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

AP Sports Writer

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 further 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 players.