Japanese MLB All-Stars — Full Selection History (2026: Ohtani, Yamamoto and Murakami)
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is over. Three Japanese players were selected: Shohei Ohtani (his 6th), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (second straight) and Munetaka Murakami (his first), and Murakami was also named to the Home Run Derby field as only the second Japanese player ever. Ohtani withdrew to treat his left knee. This page tracks every All-Star selection by a Japanese-born player since Hideo Nomo in 1995.
- Munetaka Murakami named to his first All-Star Game — and joins the Home Run Derby
- Shohei Ohtani withdraws from the All-Star Game to focus on left-knee treatment
Event Basics
Japanese players selected in 2026
The Japanese major leaguers named to the 2026 All-Star Game. Munetaka Murakami earned his first selection as a rookie and was also named to the eight-man Home Run Derby field. Shohei Ohtani was selected but withdrew to treat his left knee. Tap a name to open that player's page with season stats, recent games, and data analysis.
Shohei Ohtani was voted in by fans as the starting DH — the top overall vote-getter for the first time in his career, and his 6th straight selection — but has withdrawn to treat his left knee. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was selected as a pitcher for the 2nd straight year. Munetaka Murakami was added as an injury replacement — his first selection, in his first MLB season.
Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga, and Seiya Suzuki were not selected this year.
Japanese MLB All-Star Selection History
Every All-Star selection by a Japanese-born MLB player. Since Hideo Nomo in 1995 there have been 41 selections by 18 players.
| Player | Selections | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Ichiro Suzuki | 10 | 2001 (AL) · 2002 (AL) · 2003 (AL) · 2004 (AL) · 2005 (AL) · 2006 (AL) · 2007 (AL) · 2008 (AL) · 2009 (AL) · 2010 (AL) |
| Shohei Ohtani | 6 | 2021 (AL) · 2022 (AL) · 2023 (AL) · 2024 (NL) · 2025 (NL) · 2026 (NL) |
| Yu Darvish | 5 | 2012 (AL) · 2013 (AL) · 2014 (AL) · 2017 (AL) · 2021 (NL) |
| Kazuhiro Sasaki | 2 | 2001 (AL) · 2002 (AL) |
| Hideki Matsui | 2 | 2003 (AL) · 2004 (AL) |
| Masahiro Tanaka | 2 | 2014 (AL) · 2019 (AL) |
| Yusei Kikuchi | 2 | 2021 (AL) · 2025 (AL) |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | 2 | 2025 (NL) · 2026 (NL) |
| Hideo Nomo | 1 | 1995 (NL) |
| Shigetoshi Hasegawa | 1 | 2003 (AL) |
| Hideki Okajima | 1 | 2007 (AL) |
| Takashi Saito | 1 | 2007 (NL) |
| Kosuke Fukudome | 1 | 2008 (NL) |
| Hisashi Iwakuma | 1 | 2013 (AL) |
| Koji Uehara | 1 | 2014 (AL) |
| Kodai Senga | 1 | 2023 (NL) |
| Shota Imanaga | 1 | 2024 (NL) |
| Munetaka Murakami | 1 | 2026 (AL) |
Source: MLB Stats API award records (All-Star selections), filtered to players born in Japan. These are selections, not appearances — a player who was named but withdrew (Shohei Ohtani in 2026) still counts as one selection.
How this differs from the schedule page
This page collects every All-Star selection by a Japanese-born MLB player. To see where the All-Star break sits within the full season schedule and the games around it, visit the schedule page.
View the schedule pageFrequently Asked Questions
Q. Which Japanese players were selected for the 2026 All-Star Game?
Three: Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers, voted in as the NL's starting DH, his 6th selection), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers, second straight selection) and Munetaka Murakami (White Sox, first selection). Ohtani withdrew to treat his left knee — a withdrawal does not undo the selection itself. Murakami was also named to the eight-man Home Run Derby field, the second Japanese player selected for the Derby after Shohei Ohtani in 2021. This page covers selections; it does not track what each player did in the game itself.
Q. Which Japanese player has the most All-Star selections?
Ichiro Suzuki, with 10 — ten straight years from 2001 to 2010. Shohei Ohtani has 6 and Yu Darvish has 5. Hideo Nomo was the first Japanese All-Star, in 1995.
Q. How many times have Japanese players been named All-Stars?
41 selections by 18 players since Hideo Nomo in 1995. The table above lists the years for each player.
Q. When is the next All-Star Game?
The MLB All-Star Game is held every year in mid-July. We will update this page with the 2027 host city, date, and Japanese broadcast details once they are announced.