officials and baseball watchers are optimistic new superstar hopefuls such as the rangers udarvish and hiroki karoda will ignite interest and create more die-hard fans like daisuke matsuo. he says the a's/mariners game in tokyo is just the ticket. >> translator: because ichiro is coming, a lot of people will show support. there are two other japanese newcomers on the mariners, so i know more of us will fall in love with the mlb. >> reporter: and in the process, maybe form a lasting relationship with the league's players and the game. rina nakano, nhk world, tokyo. >> all right. wednesday's athletics versus mariners game begins at 7:00 p.m. japan time. >>> people in washington have spent recent weeks enjoying their famous cherry trees. thousands of them line the potomac river. they were a gift from japan exactly 100 years ago. first lady michelle obama just added another one. the cherry trees are a landmark in the u.s. capital. every spring people descend on the river banks to appreciate this symbol of japanese culture. they presented 3,000 cherry trees to the u.s. capital as a token of friendship. o