Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram on February 29, 2024, that he had married a Japanese woman. He initially kept her identity private and asked the media not to approach her or her family. On March 14, he identified her as Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional basketball player.
Why Ohtani’s announcement surprised people
The announcement came before the 2024 MLB season and surprised fans as well as people around the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Dave Roberts said he was surprised, according to contemporaneous BBC reporting. Ohtani said he wanted to share the news before the season began so it would not become a distraction once play started.
What Ohtani said on February 29
At a news conference on the day of his post, Ohtani said he had known his wife for three or four years. That was an estimate of how long they had known each other, not a precise account of when they began dating or married.
Speaking through an interpreter, Ohtani said, “I felt like it was good timing because it was before the season,” adding, “I didn’t really want any distractions once the season started.” He also said the marriage had “absolutely nothing to do” with his free-agency decision. He described his wife as understanding of his profession and willing to live wherever he chose to play.
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Why he initially kept her identity private
Ohtani initially described his wife only as a Japanese woman and asked the media to refrain from approaching her or her family. He said, “I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I got married exactly, but she’s a normal Japanese woman.” The request was a boundary around their privacy, not an invitation to speculate about their relationship.
When Ohtani identified his wife
On March 14, 2024, Ohtani shared a photo identifying his wife as Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional basketball player. His February announcement had not named her; the later post supplied that information.
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The dog in the announcement
Ohtani’s initial post also featured his dog, Dekopin, known in English as Decoy. The Associated Press transcribed the accompanying line as: “We hope the two of us – and one animal – will work together.”
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