How the Chicago Cubs spent their time in Tokyo, from opening day to a welcome dinner full of surprises

Major League Baseball returned to the Tokyo Dome for the first time since 2019 with the Chicago Cubs’ two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For the Cubs, the Tokyo Series provided a glimpse of what a playoff environment might entail for the less experienced players on the roster.

“These are great experiences, period, and they’re fun experiences. They’re different, they are,” manager Craig Counsell said. “They do resemble the playoffs. The pregame especially resembled the playoffs. And so that’s a great experience for our young players. And hopefully, we’ll get that experience again in October.”

From opening day at the Tokyo Dome to a welcome dinner full of surprises, here’s how the Cubs spent their time in Japan.

From tuna cutting to samurai warriors: Inside Cubs’ welcome party

All eyes were on Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga during the workout at the Tokyo Dome in front of an estimated 10,000 fans. The Cubs’ Japanese stars held a welcome party for their teammates, coaches and staff the night before at the Kanda Myojin Shrine.

The memorable night highlighted Japanese culture, from a cleansing ritual before entering the temple to a large tuna that players cut open for the meal to a performance by samurai warriors to end the night. Read more here.

• Plenty of fanfare awaits Cubs for the anticipated Tokyo Series vs. Dodgers

Exhibition: Hanshin Tigers 3, Cubs 0

A cacophony of chants, horns, drums and cheers greeted Cubs right-hander Julian Merryweather as he faced the Hanshin Tigers leadoff hitter.

The Tigers support section in right field kept the Tokyo Dome buzzing every bottom half of the inning, with coordinated cheers erupting for each Hanshin batter, a vocal ferocity maintained through the entire at-bat. While silence greeted Cubs hitters against Hanshin starter Keito Mombetsu and its relievers, the nine Cubs pitchers who appeared in the 3-0 exhibition loss experienced a very different atmosphere. Read more here.

• Cubs notes from Tokyo: Matthew Boyd’s roots to Japanese baseball — and a healthy Julian Merryweather
• The best team in the National League? For 2 days in Japan, it’s looked like the Hanshin Tigers.
• Photos: Cubs lose 3-0 to Hanshin Tigers in an exhibition game at Tokyo Dome

Exhibition: Cubs 4, Yomiuri Giants 2

The Cubs’ four-run fifth inning propelled them to a 4-2 win over the Yomiuri Giants in front of 42,026 fans, setting off “Go Cubs Go” in the Tokyo Dome when Boyd ended the game with his sixth strikeout.

A memorable experience in Japan and playing in the Tokyo Series won’t erase what is at stake for this group.

“They’ve got a great group, but we feel like we have a really strong group over here as well,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said of the opening-day matchup. “We have a really good blend, guys that have been there and done that. We’ve got a really good blend of these young, up-and-coming kids that have a lot of talent.” Read more here.

• Cubs notes from Tokyo: Colin Rea’s special catch — and Shohei Ohtani’s inescapable presence
• Photos: Cubs beat Yomiuri Giants 4-2 in an exhibition game at Tokyo Dome

Baseball fever grips Tokyo

Images from Tribune photojournalist John J. Kim from in — and around — the Tokyo Dome. See more photos here.

• How Topps is using the Tokyo Series to build its passionate baseball card-collecting community in Japan
• Photos: Workout day for Cubs at Tokyo Dome ahead of opening day

Opening day: Dodgers 4, Cubs 1

Shota Imanaga shook his head in frustration.

The Cubs left-hander, known for his elite command, watched the Dodgers’ Max Muncy head to first base following two consecutive walks to open the second inning. Free passes were a rarity for Imanaga in his rookie season, owning the best strikeout-to-walk rate in the league.

Imanaga worked around the back-to-back walks to retire the next three batters, limiting damage as he so often did during his stellar rookie season. The Cubs collectively lacked crispness with their play on opening day in a 4-1 loss in front of an overwhelmingly pro-Dodgers crowd among the 42,365 fans at the Tokyo Dome. Read more here.

• Top prospect Matt Shaw makes MLB debut on opening day: 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts and throwing error
• Photos: Cubs lose 4-1 on opening day at Tokyo Dome

Kosuke Fukudome reconnects with Cubs in Tokyo

When Kosuke Fukudome thinks back to his first professional season in Japan, Major League Baseball never felt like an attainable goal.

Fukudome dreamed of playing in the majors, of course. But that didn’t feel tangible until the following year as he watched the Cubs and Mets open the 2000 regular season at the Tokyo Dome. Fukudome, the Cubs’ first Japanese player, fittingly had a presence during the Tokyo Series this week, throwing the ceremonial first pitch before the opener and representing the organization during a local elementary school visit with former teammate Derrek Lee.

In a conversation with the Tribune, Fukudome expressed his appreciation for his connection with the Cubs organization and his legacy of paving the way for other Japanese players to join the franchise.

“That’s how we are able to pass down to the next generation, I believe that’s our job,” he said. “Pass down everything that we experienced, and I hope they receive it.” Read more here.

High prices — and firm resale laws — don’t stop fans’ once-in-a-lifetime experience

Tickets to the Tokyo Series were a hot commodity with baseball fans in both Japan and the United States attempting to score seats for the opening games of the 2025 big-league season.

The scarcity of inventory — and firm resale laws in Japan — caused any secondary tickets to skyrocket in the lead-up to Tuesday’s opening-day matchup between the Cubs and Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome. Twenty-five years ago, the Cubs were part of Major League Baseball history when they played in the first games outside of North America, beginning the season in the same ballpark against the Mets.

When the Tokyo Series was announced in July 2024, Cubs fans started eyeing the trip. Read more here.

Game 2: Dodgers 6, Cubs 3

Murmurs rippled through the packed Tokyo Dome when the velocity flashed on the scoreboard.

Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki hit 101 mph on his first pitch to Cubs DH Seiya Suzuki in a matchup of Japanese stars. Every time Sasaki hit triple digits in his major-league debut — five times in his three-inning start — the 42,367 fans consisting largely of Dodgers supporters reacted with a sense of awe.

Cubs fans again didn’t have much to cheer for in a 6-3 loss, getting swept in the Tokyo Series. The Dodgers took a two-run lead in the second and were in command the rest of the game. Whenever the Cubs scored, putting up a run in each of the third through fifth innings, the Dodgers had a knack for responding. Read more here.

• Photos: Cubs lose 6-3 to Dodgers in Game 2 at Tokyo Dome
• A 10-year-old boy from just north of Tokyo ends up with Shohei Ohtani’s 1st home run of the season
• Shohei Ohtani came home as a national hero — and he didn’t let Japan down at the Tokyo Series