If you are wondering how the Japanese are viewing the recent Boston Red Sox sweep of the World Series, here is a shot of three major Japanese sports dailies that I picked up at the local train station yesterday.

All three of the papers feature a large photograph if Daisuke (Dice-K) Matsuzaka with the headline Matsuzaka sekai-ichi (Matsuzaka, number 1 in the world!).* The fact that the Boston Red Sox won the World Series is mentioned in small sub-headlines, almost as an afterthought.

Though Matsuzaka performed very well during the World Series, I would hardly say that he won the 162-game season, elimination playoffs, and World Series all on his own.

* In the sake of fairness, I should point out that one of the papers shown above (Sports Nichi) tempers their headline somewhat by saying Matsuzaka sekai-ichi shiawase (Matsuzaka, happiest in the world), noting that Matsuzaka and his wife also are expecting their second child in March 2008. However, the upcoming birth was given a bigger headline than the Red Sox victory.