Ohtani Jolts LA Tourism

[sopas ej]

From LAist:

Ohtani Jolts LA Tourism
Dodger star fuels Little Tokyo's big bump

By Josie Huang
Published June 3, 2024 5:00 AM


Fans take photos beneath a mural depicting L.A. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, painted by artist Robert Vargas on the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images North America)

The tourism industry in Los Angeles, still rebounding from the pandemic, has gotten a rare gift in the form of Shohei Ohtani.

Since the baseball season started in March, Japanese fans have come by the thousands to L.A. despite a historically weak yen, in hopes of seeing the two-way star slug a home run.

The surge is apparent at the Miyako, a mid-sized, unassuming hotel in Little Tokyo that has become a top attraction for Japanese visitors because of its proximity to Dodger Stadium — just 2 miles away — and a 15-story, very ‘grammable mural of Ohtani covering one of its exterior walls.

Read the rest here: Ohtani Jolts LA Tourism

[dave8721]

He's been playing in LA since 2018. Or do tourists only come for the Dodgers not the Angels? I guess seeing him win with the Dodgers would be more of a draw than watching the Angles lose

[craigs]

First, the Dodgers are an international brand that baseball fans around the world know. The Angels are not. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the article says that a big part of Japan's 'discovery' of Ohtani is his massive compensation package, which they think makes him an international superstar but from their own country.

[veep]

He belongs in jail with his interpreter.

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by dave8721

He's been playing in LA since 2018. Or do tourists only come for the Dodgers not the Angels? I guess seeing him win with the Dodgers would be more of a draw than watching the Angles lose

Poor Mike Trout toiling away in obscurity down there in Anaheim, despite being arguably the best player in the world for the past decade or so.

[Hudson11]

Originally Posted by dave8721

He's been playing in LA since 2018. Or do tourists only come for the Dodgers not the Angels? I guess seeing him win with the Dodgers would be more of a draw than watching the Angles lose

[Crawford]

Yeah, I don't really get the tourism angle, since he's been playing in LA his whole American career.

Also, the Angels play in Disney's back yard, so not exactly an isolated location for potential tourists. They're clearly a worse team, but not exactly a small market or obscure team or location.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Yeah, I don't really get the tourism angle, since he's been playing in LA his whole American career.

Also, the Angels play in Disney's back yard, so not exactly an isolated location for potential tourists.

Ohtani's only been playing in Los Angeles since March of this year; he was playing in Orange County prior to that. The article says that Japanese tourism has gone up in Los Angeles since March.

And you don't get the tourism angle?

I'm not aware of any spike in Japanese tourists to Anaheim when Ohtani played for the Angels.

[Crawford]

I don't believe the article makes any sense, no. Either there's been no bump in tourism, or the bump is around the same as in his previous years.

I don't believe a Japanese tourist enamored with Ohtani would refuse to visit LA if Ohtani played for one team and not the other. And Angels Park is perfect for tourism. You could walk from the Disney hotels, if Anaheim weren't a postwar sprawl.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I don't believe the article makes any sense, no. Either there's been no bump in tourism, or the bump is around the same as in his previous years.

I don't believe a Japanese tourist enamored with Ohtani would refuse to visit LA if Ohtani played for one team and not the other. And Angels Park is perfect for tourism. You could walk from the Disney hotels, if Anaheim weren't a postwar sprawl.

Maybe you didn't read the article?

Leading Japanese tour operator JTB alone plans to bring as many as 25,000 customers to watch Shohei play this season.

Osuke Ishiguro, who manages the agency’s L.A. office, said many customers are paying to see multiple games. Some of them are very casual baseball fans, but were stunned to see Ohtani secure his record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract with a storied franchise.

When the Dodgers are playing at home, half of the Miyako's rooms are occupied by Japanese tourists, said general manager Akira Yuhara.

I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you do understand the article, but I'm guessing you don't believe what the article is saying. If that's the case, then just say so.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

The surge is apparent at the Miyako, a mid-sized, unassuming hotel in Little Tokyo that has become a top attraction for Japanese visitors because of its proximity to Dodger Stadium — just 2 miles away — and a 15-story, very ‘grammable mural of Ohtani covering one of its exterior walls.

