Mar 13, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
SEOUL (Reuters) -Shohei Ohtani and his Los Angeles Dodgers side shared photographs of the Major League Baseball star's wife on social media for the first time on Friday, as the team boarded a plane to head to South Korea for the MLB season opener next week.
There has been widespread speculation over the marital status of Ohtani, the dual-threat MLB star and a national hero in Japan. The identify of his wife was a hot topic across Japanese print and social media on Friday after pictures emerged showing the couple together.
Japanese media named the woman as Mamiko Tanaka, who played in Japan's Women's Basketball League.
Ohtani posted a photograph on Instagram posing with Tanaka in front of a plane with the message "Can't wait!" in Korean followed by the national flag of South Korea.
Tanaka also appeared in a video posted on the team's X account as Dodgers players and family members boarded a plane.
Late last month, Ohtani announced his marriage to a Japanese woman on Instagram but gave no details about his bride besides her nationality. At a press conference the following day he described her simply as a "normal Japanese woman".
"Ohtani's wife" was the top trending topic on X, formerly known as Twitter, in Japan, after the photos were posted. National broadcaster NHK and top daily newspapers put the photo of the couple at the top of their web pages.
The Dodgers will play Korea Baseball Organization teams before facing the San Diego Padres next week. The teams are due to arrive at Seoul's Incheon International airport later on Friday.
Ohtani, 29, won his second Most Valuable Player award last year after leading the American League with 44 home runs and notching 10 wins as a pitcher.
In December, he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after six years with the Angels.
(Reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul and Rocky Swift in Tokyo;Editing by Ed Davies, Michael Perry and Peter Rutherford)
