The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched back-to-back World Series titles with a 5-4, 11-inning victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7. Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto played pivotal roles, with Yamamoto earning series MVP honors. Celebrations erupted across Japan, particularly in Tokyo.
In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series on November 2 at Toronto's Rogers Centre, the Dodgers overcame deficits of 3-0 and 4-2, tying the game with Miguel Rojas's homer in the ninth and winning 5-4 in the 11th on Will Smith's tiebreaking blast. Shohei Ohtani started on the mound with two hits and hit three homers in the series, though he took the loss in Game 4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto secured three wins, including a complete game in Game 2 and relief in Game 7 just one day after throwing 96 pitches in Game 6, earning him MVP honors—the first for a Japanese player since Hideki Matsui in 2009. Roki Sasaki appeared in two games.
Japan buzzed with excitement from Sunday morning, with crowds spilling from Tokyo's Hub restaurant after the win, where fans in Ohtani's No. 17 jerseys danced in celebration. Cab driver Seiichiro Okada pulled over to watch, saying, “I am so proud today to be Japanese. To be able to watch these legends in real time is something else.” Teary-eyed Hiroshi Hoshii remarked, “I thought it was over for a second, but it was great.” Hub waiter Kowa Minami admitted, “But to be honest I like the Dodgers because they have Japanese players,” despite some patrons rooting for the Blue Jays.
Games 1 and 2 drew an average of 10.7 million viewers in Japan, with Game 7 likely surpassing that. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, watching snippets with U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting, told reporters, “The Dodgers are winning.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Yamamoto's resilience: “It's unheard of... an unwavering will.” The series tested the heavy favorites, including an 18-inning game, but Japanese stars like the two-way Ohtani and iron-man Yamamoto powered the repeat triumph.
