Who is Mamiko Tanaka? All we know as Shohei Ohtani welcomes first baby with the basketball player

Mamiko Tanaka, born on December 11, 1996, is a former professional basketball player from Japan. She played for the Fujitsu Red Wave during the 2022-23 season, having begun her professional career in 2019. Tanaka did not appear in games during the 2023-24 season. Originally from Mitaka, a city in the Western Tokyo region of Tokyo Metropolis, she is the younger sister of professional rugby player Shinichi Tanaka.

Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has officially stepped into fatherhood. The 30-year-old and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, shared in December 2024 that they were expecting their first child.

Mamiko Tanaka: The woman Shohei Ohtani quietly married.

In early 2024, Shohei Ohtani surprised fans with news of his marriage when he shared on Instagram that he had wed someone from Japan. The announcement, however, came without a name.

"Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began 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 . I am excited for what is to come and thank you for your support."

Their marriage announcement was still fresh when Mamiko Ohtani and her husband appeared together publicly for the first time in March 2024, when the Dodgers X account shared a picture of the couple, which led to fans confirming her identity.

In a heartfelt Instagram post on April 19, the Dodgers star revealed that he and Mamiko Tanaka have become parents to a baby girl, marking a new chapter for the Ohtani Family.-

"I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter. To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents."

He continued,

"I would also like to thank the Dodgers organization, my teammates, and the fans for their constant support and kind words of encouragement."

Ohtani added

"I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals and everyone who dedicated their support to us, up until this wonderful day."

Shohei Ohtani's early life:

Ohtani was born on July 5th, 1994, in the rural town of Oshu in the northern prefecture of Iwate, which is known for its national parks and hot springs resorts. Kayoko, his mother, was a national-level badminton player in high school, while his father, Tōru, worked at a local automobile manufacturing plant. He, too, was an amateur baseball player who played in the Japanese Industrial League.

In a report shared by Mainichi Japan, Ohtani’s father shared that he wasn’t tough in raising the baseball star. He shared that his upbringing was nothing extraordinary. It was really just ordinary. His father shared that Ohtani had a lively personality from a young age. He later remembered a memory where Ryuta, his older brother in his younger days, wouldn’t play on the playground equipment because he was scared; on the other hand, when Ohtani came to be of the same age, he would boldly try it out.

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He then added that Ohtani would actively engage in whatever he was interested in and was open to trying new things. Toru felt that this sometimes made him nervous because if he didn't pay attention to his son, it could have been dangerous for him.

Ohtani became interested in baseball after watching a hardball baseball team play. Internationally, Shohei Ohtani represented the Land of the Rising Sun. He played for Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Ohtani led his team past the United States in the final and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

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