The impact of the Los Angeles Dodgers spans much further than the diamond.
Adam Burke, the president of the Los Angeles Tourism Board, confirmed the extent of the defending World Series champion’s reach on the city through the thriving market from Japanese visitors.
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A team consisting of a manager, reigning National League MVP, ace pitcher, and rising star, all born in Japan would be more than enough reason for those visiting to want to see home country’s icons perform, but Burke told The Athletic’s Andy McCullough that between 80 and 90 percent of all L.A. tourists from Japan seek out Dodger Stadium.
“It is a reason why people are choosing to come to Los Angeles,” Burke said. “The other thing that’s really critical is that people are not just coming to see one game. If they’re going to come overseas, they’re not just coming to see [Shohei] Ohtani play once. They want to see two or three games while they’re here.”
Burke has been studying data since Dec. 11, 2023, the day Ohtani became a Dodger, but it’s worth mentioning that Yoshinobu Yamamoto — a current NL Cy Young award front runner with his 2.12 ERA— signed with L.A. just 16 days later.
Through Ohtani’s dominance in his first year in Los Angeles — like securing a third MVP award and becoming the first player to hit 50 or more home runs and steal 50 or more bases in a season — plus Yamamoto’s 3.00 ERA and ability to stay healthy to dominate in the Fall Classic, the Dodgers are becoming a brand much bigger than baseball.
Manager Dave Roberts, born in Naha, Japan, perfectly encapsulates the duality of being Japanese and an Angeleno, as he went to college at the University of California, Los Angeles, and played for the Dodgers from 2002 until the middle of the 2004 season.
The offseason addition of Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki hopes to ensure that the connection from L.A. to Japan continues its rich history and celebrates the culture of those who play for the Dodgers.
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Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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