KITAHIROSHIMA, Japan —
Shohei Ohtani is watching over his former team.
Behind the left-field wall at Es Con Field Hokkaido, on the other side of the visiting bullpen, beyond three rows of seats and a concourse, there is a wall painting that measures approximately 22 feet wide and 18 feet high.
Depicted on the left side of the mural is Yu Darvish, the San Diego Padres right-hander who pitched for the Nippon-Ham Fighters for seven years. On the other side is Ohtani, who replaced him as their franchise player.
Pictures are taken here by visitors every day, if not during games, on guided tours of the stadium.