Shohei Ohtani: World Series is making a big splash in Japan, drawing viewership numbers that rival those in the US

Tokyo (CNN) – Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has turned millions of Japanese residents into fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, so much so that more than a tenth of the country’s population tunes in to the World Series, giving the fall classics better TV ratings in Japan than in Japan the United States.

The excitement was palpable in a Tokyo bar on Wednesday morning Japan time as fans chanted for their hometown hero.

“Shohei! Shohei! Shohei!” erupted at Fields Shibuya, a sports restaurant bar, as the All-Star player faced the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series, and later turned into deafening cheers when the Dodgers designated hitter one Single ripped.

“Ohtani’s performance is at a high level,” said Ryosuke Matsumoto, 22, who was among the crowd at the sports bar. “I am very happy to see a Japanese player doing so well in the Major Leagues. That’s how I became a fan. I’m proud of him.”

Ohtani and the Dodgers fans would have little else to cheer about in Game 4 as the Yankees won 11-4, but the excitement is sure to return for Game 5 on Wednesday (Thursday morning in Japan) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Ohtani’s performance in this year’s edition of the World Series captivated Japan and became a television ratings phenomenon.

Earlier this week, the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the Yankees in Game 2 drew an average of 15.9 million viewers, marking Major League Baseball’s highest-rated postseason game in Japanese history, according to the press release.

“Ohtani is an honorable person in Japan. Everyone shouts “Ohtani, Ohtani” and that makes me incredibly happy. We’ve never had a Japanese guy like that before. It’s our dear Ohtani,” said Mamoru Tanaka, a manager at the bar.

The first two games of the seven-game series between the Dodgers and Yankees were watched by an average of 15.15 million viewers in Japan, according to Major League Baseball – at times more viewers than in the United States. Japan’s population is about 124.5 million compared to the United States, which had about 334 million people last year.

Viewership in Japan is even more remarkable since the event was broadcast during the day.

“Since it’s a weekday, people are watching the work-school game. Young people look at the results on social media. A lot of people can’t watch and I think most of the people watching the game live are older people,” Matsumoto said.

Combined with U.S. viewership, the first two World Series games averaged 29.7 million viewers in both countries.

For Game 3 in New York, the World Series drew an average of 13.6 million viewers in the US, making it the most-watched World Series game on Monday night since 2013 – reflecting strong enthusiasm in the US as well, according to Fox Sports.

The excitement surrounding Ohtani extends far beyond the television screen.

CNN recently reported that the influx of Japanese tourists in Los Angeles increased after Ohtani was traded from the crosstown Los Angeles Angels to the Dodgers earlier this season in a record-breaking $700 million contract over 10 years.

A leading Japanese travel agency told CNN it is booking up to 200 customers from Japan for each Dodgers home game this season. The Dodgers capitalized on the Ohtani phenomenon by adding 12 new Japanese sponsors, offering stadium tours in Japanese, and introducing a variety of new menu items specifically designed for the fan experience for Japanese fans.

Even viewers in the US can see its influence growing as the season progresses. The logo of Daiso, a Japanese retail chain, was regularly seen in center field when home runs were captured on television.

MLB saw a notable 225% increase in social media engagement, with views across platforms increasing 229%, the league reported, reflecting the growing excitement surrounding the World Series and its star players.

The excitement in Japan isn’t just about Ohtani for the Dodgers. The team signed Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract last offseason.

Yamamoto was the winner of Game 2 on Sunday, pitching 6 1/3 innings while allowing just one hit to the vaunted Yankee offense – all adding to the excitement of fans in Japan.