<figure id="attachment_364504" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-364504" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="04a85ae9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/d2de3bb91a71b0a23fcb1d46c300ca77.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-364504" class="wp-caption-text">Shohei Otani and his wife, Mamiko, arrived in South Korea on March 15 to take on the Padres in the MLB Opening Series.</figcaption></figure>
<p> Professor Osamu Kuraishi (67) of Waseda University&#8217;s School of Sport Sciences, who is the former teacher of Mamiko (27), wife of Shohei Otani (29) of the Dodgers, a Major League Baseball player, told FRIDAY Digital, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;On the morning of March 16, I received a line from her telling me about her marriage. I replied, &#8216;Congratulations! I replied, &#8216;Please try not to get sick,'&#8221;</span> revealing that Mamiko herself had contacted him.</p>
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<p> After his retirement, he became the head coach of the Kumagai Gumi, winning the Japan League twice and the Emperor&#8217;s Cup once. He returned to his alma mater, Waseda University, where he served as coach and general manager. He is currently the leader of the Japanese men&#8217;s 3&#215;3 team for the Paris Olympics and is known as a theoretical leader as well as a commentator for the NBA (National Basketball Association).</p>
<p> Mamiko entered Waseda University from Tokyo Seitoku University High School with a sports recommendation. Professor Kuraishi, who was an advisor to the team, has witnessed her development since she was a freshman.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> She is not a quiet person, but rather a reserved type who doesn&#8217;t show off her personality. He has a lot of hidden things inside, but he doesn&#8217;t express them. Even when I became a senior, I took care of the underclassmen without acting like a senior.</span></p>
<p> I had heard that her preference for men was for contact sportsmen like rugby and American football, where muscular athletes collide with each other. That is why I was surprised to hear that he was a <span class="strongInContent">baseball</span> player. I was <span class="strongInContent">surprised that he was going in the wrong direction,&#8221; he says</span> with a wry smile.</p>
<p> During his academic career, he was a member of the Kuraishi Seminar, where he diligently studied game analysis of the Kanto University League, in which he participated, and wrote his graduation thesis on the subject.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent">After graduation, he would occasionally visit the laboratory. Do they love you?</span> No, not at all, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;</span> Professor Kuraishi telegraphedly denied it, but it is indicative of Mamiko&#8217;s disciplined nature to visit her former mentor even as time ticks by and the environment changes, and of the strong master-disciple relationship between Mr. Kuraishi, who had gained her complete trust.</p>
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<p> From now on, Mamiko and Otani, who is a superstar, will be in the limelight of married life.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I&#8217;m sure it will be tough, but she&#8217;s a strong woman, so I&#8217;m sure she&#8217;ll be fine. I hope she will be happy.</span></p>
<p> Her former teacher is kindly watching over her student&#8217;s bright future.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Mamiko, her shoulders relaxed now that she is off the court"></div>
<figure id="attachment_364392" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-364392" style="width: 3024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5e34a5a4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/a8742f77d30ce801d77524a50c79e42a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-364392" class="wp-caption-text">Mamiko off the court</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_364437" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-364437" style="width: 720px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="95466397"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/1126e6443ec319cf35bd28b398a04fa9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-364437" class="wp-caption-text"> Mamiko was introduced on the basketball account &#8220;tres basketball (@TRESBasketball)&#8221; of the sportswear brand &#8220;TRES SPORTS WEAR&#8221; last March.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_364509" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-364509" style="width: 3916px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="abd944be"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/07c169bae507dc5973c91e2be1ae3114-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-364509" class="wp-caption-text"> In 2009, Kuraishi was the head coach of the Japanese national team at the Asian Championships in Tianjin, China. He was the acting head coach for David A. Hobbs, who was having health problems at the time.</figcaption></figure>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The inner &quot;strength&quot; that supports Otani behind the scenes"></div>
<figure id="attachment_364581" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-364581" style="width: 3059px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="79ea0a9d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/039b3c48447a87793c9605b88af794d9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-364581" class="wp-caption-text">Mamiko looking for a chance to shoot while dribbling in the Women&#8217;s U24 Four Nations Basketball Tournament in 2005, while still a student at Waseda University.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_364582" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-364582" style="width: 3059px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8c6df221"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/3cc5b035e4409a54c2d1ec8bd8e3c39a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-364582" class="wp-caption-text"> Mamiko (left) shoots a shot despite colliding with an opponent. Mamiko (left) has the strength to go for the shot even when she collides with her opponent.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_364583" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-364583" style="width: 3060px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e1dbb0c1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/c573f85c1034a23abfcbe91ebfa2580a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-364583" class="wp-caption-text"> Fujitsu, where Mamiko played for the team, also played a &#8220;congratulatory video&#8221; for Mamiko.</figcaption></figure>
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 Toshiki Tsuda is a reporter for Sankei Shimbun, covering professional baseball, the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He retired after serving as head of the sports department and a member of the editorial board. Currently a sports writer. Author of "Sports Reporting without Blurring (Kotoshisha)" and other books.

 Toshiki Tsuda

 Afro (2nd photo)

 Mr. Kuraishi, who was a mentor of Shohei Otani's wife Mamiko at Waseda University when the Dodgers' Shohei Otani made a surprise announcement of their marriage, spoke to FRIDAY Digital on his own. He received the marriage report shortly after the two shots were announced on SNS. ......

Otani’s wife Mamiko’s former college teacher reveals her kindness.

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