On the 5th, Softbank Hawks held a sake barrel opening ceremony at Mizuho PayPay to mark the start of the new year. Team president Sadaharu Oh was absent due to poor health.

CBO Kenji Jojima, who attended the event in traditional Japanese clothing, explained about Chairman Wang's health, "I haven't spoken to him directly, but he's fine. Once baseball starts, he'll bounce back with incredible vitality. As part of his job as CBO, I think he's been passing on about one-tenth of the work the chairman has done up until now to me."