2 miles (a 40 minute walk) is not proximal.

Anyways...LA just hits different.

[edale]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I don't believe the article makes any sense, no. Either there's been no bump in tourism, or the bump is around the same as in his previous years.

I don't believe a Japanese tourist enamored with Ohtani would refuse to visit LA if Ohtani played for one team and not the other. And Angels Park is perfect for tourism. You could walk from the Disney hotels, if Anaheim weren't a postwar sprawl.

I agree. OC arguably has the biggest tourist draw in the state of California and one of the biggest in the country- Disneyland. Lots of international tourists go to Orange County for Disney, and it's not outlandish to think that Japanese tourists interested in seeing Ohtani play would have gone to Anaheim to do so, take in a trip to Disney, maybe visit the OC beach communities, etc.

If you ever go to the super luxe South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, it's quite obvious that a significant amount of the customers there are Asian tourists. Lots of them will go to the mall as part of a larger trip to Disneyland. The last time I was there, they had very elaborate decorations celebrating Chinese New Year, and I saw a couple information booths/concierge stations with printed materials in multiple Asian languages, people standing by to answer questions, etc. They even had dedicated bus parking for the large amount of Asian tour groups that come to the mall! So it's not exactly like Japanese tourists are unheard of in OC...

Just did a quick google and even found an article from the LA Times about Asian tourism to South Coast Plaza! https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm...202-story.html

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you do understand the article, but I'm guessing you don't believe what the article is saying. If that's the case, then just say so.

Correct, I don't believe the article. Don't believe a Japanese tour operator would only bring tourists enamored with a specific player to visit if he were on one LA team but not the other. Makes zero sense.

That would like if Caitlin Clark moved a few miles across town, and had a big gain or loss of Catlin Clark fans. Doesn't make sense. If they're fans of the player moreso than the team, then what's the difference?

Of course if these Japanese tourists are Dodger superfans or something, and not specifically Ohtani fans, that's totally different.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Correct, I don't believe the article. Don't believe a Japanese tour operator would only bring tourists enamored with a specific player to visit if he were on one LA team but not the other. Makes zero sense.

Perhaps the disconnect is due to your assumption that the Japanese tourists who today are excited to come to Dodger Stadium to see Ohtani play (and to take photos of his new 15-story mural in nearby Little Tokyo, etc.) always felt this way about Ohtani, even when he played down in Orange County. However, the article that you didn't read undermines that assumption. It quotes the regional manager of the Japanese tour operator that plans to bring 25,000 customers to watch Ohtani play this season explaining that many of these tourists are actually "very casual baseball fans" who "were stunned to see Ohtani secure his record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract with a storied franchise." Here's the money quote: "They found out he’s a superstar," Ishiguro said. “So a lot of people want to just see the game, how he does and how he reacts.”

Ohtani was always good, but only now that he is playing for the Dodgers is he the best-paid baseball player in history. His profile is elevated significantly here in the US and especially in Japan. Right now he isn't merely a big deal--in baseball, he is the biggest deal. And he's one of their own. So is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who also joined the Dodgers this season. That has increased interest among some Japanese to come watch a Dodgers game. This isn't rocket science.

[mhays]

He was "the biggest deal" last year too, leading to his MVP. The Dodgers have more brand than the Angels, and the Dodgers are closer in, but it's all LA. I'm skeptical about the big spike too...though clearly the PR about the spike is bigger now.

PS we had a similar effect in Seattle with Ichiro. At one point the standard media pool was about 80 Japanese reporters and a handful of locals. Japanese ownership of the team was a component of this. Tourism was big though probably in smaller numbers.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by craigs

Perhaps the disconnect is due to your assumption that the Japanese tourists who today are excited to come to Dodger Stadium to see Ohtani play (and to take photos of his new 15-story mural in nearby Little Tokyo, etc.) always felt this way about Ohtani, even when he played down in Orange County. However, the article that you didn't read undermines that assumption. It quotes the regional manager of the Japanese tour operator that plans to bring 25,000 customers to watch Ohtani play this season explaining that many of these tourists are actually "very casual baseball fans" who "were stunned to see Ohtani secure his record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract with a storied franchise." Here's the money quote: "They found out he’s a superstar," Ishiguro said. “So a lot of people want to just see the game, how he does and how he reacts.”

