Otani Special Hall Opens at Otani Hometown Train Station... Uniforms and Memorabilia Exhibited

Exhibition of Shin Hanamaki Station Langre MVP Souvenirs
Also Displaying Souvenirs of High School Senior Kikuchi Yusei

Memorabilia related to Shohei Ohtani, who plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States, will be exhibited at a historical site in Japan. On the 7th, Hanamaki City in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, announced that it will display Shohei Ohtani-related memorabilia in the 'Step in Hanamaki' area inside the new Hanamaki Station.

Souvenirs related to Shohei Ohtani displayed in the area called 'Step in Hanamaki' set up inside the Shin Hanamaki Station history.
[Photo by Hanamaki City Official Website]

Ohtani, who was unanimously awarded the MVP last season, had also been unanimously named the American League MVP in 2021. He is the first player in history to win the MVP unanimously more than once. Additionally, Ohtani played as both a pitcher and a hitter in the 2023 season in the Major Leagues. On the mound, he appeared as a starting pitcher in 23 games, recording 10 wins, 5 losses, and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.14. As a hitter, he played 135 games with a batting average of 0.304, hitting 44 home runs, driving in 95 runs, and scoring 102 runs.

This exhibition commemorating Ohtani’s achievements is set up at the new Hanamaki Station. The reason for choosing this station is that Ohtani is an alumnus of Higashi High School located in Hanamaki City. The exhibition will feature a steel monument celebrating Ohtani’s MVP and home run king awards, as well as the uniform he wore during high school.

Souvenirs related to Kikuchi Yusei displayed in the area called 'Step in Hanamaki,' set up inside the Shin Hanamaki History Museum.
[Photo by Hanamaki City Official Website]

Along with Ohtani’s memorabilia, the uniform of Yusei Kikuchi, who once played alongside Hyun-jin Ryu on the Toronto Blue Jays, will also be displayed. Kikuchi is also a graduate of Higashi High School. It is widely known that Ohtani enrolled in this high school inspired by Kikuchi.

Shohei Ohtani, 'Confident' to Participate in MLB Opening Game at Gocheok Dome

Earlier, Shohei Ohtani expressed his 'confidence' in participating in the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) opening game held in Seoul. On the 4th, MLB.com reported, "Ohtani, who is undergoing rehabilitation after right elbow surgery, is expected to start as the designated hitter in the opening game Seoul Series." Ohtani participated in the Dodgers Fan Festival held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, and stated, "I am confident about playing in the opening game. I am following my rehabilitation schedule well. It’s neither too fast nor too slow, but there should be no problem in being ready for the opening game."

Ohtani, who created a sensation in Major League Baseball by excelling as both a pitcher and a hitter, signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers after the 2023 season.
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

This year’s official MLB opening game will be held on March 20 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. The Dodgers will play a two-game series against the San Diego Padres, where Kim Ha-seong plays, on March 20 and 21 at Gocheok Dome, marking the start of the 2024 Major League season. Despite many star players on both teams, the most eye-catching player is undoubtedly Ohtani. Having created a sensation in the Major Leagues as a two-way player, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract (approximately 925.5 billion KRW) with the Dodgers after the 2023 season.

Every move Ohtani makes is considered one of the most important news items in the Major Leagues recently. Therefore, his participation in the Seoul Series is the biggest issue for the 2024 MLB opening game. Ohtani underwent elbow surgery last September. Some Japanese media discouraged Ohtani’s participation in the Seoul Series, saying, "There is no need for Ohtani, who is not yet fully recovered, to take the risk of flying all the way to Seoul to play two games." However, at the Dodgers’ first official event of the year, Ohtani promised to participate in the Seoul Series and expressed his anticipation of meeting Korean fans.