The day the Los Angeles Dodgers landed in Japan for the Tokyo Series, Hakkaisan Brewery announced an unusual collaboration — its flagship product would become the official sake of the defending World Series champions and will be available in special cups during games at Dodger Stadium this season.
Sake and baseball might seem like a curious match — even in Japan where beer and lemon sours are the more traditional ballpark refreshments. But the unprecedented popularity of two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, as well as his teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, is prompting not only the Dodgers but MLB itself to double down on the Japan connection.
Hakkaisan is the latest in a growing list of Japanese brands that have signed deals with the Dodgers, including ANA, Daiso and cosmetics company Kose, whose advertising boards were visible across Tokyo Dome last week. But the Tokyo Series was big business for the league overall, serving as an opportunity to shore up support in a market with the rare combination of spending power, a predilection for baseball and a wave of homegrown stars.
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