Ohtani was always good, but only now that he is playing for the Dodgers is he the best-paid baseball player in history. His profile is elevated significantly here in the US and especially in Japan. Right now he isn't merely a big deal--in baseball, he is the biggest deal. And he's one of their own. So is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who also joined the Dodgers this season. That has increased interest among some Japanese to come watch a Dodgers game. This isn't rocket science.

Sorry, still don't believe it.

I did read it, and no, I don't believe people are coming from Japan, who otherwise wouldn't come, bc he signed a big contract.

Does that mean he would be a bigger deal if he signed with KC for $1 billion? Even more Japanese tour groups?

Ohtani was a huge deal last year too. He was the talk of the MLB. If anything, there's less chatter this year, bc he's DH and isn't pitching and no more constant "where will he sign" chatter.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by edale

I agree. OC arguably has the biggest tourist draw in the state of California and one of the biggest in the country- Disneyland. Lots of international tourists go to Orange County for Disney, and it's not outlandish to think that Japanese tourists interested in seeing Ohtani play would have gone to Anaheim to do so, take in a trip to Disney, maybe visit the OC beach communities, etc.

If you ever go to the super luxe South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, it's quite obvious that a significant amount of the customers there are Asian tourists. Lots of them will go to the mall as part of a larger trip to Disneyland. The last time I was there, they had very elaborate decorations celebrating Chinese New Year, and I saw a couple information booths/concierge stations with printed materials in multiple Asian languages, people standing by to answer questions, etc. They even had dedicated bus parking for the large amount of Asian tour groups that come to the mall! So it's not exactly like Japanese tourists are unheard of in OC...

Just did a quick google and even found an article from the LA Times about Asian tourism to South Coast Plaza! https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm...202-story.html

Yes all of this. Article seems more fluff than anything else. So 25k Japanese tourists supposedly being brought in to see Ohtani on the Dodgers but you're telling me 0 were brought it for an Angels game? I'm not buying it simply because I have Japanese coworkers who had family that traveled to OC to see Ohtani play. Now it also came along with a family trip to see them but that is still a valid reason.

There is definitely more shine on Ohtani now being with the Dodgers in the middle of the city versus the suburbs, but not enough to warrant what the article is trying to claim IMO, although the Dodgers have been marketing themselves in Japan/East Asia way more (see opening series this season).

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by craigs

Perhaps the disconnect is due to your assumption that the Japanese tourists who today are excited to come to Dodger Stadium to see Ohtani play (and to take photos of his new 15-story mural in nearby Little Tokyo, etc.) always felt this way about Ohtani, even when he played down in Orange County. However, the article that you didn't read undermines that assumption. It quotes the regional manager of the Japanese tour operator that plans to bring 25,000 customers to watch Ohtani play this season explaining that many of these tourists are actually "very casual baseball fans" who "were stunned to see Ohtani secure his record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract with a storied franchise." Here's the money quote: "They found out he’s a superstar," Ishiguro said. “So a lot of people want to just see the game, how he does and how he reacts.”

Ohtani was always good, but only now that he is playing for the Dodgers is he the best-paid baseball player in history. His profile is elevated significantly here in the US and especially in Japan. Right now he isn't merely a big deal--in baseball, he is the biggest deal. And he's one of their own. So is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who also joined the Dodgers this season. That has increased interest among some Japanese to come watch a Dodgers game. This isn't rocket science.

Does that mean tourism will go down next year? Self-admitted casual fans who have already seen him once might not travel across an ocean again.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Does that mean tourism will go down next year? Self-admitted casual fans who have already seen him once might not travel across an ocean again.

Yes, there are only 25,000 such potential tourists in all of Japan. One and done!

[ocman]

A better gauge of all this is that Dodgers merchandise is selling out in Japan. I don’t know if Angels had the same demand but I’m going to guess that it didn’t.

This time the hype is more than just Ohtani. It’s Ohtani AND Yamamoto AND actually being a team that’s actually good that probably convinces Japanese tourists to maybe visit for a game.