With the Tokyo Series just a few days away, fans in Japan were eager to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs' stars warm up and take batting practice.

The anticipated Tokyo Series between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will feature plenty of fanfare in Japan, where baseball is a lifeblood.

Staging Opening Day in Japan speeds up some personnel decisions that can typically wait until the end of March.

The spotlight will be on slugger Shohei Ohtani this week when the superstar returns to Japan and leads the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in the first two games of the Major League Baseball season at the Tokyo Dome.

It's the World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome to start the Major League Baseball season

The response to Shohei Ohtani at the Tokyo Dome Friday re-established a longstanding truth about the Dodgers: In Japan’s view, there is Ohtani and then there is everyone else.