Otani's Wife Visiting Korea, Meeting Fans Worldwide... This Is True 'Cheonsaengyeonbun'

Arrival at Incheon Airport on the 15th, Global Spotlight
Bright Smile Behind Ohtani, Shyly Following
Praised for 180cm Height and Cheerful, Bold Personality
Best Matches Ohtani and Parents' Ideal Type

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, participating in the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Tour Seoul Series, is arriving at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on the afternoon of the 15th with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka. [Image source=Yonhap News]

World star Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Dodgers) visited Korea for a two-game MLB series, and drawing nearly as much attention as Ohtani himself is his wife. Until recently known only as "Ohtani's woman," Mamiko Tanaka (27) made her first public appearance before heading to Korea, and her arrival alongside Ohtani at Incheon International Airport was broadcast worldwide, effectively making Korea the debut stage for "Ohtani's wife." Ohtani kept his promise to "reveal my wife in Korea."

At around 2:50 p.m. on the 15th, when Ohtani and his wife followed behind him entered, the arrival hall at Incheon International Airport erupted with cheers and shutter clicks. Ohtani wore his cap backward and dressed comfortably in training clothes, flashing a bright smile and waving warmly to the press and fans. His wife shyly smiled and followed a step behind him. Ohtani posted a photo taken outside the airplane window on Instagram with a Taegeukgi emoji, announcing his arrival in Korea. Earlier on the 15th (local time, Korea time the 14th), he posted a photo on his social media service (SNS) Instagram showing the airplane departing from Phoenix, Arizona, USA, heading to Korea. On the 13th, he shared a photo with a bright smile and a finger heart pose, also including a Taegeukgi emoji.

Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka [Image source=LA Dodgers Facebook]

Ohtani made a surprise marriage announcement via SNS on the 29th of last month. At a subsequent press conference, he said, "My wife is a very ordinary Japanese person," and refrained from revealing details about her identity. However, Japanese baseball fans had identified Mamiko Tanaka, a former Japanese women's professional basketball player, as the likely "Ohtani wife." This was confirmed through a warm two-shot photo released on the 13th. American media outlets including the Associated Press and People magazine quickly reported that Ohtani's wife was Tanaka after the photo was made public. A group photo with his wife and interpreter received high praise in Japan. In the full-body shot, their shoes were visible: Ohtani wore New Balance shoes from his sponsor, and his wife wore the same brand. Japanese netizens even identified the model name. They commented, "The Ohtani couple is wearing the same sneakers," "I want them too," and "His wife also wore New Balance, showing consideration for the sponsor."

Image posted by Ohtani on his personal Instagram account [Image source=Instagram]

Who is Mamiko Tanaka? She is 180 cm tall with a bright impression. According to Japanese media, she played basketball from middle school through high school, university, and even in society. In 2017, as a junior at Waseda University, she participated in the Universiade Taipei games, contributing to winning a silver medal for the first time in 50 years despite losing 78-85 to Australia in the final. She aimed to represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics but did not make the team. She played for the Fujitsu Red Wave in the Japanese Women's Professional Basketball League but did not participate in the 2023-2024 season. There are reports she retired last year. She is also well-regarded personally. A senior from Waseda University shared an episode from her freshman year, saying that although freshmen have many miscellaneous tasks, she never showed dislike, helped move heavy objects, and cheered loudly for seniors. She communicated skillfully with seniors, peers, and juniors, and although her grades were not excellent, she was passionate. Tanaka's older brother is a rugby player.

Shohei Ohtani. [Image source=Shohei Ohtani Instagram]

There is also a video that shows Tanaka's personality. Before Ohtani revealed it, a Japanese netizen posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing three women dancing, captioning, "The one on the far left is rumored to be Shohei Ohtani's fianc?e, Mamiko Tanaka," adding, "Cute and beautiful." In the video, three tall women dance to pop singer Meghan Trainor's "Title." Midway through the video, a subtitle reads, "We are 180 cm tall." The video surpassed 7 million views within a day of posting.

In the video, three tall women are dancing to pop singer Meghan Trainor's "Title." In the middle of the video, a subtitle appears saying, "We are 180cm tall."
[Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]

Sports Graphic Number reported through an exclusive interview with Ohtani that his fianc?e is two years younger than him. Ohtani said, "It wasn't in a gym, but maybe during practice. I wasn't aware of when my wife first met me. She said it was a passing greeting. It was in a hallway inside the practice facility. But I clearly remember the second and third meetings." The fact that Tanaka fits Ohtani's ideal type also supports the "Ohtani wife" theory. Ohtani has previously stated that his ideal type is someone tall, diligent, and full of positive energy. Japanese media News Post Seven reported, "Ohtani's parents said that his marriage partner should not be a female announcer or entertainer," adding, "She should be healthy and preferably someone who plays sports."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.