Uniqlo representative Koji Yanai held a press conference on June 21, 2026, to mark the company's inaugural partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers through a "LifeWear Day" event at Dodger Stadium, timed to coincide with Father's Day.
Yanai noted that distributing products to 40,000 to 50,000 attendees simultaneously at a single venue represented a first for Uniqlo. He stated that the two T-shirt designs being handed out that day are among the best-selling shirts in the company's lineup, adding that providing that volume of product in one place at one time is "probably a first experience for us."
On the broader goals of the partnership, Yanai explained that from the moment the agreement was reached, both organizations aligned around a shared ambition. "When we first formed this partnership, we said let's aim to be number one in the world — we want to be number one ourselves, and we want to work alongside the Dodgers, who already know what it means to be number one," he said. He also acknowledged that the naming rights arrangement — giving the field inside Dodger Stadium the designation "Uniqlo Field @ Dodger Stadium" — has helped raise awareness of the Uniqlo brand among American consumers. The Dodgers provided venue space and photo locations for the event, which Yanai described as greatly appreciated.
Yanai outlined plans for community engagement on two fronts: joint social contribution activities aimed at the Los Angeles community, and programs directed toward Japanese audiences. Among the initiatives he mentioned was a plan to bring youth baseball players from Japan to the United States to experience the game firsthand. He added that while Japanese fans already feel a connection when they see the Uniqlo logo at Dodger Stadium, the goal is for local fans to develop the same familiarity with the brand.
When asked a Father's Day question about his father, Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai, Koji Yanai said that despite his father's public image, "he is actually quite a loving person — that side of him doesn't always come through in how he's perceived publicly." He also cited his father's influence on his professional outlook, including a constant focus on the customer and gratitude toward partners, noting that Uniqlo does not own its own factories and has grown alongside its partner manufacturers. Yanai closed by reaffirming the plan to carry out joint social contribution activities with the Dodgers for both the Los Angeles community and audiences in Japan.