Baseball

Excited Baseball Fans Gather at Tokyo Dome Ahead of Japan’s Opening World Baseball Classic Game with Taiwan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:20 JST, March 6, 2026

Baseball fans gathered at Tokyo Dome from early Friday morning to await the start of the World Baseball Classic where the Japanese national team, Samurai Japan, was to play against Taiwan in its first game from 7 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP, was to start Japan’s opener in Pool C at Tokyo Dome.

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The Samurai Japan roster includes a record eight Major League Baseball players, including 2023 WBC MVP Shohei Ohtani, also of the Dodgers. They are expected to be pillars of both pitching and hitting.

“I was so excited since last night thinking that I can relive the excitement from three years ago,” said a 34-year-old office worker from Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, clad in an Ohtani uniform. “I want to see Ohtani hit a big home run.”