TOKYO – The World Series trophy goes to Los Angeles, but the celebration extends all the way to Japan.

People gathered around local train stations in Tokyo on Thursday morning as extra newspapers were ready to roll off the presses, with Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto declared world champions along with their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates after an exciting Game 5 victory over the New York Yankees.

“I would like to thank my Japanese fans for coming out to cheer me on this season,” Ohtani said on Japanese television. “That cheer gave me some energy, so I’m glad I could repay the gratitude by winning.”

The newspaper awards are a tradition in Tokyo when Japan celebrates a major event. And this is a monumental task for a country whose players were once considered undersized or only good throwers. Now there is great pride that their players are among the best in the game.

Japan defeated the United States in the finals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami last year, another sign of the country’s prowess in the American pastime.

It was also a victory for Ohtani’s hometown in northern Japan – Oshu City – where fans have gathered all week expecting their superstar hero to help clinch the title.