LOS ANGELES -- In the 64 years that the Dodgers' home ballpark has opened its doors to fans, it has always been formally known as Dodger Stadium. That time-honored name isn't going away, but it will be a little longer starting in 2026.
UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium was officially christened on the eve of Opening Day, when officials from the Dodgers and Japanese retail giant UNIQLO came together to announce a new partnership that includes the latter acquiring the naming rights to the field at the former's ballpark.
Founder/chairman Tadashi Yanai and executives Daisuke Tsukagoshi and Koji Yanai were present on behalf of UNIQLO, while owner/chairman Mark Walter, president/CEO Stan Kasten and manager Dave Roberts were on hand to represent the Dodgers.
"It took a long time with a lot of great people on both sides," Kasten said. "We have, I think, two leaders in their fields: the world champion Dodgers, and then, of course, the renowned-around-the-world UNIQLO brand. As Mr. Yanai said to me earlier, we both aim to be No. 1 in the world, and that's why our partnership was kind of meant to be."
Kasten then presented Tadashi Yanai with a home plate signed by the members of the Dodgers -- "symbolic of this being his new home," Kasten said.
The deal marks UNIQLO's first major sports partnership in the United States. The company came into the agreement with an awareness of what the Dodger Stadium name means to people in L.A. and did not want to take that away altogether.
"Dodger Stadium has been loved by the fans over many decades, so we have to respect that history while expressing our partnership together with the Dodgers," said Koji Yanai, who specializes in sports partnerships at Fast Retailing Co., UNIQLO's parent company. "This UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium name may be very new for everyone, but I hope in the near future, the fans will like it and will love it."
The new name will be displayed around the ballpark: along the baselines, on the inside of the seating bowl below the press box and, most prominently, on a new sign above the batter's eye that was unveiled at Wednesday's event.
That begged the obvious question from one reporter: If a player goes deep off the UNIQLO sign, will he get some sort of gift in return?
"It's a very great idea that I was just given there," UNIQLO founder and chairman Tadashi Yanai said, as translated by an interpreter. "Definitely, we want to take this into consideration."
"We like that idea, too," Kasten chimed in.
UNIQLO will host an event at the ballpark later in the season that will involve a giveaway of items from the company's LifeWear collection. It will also dedicate sections of select stores in the L.A. area to their partnership with the Dodgers.
The partnership also goes beyond the ballpark. The Dodgers and UNIQLO are working together to develop initiatives to benefit communities in Los Angeles, which will be announced at a later date.
"Fusing diverse perspectives and values that would constitute your power and strengths," Tadashi Yanai said. "That's exactly [what] the Dodgers and Los Angeles have, and we are so excited to join this family to explore endless possibilities and opportunities to make this world a better place."
The Dodgers have had a long-standing presence in Japan that has led to their history of signing great Japanese talent, from Hideo Nomo to their modern-day trio of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. The team established itself as a destination for Japanese players through its early groundwork.
Now UNIQLO, already a brand with a worldwide presence, is planting roots in L.A. with a similar intention.