Justin Turner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Shota Imanaga & Cubs stars share first reactions after landing in Tokyo for season opener vs Dodgers

With the new season just around the corner, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to be the two teams that get the ball rolling, playing two games in Tokyo, Japan. This is part of an initiative to increase the popularity of MLB in countries outside North America.

With Game 1 of the series scheduled for Tuesday, March 18, the respective teams have now travelled to Japan, as the players attempt to adjust to the drastic difference in time zones and get their bodies ready to compete.

Touching down in Tokyo on Wednesday, numerous players shared some of their first reactions on Instagram. Veteran Justin Turner was one of the first to post, as he posed in a Cubs-themed blue Kimono.

"Thank you for the warm welcome to the #TokyoSeries 🇯🇵 ⚾️" Justin Turner captioned his Instagram post

Reacting to Turner's post, catcher Miguel Amaya and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong left comments.

"muchoo floww papi" Miguel Amaya commented

"I’m laughing on the bidet rn" Pete Crow-Armstrong commented

Screenshot of Miguel Amaya and Pete Crow-Armstrong's comments on Justin Turner's Instagram post (Image from - Instagram.com/@redturn2)

Meanwhile, starting pitcher Shota Imanaga and manager Craig Counsell enjoyed a fun moment together, as evidenced by a clip posted to X (formerly Twitter) by FOX.

"The Cubs have arrived in Japan, and Shota Imanaga is already having some fun with Craig Counsell 😆" the post was captioned

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Cubs star Seiya Suzuki shows off remarkable skills with a katana

On Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs shared a clip to Instagram, as Seiya Suzuki headed into the batter's box with a katana, displaying that he is quite a skilled swordsman, slicing clean through a number of pitches.

"Yeah, we think Seiya’s ready for the #TokyoSeries. 😳" the Instagram post was captioned

Having finished third in the NL Central with a 83-79 record last season, the 2016 World Series winners disappointingly missed out on making the postseason. Adding some much-needed quality to the lineup over the winter, in the form of veteran Justin Turner and three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker, fans will be hoping the Bears can hit the ground running in Tokyo, and eventually make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.