Hitachi’s transition to LANDCROS to begin with Shohei Ohtani ambassadorship

Los Angeles Dodgers hitter Shohei Ohtani has been appointed as the Global Brand Ambassador for the LANDCROS brand by Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. 

How Hitachi chose Shohei Ohtani as its Global Brand Ambassador 

Hitachi manufactures and distributes hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, compact equipment, and mining machinery. As of April 1, 2027, the company will change its trade name to LANDCROS Corporation and transition its corporate brand away from Hitachi. 

The decision to appoint Shohei Ohtani as Global Brand Ambassador for LANDCROS reflects a deep alignment between the spirit LANDCROS holds dear and Ohtani's own approach and character. Ohtani is widely admired for his unwavering commitment to the fundamentals of baseball and his disciplined, day-by-day dedication to improvement. He has continuously opened new possibilities while nurturing bonds of trust with teammates and fans.

This approach resonates profoundly with the spirit shared by Hitachi employees worldwide — "Challenge," "Customer," and "Communication" — which Hitachi Construction Machinery has long upheld as its code of conduct.

Welcoming Shohei Ohtani as Global Brand Ambassador for the LANDCROS brand, Hitachi will leverage his extraordinary reach and influence to communicate — both in Japan and internationally — the company's drive to enhance corporate value under its new name and brand from April 2027, and its commitment to the challenge of becoming one of the top three companies in the industry by 2030.

Ohtani reflects on his new role 

"My name is Shohei Ohtani, and I am honoured to have been appointed LANDCROS Global Brand Ambassador. I feel a deep connection with the trust and expertise that Hitachi Construction Machinery has built over many years, and it is a great honour to be entrusted with this role," shared Ohtani. 

"In my own career, I place great importance on the fundamentals and believe that building on each day, one step at a time, is what leads to the future. Because I have continued to take on new challenges with the support of my teammates, fans, and so many others, I feel a strong connection with what LANDCROS is striving to achieve."

Masafumi Senzaki, Hitachi Construction Machinery president and executive officer, remarked that, "We are deeply honoured to welcome Shohei Ohtani as our Global Brand Ambassador. To have the opportunity to work alongside Ohtani — who continues to challenge himself in the United States and on the world stage — is a source of immense pride for all of us, and we are sincerely grateful."

"Our new corporate brand, "LANDCROS," combines the word "LAND," representing our vision, with "Customer," "Reliable," "Open," and "Solutions," which are all important to us."

He continued, "Carrying forward our mission and spirit, we will continue to evolve our strengths — Japanese craftsmanship, global sales and service capability, and open co-creation with global partners — to deliver innovative solutions that create new value for our customers, everywhere."

"As we launch our new name and brand from April 2027, we look forward to continuing to accelerate our challenge and growth toward the future that LANDCROS envisions, alongside Shohei Ohtani."