The 2019 regular season started off with an exciting Opening Series between the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners at the famed Tokyo Dome in Japan. This was the first set of regular season games played in Japan since 2012 when these same two teams faced off to open the season. The 2019 series featured towering home runs, an extra-inning thriller, and the surprise retirement of baseball legend and Japanese trailblazer, Ichiro Suzuki.
With an unparallel legacy in both Major League Baseball and Japanese baseball, the impact of Ichiro on the sport globally is immeasurable. During the Opening Series in 2019, he made his return to Japan and in a surprise announcement, retired from professional baseball - back were he started.
With 5 home runs in the opening game of the series, the 2019 Regular Season started out with a bang. The Mariners kept the hitting going all night and won the first game 9-7. Game 2 was a close match-up that lasted 12 innings, with the Mariners winning 5-4, sweeping the Opening Series. Click here for highlights.
While in Tokyo for the Opening Series, Dee Gordan and Mitch Haniger of the Seattle Mariners went shopping at the famed WORM sneaker store in Shibuya. They were accompanied by sneaker influencer Soshi who helped them translate and pick out some pairs that lived up to their memorable time in Japan.
The 2025 MLB regular season will begin with the the Tokyo Series presented by Guggenheim at the Tokyo Dome, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19.
Tokyo, Japan
March 18-19, 2025
