After taking batting practice Saturday in the Tokyo Dome, where his picture hangs on a giant beer-commercial billboard in left field, Ichiro Suzuki said "it's a special event" to have his Mariners playing in his homeland.

Suzuki, 38, is in Japan with the Mariners to play two exhibition games against Japanese teams this weekend and then two regular-season games against the A's in the Opening Series on Wednesday and Thursday. It's the first time he's played in his home country with the Mariners since coming to the Major Leagues in 2001.

"It's important for us, because this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for myself," he said through interpreter Antony Suzuki. "We never get opportunities like this. We had a chance in 2003, but unfortunately we didn't make it here. So this is special. This is important. And I look forward to it."

It is about 140 miles from Tokyo. The Seattle Times ran an article upon the subject, describing all the items inside the museum. It is apparently a documenting of Ichiro's trek through T-Ball to the MLB and presumably will be complete upon Ichiro's retirement from the Mariners.

So when the Press Corps wax journalistic about Ichiro being "used to" his position at the center of mass attention, they are stating the obvious. He has financed it.

When he is home in Japan, he lives in a house behind the museum.