Seiya Suzuki, right, and Shota Imanaga, left, of the Chicago Cubs, pose for photographers after attending an official news conference Friday, March 14, 2025, in Tokyo, before the Cubs play their MLB opening baseball games against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Tokyo Dome next week.

After Imanaga was informed that he would be the Cubs’ Opening Day starter in Japan in two weeks, he reflected on his country’s rich baseball culture and the significance of this matchup against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers. A Chicago reporter then naturally wondered about Imanaga’s history in the Tokyo Dome.

Shota Imanaga headed off the mound at Goodyear Ballpark on Monday afternoon and was greeted by a standing ovation from the contingent of Cubs fans who made the trek to watch his outing. The next time the lefty pitches,

As the cameras went off, Shota Imanaga wrapped an arm around the shoulders of his Cubs teammate Seiya Suzuki. After they posed with stoic expressions, a few photographers asked the duo to smile. Imanaga broke into a wide grin,

We're just days away from the soft launch of the 2025 MLB season in Tokyo, where the defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers will face off against the Chicago Cubs.

Baseball mania reached fever pitch in Japan on Friday (March 14) with public appearances of national hero Shohei Ohtani and other Japanese players set to take part in MLB season-opening games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.