Japan is ‘in mourning’ following the shocking wedding announcement of Shohei Ohtani, who revealed on Thursday that he had married a mystery woman.
The notoriously private baseball star, who joined the Dodgers this offseason, said on Instagram that not only was he starting a new chapter in my career, but I was also starting a new life with someone from my native Japan who is very is special to me. …’
And fans in his home country were hit particularly hard by the news that the ‘Prince Charming’ was getting married. The Japan Times wrote in an article titled ‘Ohtani is taken. It’s enough to make you cry.’
“It seems literally everyone and their mothers were mourning the loss of a potential fairytale wedding to the Japanese prince,” the newspaper said. “Female colleagues in their late 20s and early 30s said it was their natural response to share the pain with their mothers.”
Ohtani noted afterward through an interpreter that he had married “a normal Japanese woman,” according to the AP, which apparently came as little consolation to some in his home country.
Shohei Ohtani shocked fans around the world when he revealed he was married
Ohtani even hesitated to reveal his dog’s name last year when he won the AL MVP
“It appears that Ohtani – a modest and driven ‘good boy’ – did not tie the knot with a celebrity, and this was a cause for celebration for many,” the Japan Times wrote.
Ohtani, a baseball star who is the reigning AL MVP, has 7.5 million Instagram followers and is a hugely popular figure and source of national pride in Japan.
The Japan Times added that the term “shitsuren kyuuka” – meaning “love leave” – was popular on X after the news broke, as were “Dekopin” (the name of Ohtani’s dog) and “marriage announcement.”
Ohtani’s announcement actually caught the Dodgers off guard, as team manager Dave Roberts said during spring training.
“I’m very happy for him and his bride,” Roberts said, via AP. “As for the wedding gifts, we were surprised and didn’t have much time to think about it. I’m sure it’s on its way.’
In the Instagram post announcing his wedding, which racked up almost 1.5 million likes in just one hour, the 29-year-old also said: ‘The two of us (and our dog) will support each other and we hope to move forward together. with all our fans.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted he and the team were surprised by the news
Ohtani hit a two-run home run in his spring training debut with the Dodgers this week
He added that he and his wife were “still immature in many ways, but we would appreciate your kind support.”
The attention-shy Ohtani even refused to reveal his dog’s name after the dog appeared next to him as he accepted his 2023 AL MVP.
He later explained that his dog’s name is “Decoy” and that he thought the Japanese name – Dekopin – would be difficult for Americans to pronounce.
Ohtani joined the Dodgers in December on a historic 10-year deal worth $700 million after weeks of speculation.
It is the most lucrative contract in the history of North American sports.
The designer hitter and pitcher, who will not take the mound this season due to an injury, made his Dodgers spring training debut on Tuesday and hit a home run vs. the White Sox.