LA Dodgers arrive in Tokyo ahead of MLB season opening game, but fans left disappointed

Record ID: 1982948

  • Title: LA Dodgers arrive in Tokyo ahead of MLB season opening game, but fans left disappointed
  • Date: 13th March 2025
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 13, 2025) (REUTERS) CROWDS OF FANS WAITING AT HANEDA AIRPORT ARRIVAL LOBBY FANS WAVING INFLATABLE FOIL BALLON OF NUMBER “17” AND SAYING (Japanese): “Fighting Ohtani.” CAP READING (English): “LA” FANS WAITING FAN WEARING SHOHEI OHTANI’S JERSEY STANDING AT LOBBY SIGN READING (Japanese & English): “Welcome to Japan / I LOVE LA” FAN HOLDING SIGN AND LOO
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Chicago Cubs Japan Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Major League Baseball Shohei Ohtani Tokyo baseball
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • City: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Baseball,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA002844613032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of baseball fans lined up at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport with the hope of catching a glimpse of Shohei Ohtani as the super star arrived with his team of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday (March13).
    Instead, what they saw was a long white expanded partition to shield players from the outside world. No players appeared in front of the excited fans as they took a hidden route after arrival for safety reasons.
    Many fans who waited for hours said they were disheartened.
    “I couldn’t get a ticket (to matches and trainings), so I hope that I could at least meet him (Ohtani) here at the airport. But it didn’t seem to happen so I’m really disappointed,” said 53-year-old Yukiko Nakamura who couldn’t obtain a ticket to the Dodgers’ game.
    The Dodgers took a chartered plane to Tokyo from Phoenix which was seen landing on the tarmac. They will face the Chicago Cubs who arrived in Tokyo late night on Wednesday (March 12).
    The two teams will square off at a two-game series to kick off 2025 Major League Baseball’s regular season next Tuesday (March 18) and Wednesday (March 19).
    (Production: Irene Wang)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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