[Exclusive!] We’ve Obtained Exclusive Photos of Shohei Ohtani’s “Chicago Party” with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, and Munetaka Murakami

We caught a secret dinner gathering of four big-name Japanese Major Leaguers

Smiling beside a beaming Shohei Ohtani (32) is Munetaka Murakami (26). Flanking them are the smiling Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27) and Roki Sasaki (24). They gaze at the camera in a relaxed atmosphere.

This time, *Friday* exclusively captured an unexpected “off-field” interaction between the Dodgers’ Ohtani and Murakami, who joined the White Sox this year.

The Dodgers traveled to Chicago for a three-game series against the White Sox from June 13 to 15 (Japan time). Scenes of Ohtani exchanging gestures with Murakami—who is on the injured list—from the bench were captured several times during television broadcasts and became a hot topic.

“On the 13th, the first game of the series, Ohtani took off his cap and bowed, as if to say, ‘You didn’t come to say hello, did you?’ In response, Murakami—perhaps teasing Ohtani for arriving late at the stadium—pointed at his wristwatch.In response, Ohtani retaliated by making a gesture suggesting that Murakami’s hair was ‘too long,’” said a sports newspaper reporter.

Ohtani, who rarely eats out,

there was another heartwarming moment in Game 3 on the 15th. When Ohtani’s hit flew toward the White Sox bench, Murakami smiled and tossed his cap into the air with both hands, reacting as if he were “surprised.” Ohtani also smiled in response to that gesture.

“The three-game series wasn’t just about Ohtani; in the first game, pitcher Sasaki took the mound (allowing seven runs for his fourth loss of the season). In the second game, pitcher Yamamoto pitched brilliantly, coming within a hair’s breadth of a no-hitter, and earned his seventh win,” (same source)

The Japanese trio on the Dodgers fought hard on the road in Chicago. After the game, Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, and Murakami—the four of them—held a “top-secret” dinner at a Japanese-owned restaurant in Chicago. It seems they thoroughly enjoyed a variety of meat dishes they were accustomed to eating in Japan, even while in the U.S.

“The restaurant where the four of them dined is quite famous among the local Japanese community. Regulars include Major League players as well as many local basketball players. I believe Ohtani has visited there before. That said, he’s known for rarely dining out with other players.“Even though it’s been a while since they last met, it’s surprising that he took pitchers Yamamoto and Sasaki out to dinner with Murakami during the season,” said a sports writer.

Keiichi Yabu, a former Major Leaguer and baseball commentator, spoke about the interactions among Japanese Major Leaguers in the U.S.

“With so many teams, it’s actually quite difficult for Japanese players to go out to eat together. Still, the fact that Ohtani dined not only with pitchers Yamamoto and Sasaki but also with Murakami suggests he recognizes Murakami as a fellow left-handed hitter.”

Ohtani and Murakami are deepening their friendship both on and off the field. Perhaps it’s precisely because they’re both genius hitters that they have a special understanding of one another.

From the July 31, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*