When Shohei Ohtani gifted Ippei Mizuhara the 'Moon', a honeymoon surprise beyond Japanese translator's wildest dreams
Shohei Ohtani hardly goes anywhere without his star translator Ippei Mizuhara. The two are a nearly inseparable duo, and they've become quite close friends as a result. Mizuhara is often not considered just his translator, as he does other things for Ohtani amid their genuine relationship.
A Redditor once translated a Japanese report showcasing that Ohtani wanted to give his interpreter a gift to celebrate his wedding. This was all the way back in 2018, well before he signed for the massive contract he currently has.
The then-Los Angeles Angels superstar got together with his friend and his friend's new wife during the offseason for dinner and got them a travel certificate to cover an entire honeymoon trip, often referred to as "the moon". It was a lovely gesture.
Via the translated report, Muzihara said:
"I got married last year, and Shohei gave us a wedding present when the three of us had a dinner after the end of the last season—that was a travel gift certificate covering our entire honeymoon.
"I’m not sure my wife and I have enough time to honeymoon during this offseason, but we’re really touched by his gesture. He also gave us a surprise celebration for our marriage, during the flight from Tokyo to LA last year."
Now, the two are taking on LA in a new light after Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a record-setting $700 million, 10-year deal. Imagine the gifts that Ohtani could bestow with all the new money he has.
Shohei Ohtani makes a lot of money
While much of it is deferred ($680 of the $700 million to be exact), Shohei Ohtani is still making an absurd amount of money. He's only being paid a salary of $2 million, but he has endorsements.
Broken down to the minute, Ohtani's initial contract was paying him $3,001 per minute. It was an astonishing figure that won't quite be accurate, but he's still one of the richest players in the entire sports world.