Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani met with a 100-year-old survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki before the team’s game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on April 15, 2026.
The encounter, arranged by the team’s community outreach program, highlighted Ohtani’s ongoing commitment to peace advocacy and historical remembrance, particularly in relation to nuclear warfare.
The survivor, whose identity was not publicly disclosed by the Dodgers out of respect for privacy, was born in 1926 and was a child living in Nagasaki when the United States dropped the atomic bomb on August 9, 1945, according to verified biographical details shared by the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.
Ohtani, who has previously spoken about the importance of learning from history, spent approximately 15 minutes in a private conversation with the survivor before taking the field. The meeting was confirmed by the Dodgers’ media relations office and captured in team-released photographs showing the two exchanging a respectful bow.
The survivor, who has been a regular participant in annual peace memorial events in Nagasaki, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share her story with a global sports figure, according to a statement issued by the Nagasaki Peace Promotion Association.
“It means a great deal that someone of Mr. Ohtani’s stature would take the time to listen,” the association’s spokesperson said in a translated statement. “His presence helps keep the memory of what happened alive for younger generations around the world.”
Ohtani, a two-time American League Most Valuable Player, has consistently used his platform to promote messages of peace, and reconciliation. In 2023, he donated proceeds from a special edition glove sale to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and in 2024, he visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park during a trip to Japan.
The April 15 meeting occurred hours before Ohtani started as the Dodgers’ designated hitter in a 5-2 victory over the Rockies. He went 1-for-4 at the plate with a walk and a run scored, according to official MLB game data.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised the gesture, calling it “a powerful reminder of why sports can transcend competition and connect us to deeper human stories.”
The event underscores the enduring legacy of the atomic bombings, which killed an estimated 70,000 people in Nagasaki by the end of 1945, with tens of thousands more dying from radiation-related illnesses in the years that followed, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s historical records on the Manhattan Project.
As of 2026, fewer than 100,000 survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, known as hibakusha, remain alive, with the average age exceeding 85, according to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Ohtani’s meeting with the centenarian survivor adds to a growing trend of athletes engaging with historical witnesses to promote awareness of past conflicts and advocate for nuclear disarmament.
The Dodgers have not announced plans for similar events, but team officials indicated they remain open to opportunities that align with their community values and player-led initiatives.
For more information on the Nagasaki atomic bombing and survivor testimonies, visit the official Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum website or the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum’s digital archive.
Share your thoughts on how athletes can contribute to historical education and peace efforts in the comments below.
