Ohtani is the second Japanese-born player to hit a home run in an MLB game played in Japan, joining Hideki Matsui. Matsui hit a two-run home run for the New York Yankees against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Tokyo Dome on March 31, 2004.

Shohei Ohtani hit a towering solo homer in his return to Japan, taking Chicago Cubs pitcher Nate Pearson deep with a ball that barely cleared the fence in right-center field and helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 to sweep the two-game series in Tokyo.