| Shohei Ohtani became the first major league player to achieve 50 homers and 50 steels in a season on September 19 local time or September 20 in Japan standard time, throwing farmers in his hometowns in Japan, Akita and Iwate Prefectures, into rapture.
Naoto Ohtani is one of those celebrating the great accomplishment of the hometown hero. The 52-year-old farmer grows rice in Kuriyama Region, Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture, home of Shohei Ohtani’s great-grandfather. Last year, he began selling his Akita Komachi rice as “Ohtani Rice” at local farmers’ markets and on the online shopping site. Many purchasers are fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar. Iwate Meijo Co., Ltd., a sake brewer based in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, the hometown of Shohei Ohtani, plans to sell 250 limited edition bottles of the sake “Oshu no Ryu” to commemorate the 50-50 feat. Oshu no Ryu is the highest-quality Junmai-Daiginjo-type sake made from rice grown for sake brewing in Oshu City. The price for a 720ml bottle with a small sake cup is 5,050 yen, including the shipping fee. The company shows enthusiasm for the product, saying, “We hope that this sake will attract many people to Oshu City and help revitalize the region.”  Naoto Ohtani celebrating Ohtani’s outstanding achievement (in Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture) |