"Ohtani: Made In Iwate" | The Untold Story of Shohei Ohtani’s Roots in Japan | Sports Illustrated

This is the story of the place that made Shohei Ohtani. For over a fortnight, Sports Illustrated’s Max Whittle travelled across Japan — from Oshu City and Hanamaki in Iwate Prefecture to Hokkaido and Tokyo — to explore the people, culture and values that helped shape baseball’s biggest superstar. Along the way, we meet Ohtani’s former high school coach Hiroshi Sasaki, legendary manager and mentor Hideki Kuriyama, devoted fans, former teammates, baseball historians and those who witnessed his rise long before the rest of the world knew his name. From the training grounds of Hanamaki Higashi High School, where Ohtani developed under Coach Sasaki’s guidance, to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters organisation that launched his professional career under Kuriyama, this documentary explores the unique environment that produced one of the most remarkable athletes in sporting history. Featuring exclusive interviews — including Ohtani’s former MLB manager Joe Maddon — alongside rare stories and original reporting from across Japan, OHTANI: MADE IN IWATE is a journey into the heart of Japanese baseball culture, from the passionate ōendan cheering sections to the communities that continue to inspire generations of players. Produced by Sports Illustrated TV. #ShoheiOhtani #Ohtani #Dodgers #MLB #Ohtani #Baseball #JapaneseBaseball #NPB #SportsIllustrated #SportsIllustratedTV #Hanamaki #Iwate #Hokkaido #HidekiKuriyama #HiroshiSasaki #LosAngelesDodgers #Documentary #BaseballDocumentary #Japan #Oshu #Koshien #BaseballCulture #MadeInIwate ____________________ Chapters: 0:00 Shohei Ohtani: From Japan to Baseball Superstardom 1:50 Inside Ohtani’s Hometown: Oshu, Iwate 5:07 Mizusawa Little League: Where Ohtani Started 7:18 How Ohtani’s Hometown Celebrates Him 10:33 Oshu FM: Following Ohtani Every Day 14:41 Ohtani’s Childhood Swimming Coach 16:48 Tom Verducci on Ohtani’s Father and Early Lessons 19:09 Japanese Baseball History and Ohtani’s High School Roots 28:35 Inside Japan’s High School Baseball Culture 29:40 Koshien: Japan’s Legendary Baseball Tournament 32:25 The Injury That Helped Create a Two-Way Star 36:21 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Es Con Field 38:37 Why Ohtani Chose the Fighters Before MLB 40:20 Hideki Kuriyama’s Vision for a Two-Way Ohtani 44:13 Ohtani’s Training, Dorm Life and the “Ohtani Rule” 46:18 Ohtani’s 2016 MVP and Japan Series Championship 47:55 Japanese Baseball Fans and Cheering Traditions 50:25 Ohtani Fans: From Iwate to Los Angeles 52:54 Ohtani and Babe Ruth’s Home Run Connection 54:05 Ohtani vs. Babe Ruth and His Global Impact 1:05:21 Ohtani’s Farewell to Japan and the Fighters 1:07:01 The Japanese MLB Stars Who Paved the Way 1:08:10 Why Ohtani Signed With the Angels 1:10:02 Joe Maddon on Unleashing Ohtani’s Two-Way Talent 1:11:48 Baseball’s Negro League Two-Way Legends 1:14:00 Kobe Bryant’s Role in Recruiting Ohtani 1:15:05 Ohtani’s Impact on Los Angeles and Japanese Fans 1:17:13 Little Tokyo, Oshu and Ohtani’s Community Impact 1:23:21 The Values Behind Shohei Ohtani’s Greatness ____________________ Executive Producer - Alex Tzavalas Director/Producer - Max Whittle Supervising Producer - Andrew Kristy Host - Max Whittle Featuring: Itaru Kobayashi Jason Coskrey Robert Whiting Jerry Halvorsen Hideki Kuriyama Toshi Shimada Kotaro Yoshida Minami Yoshida Yukie Takahashi Takayuki Sato Yuko Hattori Zachery Gaither Takumi Gaither Hattori Rumi Fujimoto Robert Vargas Hironobu Kanno Trevor Raichura Reiko Kanaya Hiroshi Sasaki Taku Mayer Yuto Asaki Jota Takahashi Yoshiko Chiba Seiichiro Nakagaki Tom Verducci Joe Maddon Hayato Arakaki Takako Watanabe Fumiyo Seki Malachi Evans Director of Photography - Max Whittle Additional Cinematography - Snyder Derival Production Sound - Phil Tudeme Editing, Color & Sound Mix - Max Whittle Post-Production Support - Sam Anderson Editor-in-Chief - Stephen Cannella Creative Director: Stephen Skalocky Design - Stephen Goggi Design - Lila Shokr Poster Design - Yohey Horishita Photo Research: Marguerite Schropp Lucarelli Abby Nicolas Erick Rasco Stefanie Kaufman Transcription & Translation: Trevor Raichura Fausta Argnani Yurika Yotsumoto Archival Footage & Photography: Mizusawa TV Iwate Asahi Television Oshu FM Baseball Magazine Sha Toru Sasaki Kyodo News Getty Images Shutterstock Music: Extreme Music Special Thanks: Trevor Raichura Hironobu Kanno Hanamaki Higashi High School Hiromu Inoue Hiroyuki Sasuga Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Jim Small Wesley Chang Robert Whiting Fausta Argnani Sam Anderson Jerry Halvorsen Michael Halvorsen Yuko Hattori Zachary Gaither Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Hiro Abei Tom Verducci Daiwa House Premist Dome Yuki Uehara Reiko Kanaya Chinami Hara Thank you to everyone in Japan who welcomed us and shared their stories. © 2026 Sports Illustrated