At Nagoya Castle, where plans are underway to restore the castle tower in wood, Shohei Otani's signature written on a pine stump cut out in Iwate Prefecture for use in the restoration is on display, attracting many fans.
In the plan to restore the castle tower of Nagoya Castle with a wooden structure, the 400-year-old red pine tree cut down in Otani's hometown of Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, will be used as the "beam" of the castle tower. Otani's autograph, which was displayed to commemorate his WBC victory, is written on the stump of the red pine.
When Ohtani visited Vantelin Dome Nagoya last month to join the Japan National Team, he signed at the request of the city of Nagoya, and the stump also has the Angels' jersey number "17" and the date of March 3 written on it. Visitors would line up and take pictures when their turn came.
A 4-year-old boy from Nagoya City said, "I thought WBC Otani was cool, and I hope he will continue to do his best in the majors."
The stump with Otani's signature can be seen at a special booth in Nishinomaru in Nagoya Castle until 2 p.m. on the 5nd, and will be on display at the Honmaru Palace from the 14th of this month to the 7th of next month.