OSHU CITY, Japan (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s hometown in northern Japan is a rural area, famous for its high-quality Maesawa beef, its manufacturing history traditional ironwork and the intense green hills and mountains that surround it.

The Japanese call these places “inaka”, which roughly means “countryside”. No pomp, quiet streets and in the north – cold winters. It’s only 500 kilometers from Tokyo, but it seems further.

Today, the town of Oshu is most famous for Ohtani himself and for the intense pride the local population shows in one of the greatest players of all time. He started in the local Little League with the Mizusawa Pirates, played for Hanamaki Higashi High School — a path that led him to the World Series. His Los Angeles Dodgers lead the New York Yankees 3-0, and fans here will be tuning in when Los Angeles attempts to clinch the title early Wednesday morning local time.

The city honors Ohtani at every turn. And to experience it, first start with hairdresser Hironobu Kanno’s salon called “Seems”.

Shohei Ohtani’s hair salon turned sanctuary

The waiting room is a museum dedicated to Ohtani with around 300 objects hung, stacked and arranged in every corner. Even more items are stored.

There are signed Dodgers and Angels jerseys, dozens of autographed baseballs, bats, shoes, caps, gloves, figurines, photos of Othani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka, ornate shirts images of him. Decopin dog (decoy in English), stuffed animals, pillows and life-size cutouts of the superstar.

Kanno said many fans come to town on a sort of “pilgrimage,” and his shop is often part of that.

“My customers and those who come to visit Ohtani’s hometown really enjoy seeing the collection, and I think it’s a very effective way for them to feel closer to Ohtani,” he said.

The collection began innocently when Kanno attended a baseball game on May 23, 2013 – the first professional game in which Ohtani hit and pitched. It was for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan, and Kanno returned with a ball signed by Ohtani.

“When I put the ball with Ohtani’s autograph in my salon, customers were very happy to see it,” Kanno said. “So I started collecting goods little by little.”

The rest is history.

He said his most prized possession is a cap signed by the Japanese players who beat the United States in final of last year’s World Baseball Classic in Miami.

Kanno confessed that the cost of Ohtani products continues to rise. He suggested he spent about 10 million yen — perhaps $100,000 — on Ohtani merchandise over a decade, and estimated the value could be five or six times that.

He said he had never met Ohtani or his mother and father – Toru and Kayako – and that the superstar had never seen the collection. He said that eventually he would like to see it in a real museum and added that he was not in it for financial gain.

Small town becomes pilgrimage point for Ohtani obsessives

Walk through town to City Hall if you need more Ohtani souvenirs. One corner is loaded with photos of Ohtani, newspaper clippings and pennants reminding him that he won the American League MVP in 2023 and 2021. He is the favorite to be the National League MVP this season.

The centerpiece of the City Hall collection is a replica of Ohtani’s right hand. The golden hand allows you to grab it and watch a video with Ohtani showing how the replica was made.

Keigo Kishino and his wife Chiaki said they traveled in one day from the western city of Osaka – by plane and train – just to shake hands.

“He’s a source of energy for me, or something,” Chiaki said.

Jeffrey Kingston, who teaches history at Temple University in Japan, described Ohtani as a “blend of pure skill, pride and nationalism that makes him irresistible to Japanese audiences and anyone remotely interested in the game , extending even to people who never really care.” about baseball.

He was referring in part to his wife Machiko Osawa, an economics professor at the Japan Women’s University. She’s not a baseball fan. But Othani interested her – at least in the short term.

“Ohtani changed the image of the Japanese and helped them transcend their complex feelings towards Westerners,” she explained.

“When I was young, there was a huge gap in ability between American players and Japanese players. Japanese players are smaller and unable to compete, but Ohtani has changed the image of Japanese baseball players. He’s big, fit and a superstar.

Ohtani’s impact at Oshu City is unlike any other player in baseball

Ohtani is the only MLB player from Oshu City, although others have come from the surrounding area. Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi also attended Hanamaki Higashi High School and Rintaro Sasaki – the son of Ohtani’s high school coach – is a phenom who left professional baseball entirely in Japan and currently plays at Stanford.

But no one generates buzz at home like Ohtani. Earlier this year, a local rice field was used as an “artist’s canvas” with the image of Ohtani in Dodger blue and wearing the number 17 – with decoy next to it – cut out into the green field. The resemblance is unmistakable.

Oshu Mayor Jun Kuranari spoke of Ohtani as a source of inspiration, and the rice field could be one such example. He also mentioned Ohtani as a role model.

“He plays with such a pure heart and his performance is incredible,” the mayor said. “But what I also find incredible is that he is able to remain humble while playing so well. He is a role model for everyone and also makes the locals proud.”

___

This story has been corrected to show that last year’s World Baseball Classic finale was played in Miami, not Tokyo.

___

AP MLB:

Stephen Wade, Associated Press