Shohei Ohtani’s Kanji Bat Being Placed into 1/1 Card
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Just as sports card enthusiasts thought they couldn’t get any more connected to the game they love, Topps announced one of the craziest one of one cards of all time. If a hobbyist buys any Topps Sterling, which releases June 4th, they will have the chance to pull a Shohei Ohtani Kanji Bat 1/1 Card. This card will include the physical piece of Ohtani’s bat that is game used, that contains the Kanji inscription on the wood (Kanji is a system of Japanese writing using Chinese characters). Furthermore, above the bat will be Shohei’s autograph, which will also be written in Kanji.
Ultimately, this piece of history will connect the hobby not only to the game of baseball, but to a culture that is growing at rapid speed in the MLB. Alongside Ohtani, stars such as Shota Imanaga, Yamamoto Yoshinobu, and Rōki Sasaki, may be the next to have their own form of Kanji inscribed cards. While Kanji only refers to Japanese writing, it seems like Topps is only scratching the surface of different cultural cards that can be highlighted in the hobby.
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Other instances of cultural recognition in the hobby was recently seen with Complex and the MLB partnering with Takashi Murakami to produce Topps Tokyo Series Matchup Sets. Murakami is a world renowned Japanese artist that completed a 25 card complete set, which contained Japanese athletes from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs: Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Seiya Suzuki, and Shota Imanaga.
Topps has dove into the cultural/historic events aspect of card collecting in the past as well. In 1991, Topps Desert Shield baseball cards were created to be given out to the military during the Gulf War. While the players and images on the cards were the same, the main difference was a gold stamp on the front that read “Operation Desert Shield”.
Even today, with the most polarizing and popular inserts in the hobby (Downtowns), there is a continued emphasis on culture and geographical location. For example, Bryce Harper’s 2020 Diamond Kings Downtown contains George Washington, the Continental Army, and the Declaration of Independence in the background…signifying the U.S. capitol, and freedom in the states.
Lastly, Topps has introduced “Plakata” cards for players who are Hispanic/Latino. This originated due to Carlos Pena often screaming the word, which means to strike the ball with force, typically yelled after a home run. Players such as Juan Soto, Elly De La Cruz, and Albert Pujols would have inserts such as these.
With cultural collectibles entering the hobby more and more, collectors should feel even more connected to the sport they love and care for. As for the person who pulls Ohtani’s Kanji 1/1 Bat Card, they will quickly realize that they not only pulled an incredible sports card, but a piece of history.
Abram King is a Pittsburgh native, die-hard fan of all things Black & Gold, and a passionate sports card collector. With years of experience in the hobby, he brings a sharp insight, deep knowledge, and hometown pride to his coverage. This is your inside edge of the hobby, straight from the Steel City.