Tokyo (CNN) — Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has turned millions of Japanese residents into fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, so much so that more than a tenth of the country’s population tuned in to watch the World Series, helping the Fall Classic get better ratings in Japan than in Japan. the United States.

The excitement was evident at a bar in Tokyo on Wednesday morning, Japan time, as fans sang for their homegrown hero.

“Shohei! Shohei! Shohei!” erupted at Fields Shibuya, a sports food bar, when the All-Star player stepped up to the plate against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series, and later turned into deafening cheers when the Dodgers’ designated hitter singled tore.

“Ohtani’s performance is of a high standard,” said Ryosuke Matsumoto, 22, who was among the crowd at the sports bar. “I’m very happy that a Japanese player is doing so well in the Major Leagues. That’s how I became a fan. I am proud of him.”

There would be little else for Ohtani and the Dodgers fans to cheer for in Game 4 as the Yankees won 11-4, but the excitement is sure to return for Game 5 on Wednesday (Thursday morning in Japan) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Ohtani’s appearance in this year’s edition of the World Series has captivated Japan and become a television ratings phenomenon.

Earlier this week, the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the Yankees in Game 2 drew an average of 15.9 million viewers, making it the highest-rated Major League Baseball postseason game in Japanese history, according to the press release.

“Ohtani is an honorable person in Japan. Everyone shouts Ohtani, Ohtani, and it makes me very happy. We’ve never had someone like that before. It is our dear Ohtani,” said Mamoru Tanaka, manager of the bar.

The first two games of the seven-game series between the Dodgers and Yankees drew an average of 15.15 million viewers in Japan — sometimes more viewers than in the U.S., according to Major League Baseball. Japan’s population is about 124.5 million, compared to the US, which had about 334 million residents last year.

The viewership in Japan is even more remarkable, as the event was broadcast during the day.

“Because it’s on a weekday, people are watching the competition between work and school. Young people look at the scores on social media. A lot of people can’t watch, and I think most of the people watching the match live are older people,” said Matsumoto.

Combined with the U.S. viewership, the first two World Series games averaged 29.7 million viewers in the two countries.

For Game 3 in New York, the World Series averaged 13.6 million viewers in the US, making it the most-watched Monday night World Series game since 2013 – reflecting heated enthusiasm in the US too, according to Fox Sports .

The excitement surrounding Ohtani extends far beyond the TV screen.

CNN recently reported that the wave of Japanese tourists in Los Angeles has increased after Ohtani joined the Dodgers from the crosstown Los Angeles Angels at the start of the season – a record $700 million contract over ten years.

A leading Japanese travel agency told CNN it booked up to 200 clients from Japan for each Dodgers home game this season. The Dodgers capitalized on the Ohtani phenomenon by adding twelve new Japanese sponsors, offering Japanese-language stadium tours and introducing a variety of new menu items designed specifically for Japanese fans for the fan experience.

Even viewers in the US can see a growing influence throughout the season. The logo of Daiso, a Japanese retail chain, was regularly seen in center field as home runs were captured on TV footage.

MLB has shown a notable 225% increase in social media engagement, with views across platforms increasing by 229%, the league reports, reflecting the growing excitement surrounding the World Series and its star players.

The excitement in Japan for the Dodgers isn’t just about Ohtani. The team added Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto last season on a 12-year deal worth $325 million.

Yamamoto was the winner of Sunday’s Game 2, pitching 6 1/3 innings while allowing just one hit to the vaunted Yankee offense – all adding to the fans’ enthusiasm in Japan.