Shohei Ohtani drops 2-word message as Japanese phenom touches down in homeland for Dodgers' Tokyo Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to Japan for their Tokyo Series showdown against the Chicago Cubs and it'll be homecoming for three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani.

The Dodgers superstar, who caught the eye of fans with his two-way ability during his stint with Hokkaidō Nippon-Ham Fighters in the NPB, will be playing in Japan for the first time since his move to MLB.

Ohtani expressed his excitement after touching down in Japan with his dog Decoy beside him in a video posted on Instagram. The Japanese star captioned the post:

"I'm back."

Shohei Ohtani's first game in Japan as a Dodger is expected to draw a large crowd for the two-game series against the Cubs at Tokyo Dome, starting March 18.

Apart from Ohtani, his Japanese teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, signed this offseason, will also be playing in front of their home crowd for the first time since signing for the Dodgers.

Yamamoto, who joined the Dodgers last offseason after Ohtani's arrival, had a strong rookie season and shared the same excitement for the Opening Day in Japan. He will be starting Game 1 of the series against compatriot Shota Imanaga on the mound.

"Obviously, all the Japanese fans must be really excited to have us back in our native country," Yamamoto said via interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. "What we can do for them is get ourselves ready as much as possible and perform the best over there for them."

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman hails Japan connection

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman hailed the connections the team has made with Japan and is excited to witness the fanfare when the team plays the Cubs on Tuesday.

“I think the atmosphere is going to be electric,” Friedman told The Japan Times. “I can’t wait to experience this just from a life experience perspective. I have said that I think it’s the closest I’ll ever get to traveling with the Beatles.

"I think there's going to be hysteria and so much excitement around our players and the connections that were made in Japan with our players and how locked in so many people in Japan were for that.”

While Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki will take the mound for the Dodgers in the two-game series, Shohei Ohtani will continue in his role as the designated hitter for the team.