NY Mets to Host Dodgers on Japanese Heritage Night

Japanese Heritage Night

Friday, July 24 at 5:45 p.m.

Citi Field – Flushing, Queens

Area Japanese and Japanese American organizations are once again teaming up with the New York Mets to host Japanese Heritage Night. Head to Citi Field this Friday, July 24 as The Amazin’s face two-time National League MVP Shohei Ohtani, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Japanese American Association of New York (JAA), the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), The Nippon Club, Japan Society, the American Friends of the International House of Japan, the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), Japan Society of Fairfield County, and the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will host Japanese and Japanese American Community Night, celebrating the strong bond between the U.S. and Japan through our shared love of baseball.

To purchase tickets, please visit the Mets’ ticketing system. A portion of each ticket sold will be donated one of the participating organizations; you’ll be asked to indicate your choice at checkout.

Fans who purchase through the link will receive a limited-edition Japanese Mets jersey. Please note: All jerseys will be size XL. To redeem the Japanese Mets Jersey, fans must enter through the Right Field Gate (located on Seaver Way between the Bullpen Gate and the Hodges Gate) before the end of 5th inning and have their tickets scanned.

Program

• 5:40 p.m. – Citi Field Gates Open

• 5:45 p.m. until 6:15 p.m. – Taiko drumming performance by Soh Daiko in Mets Plaza (between the 7 train subway station and outside the main gate)

• 6:30 p.m. until 6:40 p.n. – Taiko drumming performance by Soh Daiko at the Jackie Robinson Rotunda (inside the main gate)

• 6:40 p.m. until 6:55 p.m. – Honorary First Pitch by Hiroshi Kawano, Executive Chairman, MUFG Americas Holding Corporation, throwing to honorary catcher, Gary Moriwaki, Board Member, Japan Society New York followed by the Amazin' Awards

• 6:57 p.m. – National Anthem by Marina Kondo, actress and cast member of Ragtime on Broadway

All times subject to change by the New York Mets

Amazin' Awards

All eight organizations and their designated representatives will be introduced to the stadium in a ceremony at home plate.

The Japanese American Association of New York – Koji Sato, President

JCCI – Masaaki Maeda, Vice President & Assistant Secretary

The Nippon Club – Makoto Kageyama, Senior Manager, Head of Food Services

Japan Society – Joshua Walker, Outgoing President & CEO

Japanese American National Museum – Kathryn Bannai, Member of the Board of Trustees

U.S.-Japan Council – Darin Arita, New York Regional Co-Chair

International House of Japan – David Janes, President

Japan Society of Fairfield County – Jackie Alexander, President

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In addition to Japanese Heritage Night and the remaining games of the Dodgers/Mets series this weekend, the Mets are offering tickets to premium select games at Citi Field the rest of the season. To purchase tickets, please visit the Mets’ ticketing system.

• August 17-19 vs San Diego Padres

• August 28-30 vs Houston Astros

• September 4-6 vs San Francisco Giants

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Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field

Japanese Heritage Night

Friday, August 25 – Pregame activities at 5:00 p.m. (First pitch at 7:10 p.m.)

Citi Field – 41 Seaver Way, Flushing, Queens

Admission: $35.50 to $127.50

Kodai Senga and the New York Mets host Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels in this celebration of Japanese heritage! The Japanese American Association of New York, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan Society, the U.S.-Japan Council, the Consul-General of Japan in New York, and the Japanese American National Museum are collectively organizing what promises to be an Amazin’ night at Citi Field.

Senga, a five-time Japan Series champion with the SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball, signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets last December and has been dazzling fans with his “ghost forkball.” Shohei Ohtani, the über-talented two-way star who won the American League MVP in 2021 and led Samurai Japan to the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship, is having another MVP-caliber season and is currently leading the American League with 43 home runs.

But this will be more than just a game. On August 25, with two Japanese All-Stars opposing each other at Citi Field, the Japanese and Japanese American community in New York will come together to celebrate our rich culture and the important contributions we make in this city each day. Before the game begins, sensational all-female taiko drumming group Cobu will give their trademark energetic performance in the Mets Plaza (between the Mets/Willets Point 7 train station and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda) at 5:30 p.m. Inside the park on Citi Field’s massive centerfield scoreboard, the Mets will show a video about our vibrant community and the MLB team’s connection to Japanese baseball players. Afterward, six community leaders representing each of the Japanese Heritage Night organizations will receive Mets Spirit Awards at a ceremony at home plate, followed by musical theater actress Rina Maejima singing the national anthem. Finally, Ambassador Mikio Mori, Consul General of Japan in New York, will throw the honorary first pitch to JAA President Koji Sato. Disclosure: As a Vice President of JAA and a member of USJC, I am part of the committee that is organizing Japanese Heritage Night.

Pregame Activities

• Cobu performs in Mets Plaza

• Dedicated Japanese and Japanese American community video played on the big scoreboard

• Presentation of the Mets Spirit Awards to six community leaders:
  Ambassador Mikio Mori – Consul General of Japan in New York
  Koji Sato – President, The Japanese American Association of New York
  Tomonori Wada – President, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  Terry Suzuki – New York Regional Chair, U.S.-Japan Council
  Gary Moriwaki – Member of the Board of Directors, Japan Society
  Kathryn Bannai – Member of the Board of Trustees, Japanese American National Museum

• The national anthem sung by Rina Maejima

• Honorary first pitch thrown by Ambassador Mikio Mori to Koji Sato

Purchase Discounted Tickets

The Mets have designated seating sections throughout Citi Field specifically for the Japanese and Japanese American community at a discounted rate. Purchase through this online offer and receive a Limited Edition 2023 Japanese Night Mets Hat while supplies last! To redeem your hat, go to the Group Sales Redemption Booth behind Section 130 before the end of the fifth inning, and an attendant will scan your digital ticket. Limit one hat per ticket. Please note: You MUST purchase your ticket through this special link to receive your hat!

Let’s show the Mets, Senga, and Ohtani that our New York community loves baseball. Once again, to purchase tickets at the special discounted rate, please click here.

To purchase group tickets of 15 or more, please contact Young Choi at 718-559-3027 or YChoi@nymets.com.

The Mets are also having a special giveaway on August 25. The first 15,000 fans who enter the stadium will receive a Kodai Senga Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost Fork Ball. This giveaway is open to all fans at Citi Field and not exclusive to the Japanese and Japanese American community.

Ghost Fork T-shirt by Athlete Logos