MLB join forces with Chiikawa ahead of Tokyo Series featuring Dodgers and Cubs

The 2025 MLB season is set to begin in Tokyo, Japan, as the LA Dodgers will take on the Chicago Cubs. There will also be some exhibition games played before the regular season starts, with both rosters having some Japanese stars.

The MLB is diving into Japanese culture ahead of these games as a partnership with Chiikawa was announced on X on Tuesday. Chiikawa is a franchise of Nagano and it is transforming some of its top characters into MLB-themed ones.

The announcement was initially posted in Japanese but some details were available when translated to English.

"＼ ⚾️ Chiikawa × MLB TOKYO SERIES 2025 ⚾ ／ Collaboration between #ちいかわ and #MLB has been decided 🙌 A large number of goods featuring Chiikawa and friends in uniform are now available ✨ More details will be announced at a later date!" @chiikawa_kouhou tweeted.

This will be an interesting way to get fans excited about the upcoming 2025 Tokyo Series and it likely be Japanese fans who will be energized the most. The league continues to promote its brand in Japan and this series should feature some great baseball.

In the photo that came with the announcement, the adorable characters wore baseball caps of the Dodgers and Cubs. It is unclear when this collection will officially come out but they will be available by mid-March.

Japanese stars set to take the mound in 2025 Tokyo Series

The MLB chose the LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs for a reason, as they have Japanese talents on their rosters. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made headlines on Wednesday when he revealed that his two Japanese starters, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, would be on the mound.

"The expectation for both those guys to pitch is real, that's our expectation," Roberts said, via the MLB Network. "But as I say that, you just never know. Today's our first day of pitchers and catchers, so things can certainly change but at the outset, that's our anticipation,"

Shohei Ohtani will also be in the lineup for the Dodgers but he will not be on the mound.

Meanwhile, the Cubs have already announced that Shota Imanaga will pitch in one of the games.