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Torrance Unveils 12-Story Dodgers Mural Honoring Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki

The piece affirms Japanese American pride in a city with one of the largest such communities in the U.S.

Overview

  • The “Samurai of the Diamond” mural, unveiled Tuesday before Opening Day, spans the DoubleTree Torrance hotel’s 12-story wall and features an augmented-reality animation triggered by a QR code.
  • Artist Robert Vargas painted the entire work freehand, choosing not to use grids, stencils, or projections.
  • Torrance officials describe the installation as the largest LA Dodgers mural in the world.
  • The portrait honors three Japanese Dodgers central to the 2025 championship, highlighting World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani.
  • Mayor George Chen says about one in ten Torrance residents are of Japanese heritage, and the city recently formed friendship ties with Oshu and Bizen in Japan.