Homecoming – The Tokyo Series (2026) Documentary Review: Beautifully shot sports-doc doubles down as a Japanese culture snapshot

One year after the 2025 MLB Opening Day Games that took place in Tokyo, Jason Sterman’s incredible documentary “Homecoming: The Tokyo Series” opens in theaters in an exclusive two-day event. The film, which upends what a traditional sports-doc about an event should look like, doubles down as a snapshot of the ever-so-fascinating Japanese culture. Shot with incredible precision by J. Amy Limpinyakul and scored to perfection by composers Michael Dean Parsons & Scott Michael Smith, the film surrounds its narrative around the L.A. Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs facing off in Tokyo, with MLB players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Seiya Suzuki, and Shōta Imanaga playing in front of their homecrowd for the very first time.

Unlike most films that fall in the same category, Sterman’s outlook towards an American sport like Baseball is not built upon the foundations of just capturing the euphoria and energy that the sport brings, but also slowing down the charge, the home runs, to gently investigate the peace and respect that has also managed to seep through with Japan’s footprints being deeply rooted into it now. As someone who has always been fascinated by the country’s discipline, kindness, and order — qualities that feel like its true essence to an outsider — “Homecoming – The Tokyo Series” works as a first-hand experience, a learning journey, and a window into its calm, tranquil world.

As mentioned above, the MLB Championship remains the central narrative, but the film spreads across multiple stories from around the country. The first one takes you to a Little League coaching camp in Osaka. Run by a really old woman, along with her son, teaching kids aged 8-10 years, this part establishes how age is just a number in Japan. The vigour, dedication, and discipline of waking up, cycling, and running around the field to teach young players a game that she dearly loves establishes how the culture roots itself in passing things on to the next generation, whilst also inherently absorbing, refiguring (if needed), and respectfully following with the same form. 

Sterman’s vision doesn’t blind these vignettes as just token pieces. I love how we revisit this little league later in the documentary, but with a fresh perspective, now adorned by a young player and his father carefully navigating the ways to heroic success. Passing your skills and craft is an important aspect of what Sterman is trying to show here. Two other little stories – one of a middle-aged baseball bat craftsman and a young guy who runs a store named “Rebirth,” selling and repairing old baseball gloves to make them new – accentuate that theme even further. Also, among many other things, the documentary is in love with the sport. So, it captures the energy and fanbase that Japan has slowly built throughout the country, and gives baseball an organic and distinctive feeling again.

One of the narrative threads in the film also moves to a Dodger’s fan who runs a salon. His shop is like a memorabilia for the great Shohei Ohtani and his success in the sport, and a showcase of cross-cultural bonds that tie nations together. One of the strongest aspects of the documentary is how it does not opt for translated voice-overs to capture what the people from Japan think about baseball. However, to not completely alienate the audience, Sterman uses American journalists who were in Japan to report about the glory of the Tokyo Dome and what the game stands for in the country. Their interactions are an integral aspect of the larger story arc, where Baseball also stands as a form of communication. 

People anticipating a play-by-play recap of the games would be disappointed because “Homecoming – The Tokyo Series” is beyond that. It does have the electrifying aspect of the game itself, but overall, it’s much more subdued, emotionally investing representation of how dreams manifest in a nation that loves to keep going no matter what hurdles come in the way. 

Homecoming: The Tokyo Series will release in a Two-Day Event, Hitting Big Screens February 23-24

Homecoming: The Tokyo Series (2026) Documentary Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd

Where to watch Homecoming: The Tokyo Series