MLB — Hometown Heroes
3’ documentary + launch film
3’ documentary + launch film
In celebration of Japan’s top Major League Baseball players, twelve custom-designed manhole covers are cast in molten iron and installed in each athlete’s hometown — transforming everyday infrastructure into permanent public monuments.
This short documentary follows the creation of these covers at a factory in Hiroshima, offering a rare glimpse into the epic process behind one of Japan’s most overlooked crafts. While honoring baseball legends like Shohei Ohtani, the film also pays tribute to the unsung artisans — the metalworkers, designers, and factory crews — whose skill and dedication are quietly embedded in the streets beneath our feet.
舞台は広島県 。アメリカから遠く離れたこのマンホール工場で、日本人MLB選手達の唯一無二の物語を伝える唯一無二のマンホールが生まれた。情熱が込められた鉄の塊を見に行こう。
#ベースボールは唯一無二
This short documentary follows the creation of these covers at a factory in Hiroshima, offering a rare glimpse into the epic process behind one of Japan’s most overlooked crafts. While honoring baseball legends like Shohei Ohtani, the film also pays tribute to the unsung artisans — the metalworkers, designers, and factory crews — whose skill and dedication are quietly embedded in the streets beneath our feet.
舞台は広島県 。アメリカから遠く離れたこのマンホール工場で、日本人MLB選手達の唯一無二の物語を伝える唯一無二のマンホールが生まれた。情熱が込められた鉄の塊を見に行こう。
#ベースボールは唯一無二
Client: Major League Baseball | MLB
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Director+DoP: Sybilla Patrizia
AC: Sterling Vicenti
Gaffer: Shintaro Takazaki
Editors: Gabriela González, Sybilla Patrizia
Colorist: Mai Kawamura
Sound Design: Kentaro Kimura
Sound Recordist: Masatoshi Matsuura, Saki Funakoshi
Narration: Daisuke Asada
Manhole Production: TOMOTETSU KOGYO CO. , LTD.
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Director+DoP: Sybilla Patrizia
AC: Sterling Vicenti
Gaffer: Shintaro Takazaki
Editors: Gabriela González, Sybilla Patrizia
Colorist: Mai Kawamura
Sound Design: Kentaro Kimura
Sound Recordist: Masatoshi Matsuura, Saki Funakoshi
Narration: Daisuke Asada
Manhole Production: TOMOTETSU KOGYO CO. , LTD.
Full Film: