After playing the Hanshin Tigers on March 16, the Dodgers weren’t just hungry for victory; They were hungry, period. Forget your average team pizza night. The players indulged in a culinary feast so grand that it left viewers in awe. You see, Shohei Ohtani, along with fellow Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, had arranged for a mega feast!
Imagine this: A banquet room, a 177-180-kilogram (nearly 400-pound!) tuna, Michelin-starred sushi cooks. And a yakitori master so exclusive that getting a reservation is harder than hitting a 100-mph fastball. All the players and team members were present at that party.
Pinpointing the exact cost of this oceanic feast is difficult, but let’s do some educated guessing. As reported by ‘Yahoo Japan’, the going rate for a bluefin tuna cutting show is 7,000 yen per kilo, so the fish alone is likely close to 1.5 million yen (over $10,000 USD!). Add in the Michelin-star sushi chef, the legendary yakitori, and the sheer volume of food, the total might be around more than 2 million yen. The menu included tuna which was expertly carved, crab, yakitori (grilled chicken), and uni (sea urchin sushi). For a player, who earns $700,000,000, it is just another regular party.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The dinner wasn’t just about food; it was about creating memories. Freddie Freeman, a sushi newbie, tasted some sea urchins, declaring it “wonderful.” In fact, at one point, he was offered some sushi, and that’s when Kike and other players cheered him on.“Good luck!” and “Let’s go!” they cheered. While all this took place, Banda, and others looked nervously at Freeman when when he took a bit, he revealed, “Not bad, it’s delicious.” It led to applause and laughter.
Meanwhile, Alex Vesia was simply blown away by the sheer size of the tuna, a sight he’d never witnessed before. Videos of the tuna-cutting ceremony went viral, proving that even professional athletes can be awestruck by a truly impressive fish. “Awesome. So cool. I’ve never done anything like that before,” Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia said about the dinner.
“It was like the No. 1 – I don’t want to butcher it, but – fish-cutting guy. I don’t know if that’s the right term (maguro itama), I’m sorry. He cut it, and it was amazing. … I’ve never seen anything up close like that, that big of a fish. It was definitely a lot of fun. It was amazing to eat. It was super fresh. The fish was caught two or three days ago, and it was never frozen.”
Vesia also admitted that the three Japanese players went out of their way to make it a special night. “They went to the extreme for us. I think that was a very special moment. I was talking to Sho for a little bit, and he was super excited about this event. I know it means a lot.” It was a night of firsts, laughter, and probably a few food comas.
But hey, that’s not where it ends. The next day, Manager Dave Roberts shared his thoughts on the dinner.
Tuna diplomacy: Ohtani’s culinary bridge between cultures!
Manager Dave Roberts summed it up perfectly: “Many of the players said it was the best meal they had ever had.” He added, “The players’ bonds deepened and they were able to come together. It was an incredibly wonderful night for the players.” This wasn’t just dinner; it was a bonding experience, a cultural immersion. Freddie Freeman’s sea urchin epiphany and Alex Vesia’s wide-eyed amazement confirmed Ohtani’s generosity hit the mark, making it a night the Dodgers wouldn’t forget soon.
Roberts further stated: “I just think that it’s their sense of nationalism and pride in their country that they wanted to put their best foot forward to welcome their teammates to Japanese cuisine and show hospitality. I think that’s what speaks more for me… I think guys are sticking together, taking in experiences together. … I think there’s power in guys having a shared experience together.”
In Japan, bluefin tuna is more than food; it represents good fortune, celebratory banquets, and hospitality. Consider it the culinary version of a red carpet placed for honored guests. Although tuna welcoming is not an explicit tradition for Japanese athletes, it’s a large gesture of cultural fit. Olympic marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi was given a whole tuna back in 2004– talk about a celebratory feast! Ohtani‘s tuna bash was a modern twist on this idea. It is a way to say: Welcome to Japan, let’s eat like champions!
When these Japanese stars crossed the Pacific to join MLB, they were not simply welcomed; they were embraced. Ohtani’s introduction in 2018 was a baseball Beatlemania, crowded with huge press conferences and fans were dying for a glimpse. Yamamoto’s deal with the Dodgers was hailed as a major coup. And there is a buzz on social media about Sasaki’s recent arrival. These fellas are not only players but cultural ambassadors representing that baseball transcends borders.
So, what do you think? Was Ohtani’s tuna bash the ultimate team-building exercise, or just another expensive dinner?
