One MLB team set to feature a Japanese slugger for the 2026 season is the Chicago White Sox, who were recently mentioned in a report revealing the club is installing a bidet to make Munetaka Murakami feel more comfortable.
“One thing that stood out, one thing he did notice is I think we didn’t have a bidet in our locker room,” general manager Chris Getz said. “That’s something that’s new to him, and we are putting one in. So it was like, ‘OK, that’s new. We can do that.’”
Murakami noticed the lack of a bidet during his visit to the team’s facilities. Coming from a very different culture, he is a player the White Sox want to make feel at home, similar to the way the Dodgers have accommodated their Japanese players.
More than just a bidet for Murakami
According to Getz, the White Sox are preparing for a full adaptation to Murakami. The organization has evaluated everything necessary to ensure the Japanese star feels comfortable playing in Chicago and is prepared to do whatever it takes.
“Obviously from a nutrition standpoint, his diet, his preferences are going to be different than some of the players that we currently have had,” Getz said of Murakami. “That’s something that’s been noted.”
While this isn’t the first time a Japanese player has joined the White Sox, Kosuke Fukudome played for the team in 2008, the situation is different now. Back then, amenities like bidets were never part of the conversation, and the front office has acknowledged that Murakami’s arrival brings a completely different level of impact.
“I don’t think there’s a White Sox conversation with an agent, a player, a fan, a friend that doesn’t involve conversations about Murakami,” Getz said. “It’s just a jolt. It’s positive buzz. The excitement lies in kind of the unknown, as well.”