Shohei Ohtani has achieved almost everything a baseball player could dream of. The Los Angeles Dodgers star has a record $700 million contract, historic batting and pitching numbers, and two consecutive World Series titles. But away from the stadium, he has kept one part of his life largely private. His relationship with former Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka has grown without the usual attention that follows a global sports star. From their marriage announcement in 2024 to welcoming two children, the couple have built a family life while keeping many personal details to themselves.



How did Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka meet through their sporting careers?Before becoming known as Shohei Ohtani’s wife, Mamiko Tanaka had built her own career in basketball. Born on December 11, 1996, in Tokyo, she played college basketball at Waseda University and later joined Japan’s Fujitsu Red Wave in 2019. She competed in the Women’s Japan Basketball League for four seasons before retiring in 2023.




Tanaka also represented Japan at the 2017 Summer Universiade, where the team won a silver medal. At 5 feet 11 inches, she played as a forward and had experience competing at both university and professional levels. Her sporting background gave her an understanding of the time, effort and discipline needed to compete at a high level.




Ohtani and Tanaka had known each other for around three to four years before he announced their marriage. However, neither has shared a detailed account of how they first met. Reports about their relationship remained limited, even as Ohtani became one of the most recognised Japanese athletes in the world.




During a conversation with reporters in February 2024, Ohtani spoke about the connection they shared. He said:




“She has a great understanding of my profession,” Ohtani said. “She’s willing to be wherever I want to play at. Ultimately, it was up to me. So it had nothing to do with it.”




His comments offered a rare look at their relationship. Rather than discussing his personal life at length, he spoke about the understanding and support he received from his partner.



Why did Shohei Ohtani surprise fans with his marriage announcement in 2024?On February 29, 2024, Ohtani shared news of his marriage through Instagram. The announcement came as a surprise because he had rarely spoken about his romantic life in public. He confirmed that he had married a Japanese woman but did not reveal her name or share many details about their relationship.




Speaking to reporters during spring training, he explained why he had chosen that time to make the news public.




“I felt like it was good timing because it was before the season,” Ohtani said. “I didn’t want any distractions when the season started. And I would have liked to announce it earlier, but there was some paperwork issues that lagged the whole process. So that was the whole deal.”




He also said that the two had known each other for three to four years. At the time, he described his wife as a normal Japanese woman who was special to him.




The identity of his wife became clearer in March 2024. As the Dodgers prepared to travel to South Korea for their season-opening series, Ohtani appeared in a photograph with Tanaka alongside other members of the team. That was the first time the public got a clear look at the woman he had married.




Tanaka later appeared with him at several public events. The couple attended the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation’s Blue Diamond Gala in May 2024, marking their red-carpet debut together. She was also seen supporting him during games and team celebrations.



How did Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka welcome their two children?Their family grew in April 2025, when Ohtani announced that Tanaka had given birth to their first child, a daughter. He shared the news on Instagram with a photograph of the baby’s feet, keeping her face and name private.




Ohtani also thanked his wife for giving birth and shared how becoming a father had changed their lives.




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




He missed a game against the Texas Rangers to be with his wife before the birth. The Dodgers placed him on the paternity list, and he returned to the lineup on April 20, 2025.




The couple welcomed their second child in June 2026. Ohtani shared the news on Instagram on June 20, with a picture showing the newborn’s feet and hands. The announcement did not reveal the baby’s name or gender.




In their joint message, the couple expressed their happiness and thanked those who had supported them.




“We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together. Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey.”




Ohtani also missed the Dodgers’ game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 19 to be with his family. He returned to the lineup the following day and hit a home run against Baltimore.



What makes Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka’s relationship special?Ohtani and Tanaka have chosen to share only small parts of their personal lives with the public. Even after their marriage became known, they continued to keep their family away from unnecessary attention. Their decision to protect their children’s privacy has remained consistent with the way Ohtani handled his relationship before it became public.




Their sporting backgrounds also give their partnership a shared point of understanding. Tanaka knows what it takes to train and compete professionally, while Ohtani continues to balance the demands of being both a pitcher and a hitter in Major League Baseball .




For Ohtani, the biggest moments of his career have often happened in front of thousands of fans. His marriage and the births of his children, however, have been shared through brief personal announcements rather than lengthy public appearances. That contrast offers a glimpse of how the baseball star separates his professional success from his life at home.