$200M celebrity chef the real Nobu drops 4-word reaction to Dodgers stars including Shohei Ohtani ahead of Tokyo series

Modified Mar 13, 2025 18:07 GMT

MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Dodgers - Source: Imagn — Shohei Ohtani during Blue rays and Dodgers game - Source: Imagn

Famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa sent a warm message to the Los Angeles Dodgers team including Shohei Ohtani ahead of their upcoming Tokyo series.

The Dodgers team has arrived in Tokyo for the much-anticipated Tokyo Series. Along with Ohtani, his fellow Japanese teammates, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, will also play in front of their home fans for the first time since joining the Dodgers.

On Wednesday, the Dodgers posted a series of photos showing their team and families boarding the flight to Japan for the Tokyo Series.

Chef Nobu comment on the Dodgers post. (Source: Instagram/@dodgers)

The 76-year-old celebrated chef commented on the post, showing his support:

“See you in Tokyo ⚾️👍” Chef Nobu wrote.

Nobu Matsuhisa, better known as "Nobu", founded the Nobu restaurant Empire. Known for its sushi and Japanese cuisine. The first restaurant was opened in Beverly Hills in 1987.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will play in Japan for the first time, following their 2024 season opener in Seoul. Both the Dodgers and Cubs teams have Japanese players. The Dodgers team includes Shohei Ohtani and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, while the Cubs have designated hitter Seiya Suzuki and pitcher Shota Imanaga.

Tokyo Series a ‘Great Opportunity’ for Dodgers - Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts at spring training. - Source: Imagn

The Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Chicago Cubs in a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome, March 18-19 to kick off the 2025 MLB regular season.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts showed his excitement playing in Japan in his recent MLB.com interview.

“Excited!" Dave Roberts said. "I think we got a little taste of Asia as far as last year in Seoul. This is a really good opportunity for us to bring our game, certainly our Japanese players to their home country, with another great organization in the Cubs".

“I think it’s great for baseball. We are thrilled and honestly, I’m looking forward to our players being received from the fans in Tokyo, in Japan. They’re just great, generous people, kind. We’re going to eat some great food, too.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers team will play two exhibition matches against Japanese league teams. Their first exhibition game is set against the Yomiuri Giants on March 15th.

About the author

Abirami Vadivelu is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda with an MA in communication.

She discovered an appreciation for baseball fairly recently and has been drawn to the LA Dodgers due to the obvious skill of some of their big-name players. There's a reason why key stars like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are household names, and Abi enjoyed following them on their journey to World Series glory in 2024.

Shohei Ohtani gets the nod as Abi's favorite player. His incredibly high levels of pitching and hitting separate him from even the most talented players in the crowd, as seen by his history-making 50/50 in 2024.

Abi got into baseball due to her interest in the pop side of the MLB, particularly fashion and lifestyle, and has developed an over-arching appreciation for the sport.

When not watching or writing about baseball, Abi's hobbies include photography and cooking.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec