Who Is Baseball Phenom Shohei Ohtani’s Wife? Everything You Need to Know
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Shohei Ohtani and wife Mamiko Tanaka at a Lakers game
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Who Is Baseball Phenom Shohei Ohtani’s Wife? Everything You Need to Know
The Dodgers star only recently shared he’s married to another Japanese athlete.
Paul SchrodtJan 15, 2025 9:08 AM EST
If you don’t know about Shohei Ohtani, you either don’t follow baseball or don’t live in Los Angeles, or both. Because the Dodgers star happens to be the highest-paid MLB player, having signed a $700 million contract with the team for the 2023 season. The Japanese pitcher and designated hitter, who previously played professionally in his home country, has proved valuable in the Dodgers’ winning streak, but he prefers to keep his private life quiet. Which has led fans to wonder about his under-the-radar marriage. Here’s what you need to know about Ohtani’s wife and their relationship.
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Who Is Shohei Ohtani’s Wife, Exactly?
Well, we may be short on details thanks to the private nature of their romance, but we have some concrete facts: Ohtani told followers in February 2024 that he got married, notedly without revealing his wife’s identity at the time. The rumor mill, however, stayed active, and two weeks later, he posed for a photo with Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka, which led fans to speculate that she was the mystery spouse.
Indeed, Ohtani soon confirmed the news.
“Not only have I begun a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have begun a new life with someone from my native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married,” Ohtani announced on Instagram.
Then in December 2024, Ohtani shared on Instagram that he and Tanaka are expecting a “little rookie.” The statement featured a photo of a pink onesie, which led to still more speculation about the child to come.
Two Athletes in Love
Ohtani and wife Tanaka are two notable Japanese athletes, now living out their romance under the palm trees of LA.
Tanaka, 28, to Ohtani’s 30 years of age, was born on December 11, 1996. She’s a former Japanese basketball player, having started her hoops career playing for Waseeda University before going professional in 2019 with the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women’s Japan Basketball League. She served as a forward for the team for four years, until retiring in 2023. During her final season, Tanaka had a shooting rate of 47.7 percent from the field and 69.9 percent from the free throw line across 28 games, according to ESPN.
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Still, the pair clearly keep things grounded in their personal life. In a press conference following his marriage announcement, Ohtani referred to his new wife as simply a “normal Japanese woman.”
Ohtani, who generally speaks to American media through a translator, revealed more in his native language. When notifying fans of his marriage in a February 2024 Instagram post, he offered both an English caption and a more detailed note in Japanese.
Per the Associated Press and CNN, the Dodgers star wrote: “The season is approaching, I am pleased to announce to you that I have gotten married.” He further asked the press not to hound the couple as they navigate their life together.
“We are still young and [there are] many things we don’t know yet, but we hope you will warmly watch over us,” Ohtani added. “We hope that the two of us (and one dog) will work together to support each other and move forward alongside our fans.
“I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I got married exactly,” he continued. But with or without a confirmed date, it’s hard not to root for two Japanese sports pros falling for each other, even when far away from their home.
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By Paul Schrodt
Paul Schrodt is a contributing editor at Men’s Journal, where he covers pop culture, style, grooming, and more.
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