Shohei Ohtani engaged in a boisterous Q&A session at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 14, 2023, in Los Angeles, as captured by the lens of the Associated Press.
In an unexpected but touching turn of events, Ohtani visited the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, where Ambassador Rahm Emanuel gave the newest Los Angeles Dodgers phenom a gigantic dog visa.
Pictures from this unforgettable meeting were posted on social media by the embassy, which said that it happened during Ohtani’s most recent visit back to Japan. Emanuel and Ohtani posed with a fictitious visa designed for the player’s dog, Decoy. The funny paper features a picture of the dog, called Dekopin in Japanese, stating his birthdate in “dog years” and proudly showcasing his dual Japanese and American citizenship.
“Happy to reunite with the incredible two-time MLB MVP Ohtani-san,” Emanuel exclaimed on X, the previous Twitter platform. “Perhaps our paths will cross again, and I’ll have the pleasure of meeting his MVPup, Decoy.” This was Emanuel’s second meeting with Ohtani; the versatile athlete first met the American at the U.S. Embassy in March 2023, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. When Ohtani inked a historic $700 million, ten-year contract with the Dodgers in December, his career took an exciting new turn.