Shohei Ohtani's rural hometown honors its superstar son -- from city hall to the hair salons

OSHU CITY, Japan (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's hometown in northern Japan is a rural place, famous for its high-quality Maesawa beef, its history of making traditional ironware and the intense green hills and mountains that surround it.

Japanese call such places “inaka” — roughly translated as the “countryside.” No glitz, quiet streets and up north — cold winters. It's only 300 miles (500 kilometers) from Tokyo, but it seems farther away.

These days, Oshu City is most famous for Ohtani himself, and the intense pride local people show for one of the game's greatest ever players. He started in the local Little League with the Mizusawa Pirates, played for Hanamaki Higashi High School — a route that led him to the World Series. His Los Angeles Dodgers lead the New York Yankees 3-0, and fans here will be tuned in when LA tries to clinch the title early Wednesday morning local time.

The town honors Ohtani at every turn. And to experience it, start first with hairdresser Hironobu Kanno's salon called “Seems.”

The waiting room is a museum dedicated to Ohtani with about 300 artifacts hung, stacked and squeezed into every corner. Even more items are in storage.

There are signed Dodgers and Angels jerseys, dozen of autographed baseballs, bats, shoes, caps, gloves, bobbleheads, photos of Othani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, shirts emblazoned with images of his dog Decopin (Decoy in English), stuffed animals, pillows and life-size cutouts of the superstar.

Kanno said many fans come to town on a kind of “pilgrimage," and his shop is often part of that.

“My customers and those who come to visit Ohtani’s hometown really enjoy seeing the collection, and I think it is a very effective way for them to feel closer to Ohtani," he said.

The collecting began innocently when Kanno attended a baseball game on May 23, 2013 — the first professional game in which Ohtani batted and pitched. This was for Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and Kanno came back with a ball signed by Ohtani.

“When I put the ball with Ohtani’s autograph in my salon, the customers were very happy to see it,” Kanno said. “So I started to collect goods little by little.”

The rest is history.

He said his most treasured item is a cap signed by Japanese players who defeated the United States in the final of last year's World Baseball Classic in Miami.

Kanno confessed that the cost of Ohtani goods keeps rising. He suggested he'd spent about 10 million yen — perhaps $100,000 — on Ohtani merchandise over a decade, and guessed the value might be five or six times as much.

He said he’d never met Ohtani nor his mother and father — Toru and Kayako — and the superstar has never seen the collection. He said eventually, he'd like to see it in a real museum and added he wasn't in it for financial gain.

Head across town to the city hall if you need more Ohtani memorabilia. One corner is loaded with photos of Ohtani, newspaper clips and pennants reminding that he won the American League MVP in 2023 and 2021. He’s the favorite to be the National League MVP this season.

The centerpiece of the city hall collection is a replica of Ohtani’s right hand. The golden hand allows you to grasp it and watch a video with Ohtani showing how the replica was made.

Keigo Kishino and his wife, Chiaki, said they traveled in one day from the western city of Osaka — by plane and train — just to shake the the hand.

“He is a source of energy for me, or something like that,” Chiaki said.

Jeffrey Kingston, who teaches history at Temple University in Japan, described Ohtani as a “combo of pure skill, pride and nationalism that make him irresistible to the Japanese public, and anyone remotely interested in the game, extending even to people who never really cared about baseball.”

His was referring partially to his wife, Machiko Osawa, a professor of economics at Japan Women’s University. She is not a baseball fan. But Othani got her interested — at least in the short term.

“Ohtani changed the image of Japanese and helps transcend their complex feelings toward Westerners,” she explained.

“When I was young, there was a huge gap in ability between American players and Japanese players. Japanese players are shorter and not able to compete, but now Ohtani changed the image of Japanese baseball players. He is tall, fit and a superstar.”

Ohtani is the only MLB player from Oshu City, although others have come from nearby. Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi also attended Hanamaki Higashi High School, and Rintaro Sasaki — the son of Ohtani's high school coach — is a phenom who skipped professional baseball in Japan altogether and currently plays at Stanford.

But no one generates buzz back home like Ohtani. Earlier this year, a local rice paddy was used as an “artist's canvas” with Ohtani's image in Dodger's blue and wearing No. 17 — with Decoy alongside — cut into the green field. The likeness if unmistakable.

Oshu Mayor Jun Kuranari talked about Ohtani as an inspiration, and the rice paddy might be an example. He also brought up Ohtani as a role model.

“He plays with such a pure heart, and his performance is amazing,” the mayor said. "But what I think is also amazing is that he is able to stay humble while playing so well. He is a role model for everyone, and also makes the locals proud.”

This story has been corrected to show last year's World Baseball Classic final was in Miami, not Tokyo.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, speaks near a Nambu cast iron wind chime, one of famed local products, at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A visitor shakes hands with an iron model of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, displayed at a local municipal government building in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A visitor photographs a banner to support Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, near Mizusawa train station in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks past the city's poster to support Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, near Mizusawa train station in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Visitors walk past a banner to support Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, near Mizusawa train station in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, speaks at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, speaks at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, shows his collection items at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Pieces of collection items of Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, are seen at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, shows his collection items at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, shows his collection items at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hironobu Kanno, representative of a private fan club of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, speaks surrounded by his collection goods of Ohtani at his beauty salon in Oshu, northeastern Japan, the hometown of Ohtani, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)