Shohei Ohtani earns words of praise from actress Aki Mizusawa as she lauds his personality & recalls losing her voice cheering for Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani, a name that reverberates through the arena as one of the greatest ballplayers of modern baseball, has many big-name fans, including prominent Japanese actress Aki Mizusawa. She became Ohtani's supporter during his time with the LA Angels. In an interview with Yahoo! Japan (translated to English) on Sunday, the 69-year-old actress said:
"I became a fan of Ohtani because I was attracted to his personality when I learned that he expressed his gratitude many times in interviews and picked up trash during games."
Misuzawa is referring to Ohtani's habit of picking up trash on the field. According to Dodgers Nation, the two-way athlete made a "Harada method chart" in high school to stay focused and reach his goals. One section of the chart focused on "karma," encouraging him to always be a good person. He believes that picking up trash is good luck - luck that others have thrown away.
Mizusawa was also "particularly surprised to learn about the existence of a 'life planning sheet,'" because she herself is "also a planning freak." Mizusawa said that she connected with Ohtani because they are similar in that regard.
She also shared that she went hoarse cheering for him during his games:
"I clapped my hands and cheered 'Let's go Dodgers!' until I lost my voice."
Aki Mizusawa details her experiences with Shohei Ohtani's live games
Mizusawa revealed in the same interview that she attended the Dodgers' "Japan Day" on July 2, during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. A celebration of Japanese culture was held with pregame performances at Dodger Stadium.
She also attended the Sept. 26 game against the San Diego Padres, where the Dodgers and Ohtani clinched the NL division title. Mizusawa returned the next day as well.
"I bought tickets on the official MLB website and went alone, and both times were memorable days," she said. "I also treasure the commemorative ball I bought at the concession stand at Dodger Stadium to celebrate the 50-50 victory."
It was a historic season for the Boys in Blue and Shohei Ohtani, who is primed to win his third career MVP award. Mizusawa followed along for much of the ride.