It has been revealed that Shohei Ohtani, a player for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the US major leagues, will appear in a new TV commercial for Nissin Flour Welna. The commercial, titled "Shohei Ohtani Cooks," will air nationwide from March 15th. Wearing an orange apron, in keeping with the company's brand color, Ohtani is seen cooking with skillful dexterity using MaMa pasta.
An interview video with Ohtani was released online. In response to the question, "Do you usually cook?", he replied, "Because I lived alone until 2023, I sometimes cooked, but in 2024, I didn't cook much. My wife often cooks for me, and during the season, when we go on away trips, there is food at the hotel or the stadium, so I didn't have many opportunities to cook."
She revealed that the last time she cooked was "during the off-season in 2023," and added, "I had surgery, so I couldn't move my body as I wanted, and I occasionally cooked simple meals for myself. I made pasta at that time too. Pasta is easy to make, so it was very useful."
When asked about the pasta dishes he often makes, he said, "When I make it, I don't use any sauce. I just season the pasta with salt and pepper, with a protein source like chicken and vegetables. It wasn't like the way they made it in this commercial, where they cut up vegetables and cooked them. It felt like a meal a man would make. Especially during the off-season, I felt like I was eating it for nutrients rather than for its flavor."
