Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani has reshaped modern baseball - and the enthusiasm of Japanese sports fans - with his unprecedented dominance as a true two-way superstar. Whether crushing home runs or shutting down opponents from the mound, Ohtani has energized both Major League Baseball (MLB) and international competition. He has led his teams to MLB World Series and World Baseball Classic (WBC) titles in recent years, and his popularity in Japan continues to surge. YouGov Sport surveyed a representative sample of 1,000 sports fans in Japan to quantify his impact.
Baseball’s enduring popularity in Japan
Baseball is the most popular sport in the country. 61% of Japanese sports fans say they are very or somewhat interested in baseball and 89% say they have at least some interest. The domestic Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league is most popular with 57% of fans being very or somewhat interested, but the MLB is a close second at 50%.
Japanese fans and MLB
Most Japanese sports fans (76%) indicate an interest in American sports leagues and 94% agree that American sports impact Japanese sports culture. Major League Baseball benefits greatly from this engagement as 50% of Japanese sports fans are very or somewhat interested in MLB, and 85% have at least some interest in the league. 65% expect their MLB interest to grow over the next 5 years.
No MLB team comes close to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japanese fandom: 59% of Japanese MLB fans say the Dodgers are their favorite MLB team, far ahead of the Yankees (14%) and Cubs (9%) who rank second and third respectively. The Dodgers currently have three of the top four most popular players among Japanese fans (Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki). The Yankees have had several popular Japanese players over the years including Masahiro Tanaka, Hideki Matsui, Hideki Irabu, Hiroki Kuroda, and even Ichiro Suzuki for three seasons. Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki are star players for the Cubs.
Viewership numbers reinforce the appeal of the Dodgers: 59% of Japanese sports fans say they watched the 2025 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays and 86% of those who watched were rooting for Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers.
78% say that Shohei Ohtani is one of their favorite MLB players and 87% say they have a positive impression of him. 79% say Ohtani has increased their interest in MLB since he joined the league. Japanese players like Ohtani are the top driver of MLB engagement in Japan.
Japanese sports fans and the WBC
The 2026 WBC, the 6th iteration of the event, will be held March 5-17, 2026 and showcase 20 national baseball teams competing for global dominance. 74% of Japanese sports fans said they watched the WBC the last time it was held in 2023 where Japan defeated the U.S. 3-2 in the championship game and Shohei Ohtani was named MVP.
60% of Japanese sports fans say they are planning to watch the 2026 WBC while another 23% are undecided but open to watching. 78% say they are excited about the upcoming WBC. These interest levels outpace U.S. fan enthusiasm and highlight Japan’s strong emotional connection to international baseball.
The numbers make the story unmistakable: Shohei Ohtani is more than a superstar - he is a catalyst. His performance in MLB and the WBC fuels national pride, elevates the global profile of Japanese players, and deepens Japanese fans’ connection to Major League Baseball. With Ohtani continuing to headline the Dodgers and expected to play a pivotal role in Japan’s 2026 WBC campaign, Japanese engagement is poised to remain high for years to come.
Methodology
Source: YouGov Sport Custom Survey – January 22-29, 2026
Sample Sizes: n=1,000 Japanese sports fans (at least some level of interest in sports); n=847 Japanese MLB fans (at least some level of interest in MLB); n=594 2025 MLB World Series viewers
