Shohei Ohtani Appears on Blackboard at His Alma Mater; Chalk Art Commemorates Anniversary of Star’s Declaration of Major League Dream

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:49 JST, October 22, 2025

Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, appeared on a blackboard at his alma mater, Hanamaki Higashi High School in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, on Tuesday.

The blackboard art, depicting Ohtani in his Dodgers uniform, was displayed for one day only. It was made with 11 colors of chalk and filled the entire blackboard, which measured approximately 1.7 meters tall and 4.5 meters wide.

The artwork included a message in Japanese, which translated to: “It was 13 years ago today. Here at this school, I declared my dream,” referencing Ohtani’s announcement at the school on Oct. 21, 2012, that he would take on the challenge of playing in the Major Leagues. The project was planned by Japan Airlines Co., which has a support contract with Ohtani, and created by chalk artist Mayumi Kawano.

Students cheered and took photos, excited by the appearance of their local hero. “It was incredibly powerful and moving,” a 17-year-old second-year student in the track and field club said with a smile. “I’m aiming for the Inter-High finals, and it gave me the energy to work hard.”