Back to the Cincinnati Reds Newsfeed

After signing with the Reds, Shogo Akiyama excites Cincinnati's Japanese community

One of the main reasons why Shogo Akiyama was drawn to the Cincinnati Reds was the opportunity to become the franchise’s first Japanese-born player.

He wanted to build his own path in the Major Leagues and he liked the challenge of adjusting to a new country. The Reds are the only MLB team to never have a Japanese player on their active roster.

So far, it appears to be a smooth adjustment to a new culture. He had lunch Tuesday at Skyline Chili, enjoying a 5-way while his two kids ate Coneys. He had an Italian dinner after arriving from Japan and he had a steak dinner Monday after he signed his three-year, $21 million contract.