MLB Opening Day is right around the corner, but first, the league will begin its season in Japan with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers facing off in a two-game series — the first two games of the MLB regular season.
The league was brilliant in deciding what teams to send to Japan to begin the season; they chose the Cubs and Dodgers as Japanese stars represent them. Shota Imanaga and Shohei Ohtani are the two “ambassadors” for this two-game set.
MLB Released Demon Slayer Trailer for Tokyo Series
We have seen the MLB try to make baseball a global game. Each season, we see different teams playing in various parts of the world. We have games in the United Kingdom and Mexico as the league continues to look for other countries to play each season and new ways to market the league.
“Demon Slayer” is an anime series produced in Japan, and the MLB has teamed up with it to create a baseball version of the show.
Major League Baseball enters the world of Demon Slayer ⚔️
As MLB celebrates games in Japan, baseball has partnered to release a Demon Slayer short film that depicts the evolution of Japanese baseball through the continuous passing of the torch across generations
Product around… pic.twitter.com/jK0tPXxL73
— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2025
In the clip, both Imanaga and Ohtani are featured. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Seiya Suzuki are also featured as Japanese players who will appear in the Tokyo series. This should be a highly competitive two-game series as the Dodgers are reigning World Series champions and the Cubs have a much-improved roster.
Baseball Is Growing in Popularity
There is no better example of baseball becoming a worldwide game than seeing the World Baseball Classic.
The 2023 WBC became one of the most exciting baseball experiences in recent memory as Japan came away victorious thanks to the play of Ohtani, among others. However, the championship game between the USA and Japan is still talked about today, one of the best experiences for all baseball fans and a chance to see your favorite MLB players represent their countries.
The WBC is set to take place next spring in March 2026, and it should once again have an outstanding turnout. The more MLB players that play, the better the competition will be. You can bet MLB will continue to look for countries that would like to host MLB games. The more eyes on the sport, the better it will be.
Everyone is excited to get the 2025 MLB regular season underway, and Tokyo is a great spot to let the games begin.