Editions
Los 40 USA
Scores
Follow us on
Hello
MLB

Who is Mamiko Tanaka? All you need to know about Shohei Ohtani’s wife

After quietly getting married in Japan earlier in the year, speculation about Shohei Ohtani’s wife has been rife. Now all is revealed about the pro basketball player.

Who is Mamiko Tanaka? All you need to know about Shohei Ohtani’s wife
CAROLINE BREHMAN
Jeffrey May
A product of Cajun country in south Louisiana, Jeff played football through high school, and baseball through college and beyond. After getting a BFA from the Savannah College of Art & Design, he moved to London, where he worked for Sky Sports and coached the 2005 British Champion Croydon Pirates baseball team. He also cooks a mean jambalaya.
Update:

When Shohei Ohtani announced via Instagram that he had gotten married to “someone from my Native country Japan” and that she was “a normal Japanese woman,” media and fans were full of questions. Who could have captured the heart of one of the sporting world’s most eligible bachelor.

Well, now all has been revealed, and while Mrs Ohtani is perhaps not a household name, at least on this side of the Pacific, she can never be described as just an ordinary woman.

Mamiko Tanaka is a high-profile Japanese athlete herself as a professional basketball player for the Fujitsu Red Wave. The 27-year-old Tanaka stands at 5 feet, 11 inches and posted 7.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, averaging 24 minutes of playing time.

WNBA draft eligible, Tanaka finished college at Waseeda University in 2018, but opted to stay and play in Japan instead.

Mamiko’s profile on the International Basketball Federation website shows that she represented Japan in the U16 and U18 Asia championships and U17 world championship between 2011 and 2014.

The world got their first glimpse of the married couple as the Dodgers boarded their flight to South Korea ahead of the MLB season opener dubbed the Seoul Series.

Related stories

As the Dodgers arrived in Seoul, Ohtani’s Los Angeles team mates are caught in the center of this swirling media circus and even for stars accustomed to the spotlight, this is at another level. “It’s been crazy,” said Dodgers outfielder James Outman. “I’m telling you, he’s like Elvis. Everyone screams just getting a glimpse of him.”

Who is Mamiko Tanaka? All you need to know about Shohei Ohtani’s wife
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani CJ GUNTHER

For Mamiko Tanaka, Ohtani-mania has just begun. Fans everywhere hope that the couple can maintain their private lives, away from the spotlight as much as possible. Shohei is notoriously reticent to speak to the press and fans everywhere generally respect that decision. It is part of what makes us love him. Hopefully, that blanket of protection can extend to his wife as well.

Tagged in:

Comments
Rules

Complete your personal details to comment

Your opinion will be published with first and last names

We recommend these for you in MLB