Japanese high schooler Yuki Takeuchi was able to go on his dream study abroad trip, all thanks to Shohei Ohtani! This year, the hitter has been a total rockstar, not just with his epic plays on the field but also with his big-hearted moves off it. First, he hooked up elementary schools in Japan with new gloves, and then he stepped up to support education for the next generation through his  initiative “SHOW YOUR DREAMS 2024 ‘

The Los Angeles Dodgers star launched this project in collaboration with ECC, a major English conversation school. And did you know? The Japanese baseball star also serves as a brand ambassador for the same. Coming back to the initiative, The application window was opened in March for 14 days, and the portal saw approximately 20,000 applications! After clearing all the steps, Takeuchi squeezed through the narrow gates. And the 18-year-old couldn’t be happier, the Bonus? He’s got a ton of amazing stories to share about his American adventure.

Yuki Takeuchi’s American adventure

Takeuchi was in America from August 11th to 18th; Takeuchi stayed with a host family in Los Angeles, which is a nice touch that is better than a hotel. This way, he could enjoy the American experience first-hand. He also shared his daily routine: “Every morning, I had English lessons. There was no Japanese at all; it was all English.” After his day at language school, in the afternoon, he explored tourist spots, talked to local people, and absorbed the culture.

One thing that stood out for the high schooler was how friendly everyone was with him: “When I talked to the cashier and other people, everyone was really friendly. That’s not something you see much in Japan, so it was refreshing. I love how Americans seem to enjoy everything, and I want to bring a bit of that back with me.” It sounds like Takeuchi’s got some great new vibes to share with his peers in Japan! But what was the 18-year-old boy’s motivation behind going to the U.S. in the first place?

Well, the kid’s got big dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, and he knew he needed to step out of his comfort zone to make them happen; he puts it perfectly: “I think there are a lot of people who think differently than in Japan, so I want to interact with them and broaden my values.” And his trip to the U.S. did just that. Seeing students speak English so fluently really inspired him to up his game. Now that he’s back, he knows how important his experience was and is determined to ” put it to good use in the future.” 

While Takeuchi’s sweet motivation for his U.S. trip is heartwarming, Ohtani’s drive to start the ‘SHOW YOUR DREAMS 2024’  initiative is just as inspiring!

What was Shohei Ohtani’s motivation behind all of this?

The 30-year-old Japanese baseball star believes that the future changes with words and language changes the future. He even shared this in a promotional video for ECC that aired in Japan. After spending years in the U.S., Ohtani has come to realize just how important good communication is. He admits, “I’ve always been into studying languages, but I wouldn’t say I was amazing at it. When you meet someone new, nailing that English really helps get your point across.” and this became his big motivation for helping Japan’s youth connect with the world through better communication! How cool is that?

And it seems a lot of people in Japan feel the same way as his project received immense love and applications, out of which, they selected 100 students. They divided these kids into four groups, from fourth graders to high school juniors, and gave them the chance to study abroad in the United States. Among them was the future entrepreneur Takeuchi, who also shares a love for sports, though his passion was more about racing than baseball, like the MLB champ.

Who knows? With his drive and skills, Takeuchi might just become the Shohei Ohtani of entrepreneurship! And think about it—there were 99 other kids with their dreams and ambitions. Imagine if all of them become pros in their fields and maybe even start their initiatives! The possibilities are endless. What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments.