Japan Runs on Dunkin' and Dice-K

Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox's pricey Eastern import, made his home debut last night along with many ads targeted to the hordes of Eastern fans tuning in for the game.

Dunkin' Donuts replaced its traditional signage in the right-center-field bleachers with one that reads, in Japanese, "Welcome to Fenway Park." There were also a few ads behind the plate written in Japanese.

Dice-K mania also extends outside the frenzy of Fenway. There's Nike's TV spot and Bank of America's billboard touting them as the "official sponsor of the gyroball," Dice-K's mystical pitch. Sorry, no "One Bank" references here. I don't want to get hit with a cease and desist.