So I (European) work at a mid-sized branch office of an american company. Last week I was having lunch with my direct manager along with a few others (all Japanese), as well as a manager of another team in our division who I'll call Suzuki (mid 40s).
The conversation turns to baseball and inevitably the Dodgers, and my manager mentions that I got my university degree in Los Angeles. Suzuki lights up and asks if I'm a Dodgers fan, did I ever go to any Dodgers games, etc.
Throughout our conversation I tell him I'm more of an Angels fan, saw him play once during his time on that team. Although I watch occasionally now, since I didn't grow up in America I'm not deeply attached to any team. I then jokingly said I'm sick of seeing Ohtani's face plastered everywhere, and this postseason his stats have been bad anyway.
Ever since then he'd barely interact with me, when I greet him he just greets back coldly or doesnt even acknowledge me. When we have lunch at work he won't initiate conversations with me the way he used to.
I definitely fucked up even if he is overreacting, silver lining is that he isn't my manager so it doesn't affect my actual day-today. Anyways watch what you say out there about Ohtani, lol
Edit: This wasn't me just one-sidedly bashing Ohtani, I made it well aware I don't hate him, and at one point said he's one of the best players in the sport. As sports conversations go it was a back and forth, Suzuki wasn't happy with the Angels, and I said what I said when talking about the Dodger's prospects for the rest of the series. But as one says, if you got nothing positive to say just don't say anything. I try to live by that rule but slipped up that one time.
by SymphonyofSiren
37 comments
He’s a susceptible todler
Sounds like a them problem.
Tell him to stop being a soft cock! 😂🐓
Isn’t Ohtani basically a Saint to the locals? I’m a Brit and even I know that much, hah.
Funnily enough, reminds me of this one guy I used to teach English to back in the day. He was a mildly famous former racing driver who used to enjoy talking about himself. He came in one day and proudly launched into a monologue how he’d just been to some event and showed me a picture of him meeting some bloke, and then I broke his brain by staring blankly for a few seconds and asking who it was. He was genuinely upset that I didn’t know who it was (I think he said it was someone called Derek Jeter?) Had to explain to him that baseball players are about as well known as yoshinoya staff in the U.K.
Manbaby is having a tantrum, I suppose some Tomica or Beyblade is in order to cheer him up
Edit:wow, turns out this sub also has plenty of hairy toddlers whose lives depend on watching men play with balls
Mate, you committed spiritual arson on the collective soul of Japan. You might as well have walked into a shrine, kicked over the incense, and declared ramen “just wet pasta.” Saying you’re “sick of seeing Ohtani’s face” in a Japanese workplace is like telling a medieval monk you’re tired of hearing about God. You didn’t insult a player, you desecrated a living 神様. Somewhere in the country, a fox statue shed a single tear. NHK anchors paused mid-sentence and stared solemnly into the camera. The Tokyo Skytree dimmed for a moment, out of respect for Suzuki-san’s wounded spirit. Your only path to redemption now is to embark on a 108 day pilgrimage across Japan, stopping at every FamilyMart to buy an Ohtani branded item and whisper “申し訳ありません” to it. Only then might Suzuki-san look your way again with the faint mercy reserved for those who have suffered enough.
Not just in japan, but I’ve found it to be better to be extremely cautious when talking about someone’s idol. I’ve had the same reaction when talking about how Obama was no saint to someone who idolized him.
Japanese managers are the most sensitive emotionally immature lot I had the displeasure to manage up to
I read somewhere on Reddit that you don’t talk about money, sex and baseball at work in Japan. Even though I think Ohtani is the exception to the rule since he plays overseas. And you bruised the man’s ego because he loves baseball and he’s Japanese.
Honestly, you’re not the only one sick of seeing Ohtani. I watch NHK news every night and the he’s usually the top sports story for literally sneezing. I get Japan to be proud. Ohtani is an amazing player for what it’s worth. But if you tell a Japanese baseball fan anything but “Ohtani yay” your mileage will vary.
In my experience here, being even vaguely down on something is a real killer for relationships, so you are better of saying something like, “X is great. I also like Y” rather than “X sucks a bag of dicks, the fuck you like X for? Y is where it’s at.”
I can’t stand Disney shite for a multitude of reasons but a lot of Japanese people love it, so there is literally no upside for me expressing anything negative about Disney if someone asks me who my favourite Disney Character is. I just say a character and then say my favourite other franchise character.
Anyways, it’s nothing to do with Ohtani. People just don’t like you being down on their thing and are looking to share something with you. Just say you loved him at the Angels. End of input. You can stick to your guns, but no one is going to want to talk to you.
LMFAO – I had a boss who was flabbergasted to discover I had lived down the street from Ichiro. We used to see him and his wife walking our dogs and my wife enjoyed having people to speak Japanese with. The thing that flabbergasted him the most was why I didn’t get him to sign memorabilia, explaining that I wasn’t a baseball fan and didn’t really care (and that his English was perfectly passable he just kept his translator around because they were friends) didn’t compute with him.
