home run, the first 17 drinks are half price. , and at the bar, every time Otani hits a home run, he gets a free drink.

“Ohtani has single-handedly increased the number of visitors to LA.”

The bar’s owner, Don Tahara, recalled the day Ohtani hit three home runs to make it “50-50.”

The other day, MLB’s official website posted an article about Los Angeles by reporter Matt Monaghan titled “Visit the city of Los Angeles that has been transformed into Otaniland.” It is said that Japanese tourists used to avoid Little Tokyo, but that changed after Otani joined the Dodgers.

“This neighborhood, just a 10-minute drive from Dodger Stadium, is overflowing with love for the Japanese superstar. Since the coronavirus pandemic, Ohtani seems to have single-handedly increased the number of visitors from Japan to Los Angeles.

The CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism Bureau explained, “Ohtani’s influence can be attributed to this.” Hotel GM Miyako says, “The number of guests is about three times higher than last year, and especially there are many guests Japanese there.” “I see the community spirit here growing and people coming in from all over Los Angeles. It really feels like Dodgertown now,” said Vargas. Otani completely changed the landscape of Los Angeles. It really is a strange thing.

(Full Account Editorial Department)