The Chicago White Sox thoughtfully upgraded their locker room facilities to help Munetaka Murakami settle into his new environment.

The Chicago White Sox are making a unique upgrade to their home locker room for the 2026 season, thanks to a recommendation from a new "member."

This new member is none other than Munetaka Murakami, the heavy hitter from Japan signed by the team in the offseason. He agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal, potentially one of the most important signings from the Pacific Rim in team history. The renovation? An intelligent toilet, a suggestion Murakami made during his first visit to the South Side of Chicago and the team’s facilities.

"One thing he noticed, I think, was that our locker room didn’t have a smart toilet," White Sox general manager Chris Getz told MLB.com. "It was new to him, so we’re installing one. At that moment, we thought, ‘Okay, this is fresh, we can do it.’"

During the introductory press conference, Murakami also got his first experience with the Trajekt pitching simulator. There are questions about whether he can handle the high velocity of major league pitchers and his strikeout rate. This machine might help him adjust, considering the 26-year-old power hitter played for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows from 2021-24, hitting 159 home runs without having access to such training tools. But this isn’t the only focus in helping him adapt to a new country and the major league environment.

"Clearly, from a nutritional standpoint, his eating habits and preferences differ from some of our current players," Getz said about Murakami. "That has been noted."

Murakami appears unafraid of challenges. When he visited in December last year, he didn’t express fondness for Chicago’s cold weather but still wanted to attend the SoxFest fan event last weekend—even though temperatures were colder than a month earlier. During the two-day event at the LaMoille Theatre, every mention of his name or playing of his prerecorded videos sparked enthusiastic reactions from fans.

At his December debut, Murakami gave a brief opening speech in English. Then he pulled out a pair of white socks, held them up, and smiled brightly, which pleasantly surprised his new boss.

"I didn’t expect that at all. It was funny," said Getz. "He has a great sense of humor."

"He has a strong presence, and his smile is contagious. He seems experienced with similar occasions and appeared very composed."

The White Sox themselves are actively adapting. They have had Japanese players like Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Sosuke Taguchi, both contributors to the 2005 World Series championship, but never signed a player with the international stature of Murakami from the region.

Murakami’s arrival has opened the previously closed door to international attention. The White Sox are studying other teams to maximize this interest.

"Look at what the Dodgers are doing. They have ‘unicorns’ like Shohei Ohtani, plus Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki," said Brooks Boyer, White Sox executive vice president, who recently visited Japan. "Dodgers games are widely broadcast in Japan, making them very attractive to Japanese sponsors."

"Talking about Murakami, as a hero of the last World Baseball Classic from Japan and a young talent, there will be strong interest in our games back in Japan. This opens up some unique opportunities."

"The Cubs have leveraged this through Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki; in a way, we are following the Dodgers’ approach," Boyer added. "Figuring out how to best extend our brand into the Japanese market will obviously attract interest from local Japanese sponsors."

Getz is not worried about Murakami missing most of spring training due to his participation in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. From the start, he has supported this proud competitor representing Japan.

At this crucial moment for the White Sox, there are high hopes for Murakami’s smooth transition.

"I think now every conversation about the White Sox—whether with agents, players, fans, or friends—inevitably involves Murakami," Getz said. "It’s like a shot of adrenaline, bringing a positive vibe. The excitement partly comes from the unknown."

"We signed a player who hasn’t played in the major leagues yet but has had a brilliant career in Japan, breaking multiple records and winning MVP awards. He comes with a strong reputation, but how his performance will translate is still unknown… We see this as a win. It gives everyone an extra boost of motivation."