Some people just seem to put irrational importance over people getting paid to play a game.
Jeez this makes me glad my Giants fan manager only slightly hates me when I wear my Tigers champions tshirts.
In a sane world this would be an opportunity for you two to get closer by teasing each other when your respective team screws up.
Last week said manager grumpily said he hopes the baystars fuck me up too haha I live in Yokohama he knows if they do I’m gonna hear a lot of cheering at my team demise.
You need to buy the guy an Ohtani bobble head and stick it on his desk with a note saying you really are a big fan just don’t like to show off about it,maybe wear a shirt at work with his name on the back for a week or so ,that should fix it.
The manager is a toddler
Lol learn to smile and nod and only ever be positive about anything. People are only actually kind-of interested
I had the local barber rambling on about baseball (and Ohtani in particular) when he saw I was a foreigner, even though I’d basically told him I’m European and nobody gives a shit over there.
lol. i had the same experience when i mentioned that in my country we dont have baseball, the closest thing we have is called “Rounders”. “Rounders actually predates baseball and is more than likely the origin of modern baseball, and is only played by little girls in school”
Didnt go down well.
He’s being immature, but at the same time you might wanna brush up on your skills on reading the room abit lol
Half these comments: If you needlessly shit on something somebody else is into, THEY’RE the weird one for not wanting to be your friend.
Same people probably: Why do I have so many problems making friends in Japan!?
Shohei Ohtani has not done very well this entire postseason. *BUT* his face is everywhere in Japan, I’ve even heard a Japanese friend call him the next Ichiro. I am a diehard Dodgers fan as well.
He was also an Angel before he was a Dodger. What gives?
He sounds like a big baby. I love sports especially the banter aspect of it. If someone decided to shit on my favourite team, you bet your ass that I will be giving it back. Also, it wouldn:t affect my personal relationship with them at all, if anything I find it all in good fun and makes for great conversations.
But I guess it also depends on your tone. If you just straight up denied and killed the conversation, then yeah that’s a big of a miss on your part.
Also I find Japanese fandom very different. Maybe people just don’t banter as much here.
Bruh, OP, you have my sympathy.
Sure Ohtani is great, but I don’t care for baseball and many of us Japanese are tired of Ohani everywhere as well, we even call it ohtani-harassment
Suzuki just has to learn that no every one cares about Ohtani and move on.
I think Ohtani and Disney are two sacred cows here that you disrespect at great risk. Saying you don’t like some Japanese food will be forgiven because, as a foreigner, you can’t be expected to “get” Japanese food. But those other two….
I’ve had bartenders say that politics, religion, and baseball were off-limits topics at a couple of places (to me once about baseball, and other times from others for any of those three). Some people, though particularly older generations, take it waaaaaayyyyyy too seriously.
You did nothing wrong, but best to stop at something like “eh, I’m not really a baseball person” in the future.
Sounds like you did yourself a favour: now Suzuki will leave you alone.
This post reminds of being at a conference and everyone got bottles of green tea with Ohtani’s face plastered on them. Some kids who were attending all started removing the labels. When I asked why they said they didn’t want to see him lol. Maybe the younger generation is less attached to Ohtani-kamisama
Dated a guy who said his Dad was a huge Ohtani fan. Once I said what you said.
I caused so much pain.
You fucked up. ‘Being obsessed with Otani’ is a sub-cult of ‘Being Japanese’.
I’m quite vocal about my dislike of the Dodgers, but I always say that I like Ohtani. That seems to help. Anyway, most of them are farweather fans and only rooting for LA because of Ohtani.
That’s crazy. It’s absolutely valid to be annoyed of his face by now, I know I am. Even if it wasn’t a joke he needs to suck it up and stop being a baby.
the amount of manchild men here in japan is crazy.
Shall it be a lesson for you: the majority of men and a big number of women in Japan are about as mature as a loaf of bread. Unfortunately.
Childishness and immaturity go really really deep here, partly because it’s not frowned upon.
I think this is just a cultural difference. In the US, everyone jokingly makes fun of the other team. It’s part of the game. They probably don’t know that.
Japanese people, like people from any very nationalistic country, take great personal pride in the accomplishments of countrymen which they had no part in.
Next time Ohtani hits a HR offer congratulations to him or say something like “nice HR”.
Guarantee he responds“thank you” as though he hit it himself.
You’re not the only one. He’s on the TV every morning. I asked some junior high kids and they were also sick of him. It’s not his fault, he just plays baseball, but Japanese Media, there are other players!
As a general life advice, don’t share strong negative or political opinions to anyone work related.
Doesn’t help that Ohtani literally is a national icon. His face is everywhere for a reason.
It’s a bad idea to bash any national hero.
You might as well say you are sick of Messi in Argentina, or Pacquiao in the Philippines.
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