Dodgers News: Japan Airline Launches Plane With Shohei Ohtani’s Face On It
Shohei Ohtani had a ridiculous regular season becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit at least 50 home runs and swipe 50 bases.
In honor of that, Japanese Airlines has honored him most uniquely – with his face on a jet.
The Dream Sho Jet reportedly featured Ohtani’s face and began operation on Sept. 29.
The plane’s exterior is already special and was reportedly designed by Ohtani himself. Still, there are special items inside the plane for those who are lucky enough to travel on it. The flight will feature special cups and in-flight leaflets.
The special aircraft is reportedly in operation until March 2026 and will hopefully inspire more of Japan’s youth to chase their dreams like Ohtani did.
While Ohtani has a sponsorship deal with Japan Airlines, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a contract with its competitor, All Nippon Airways.
JAL is committed to fostering “relationships and connections through travel” and collaborating with customers and local communities to build a sustainable future. As part of this initiative, JAL launched the “DREAM MILES PASS” project on Sept. 27, 2024, aimed at supporting young people pursuing their dreams, much like Shohei Ohtani. This project will provide travel assistance through a partnership with JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) members.
JAL is highlighting Shohei Ohtani’s journey, noting that since his time at Hanamaki Higashi High School, the Los Angeles Dodgers star has traveled about 892,440 km—the equivalent of circling the Earth 22 times—while chasing his dreams. Inspired by this, JAL’s campaign, titled “Give every dream a chance to take flight,” will offer airline tickets to young people who need to travel to pursue their own dreams, using Ohtani’s total travel distance as a symbolic reference.
To further support this initiative, JMB members can donate their miles, with each mile being converted into one yen, which will then be used to provide airline tickets. This allows adults to contribute to helping youth across Japan reach their goals.
JAL intends to run several rounds of this program, beginning with the first phase and continuing into next year, to provide travel opportunities to as many young people as possible.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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