Although it is known as America’s pastime, baseball has been part of the culture of Japan for more than 150 years. And in the land of the rising sun, millions of fans are awaking to the dawn of a new MLB season.
The first pitch of the Opening Night game between the Yankees and Giants on Netflix will be thrown at about 9 a.m. Thursday in Japan. But wherever they are and whatever time it is, the fervent baseball fans on the island nation will be watching.
When Paul Skenes and the Pirates face the Mets to kick off Opening Day at 2:15 a.m. on Friday in Japan, they will be watching.
When national icons Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto begin the Dodgers’ quest for a three-peat against the D-backs at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, they will be watching.
Because, as stated in a brand-new ad to celebrate Opening Day in Japan, baseball in the country isn’t just a game; it’s a call to rise. Every morning for the next seven months, Japanese fans -- an "MLB Breakfast Club," if you will -- will rise to follow the teams and players, and the sport, they love.