A Flood of Interpreter Pitches Emerged, All Aiming to Capitalize on Financial Opportunities with Ohtani!

After the first game of the MLB opening series held in Korea on March 20, Kanehira Mizuhara (age 39) was fired from the Dodgers for embezzling a huge sum of money from Shohei Ohtani’s (age 29) account. On April 11, the investigative authorities announced that Mizuhara would be prosecuted for bank fraud.

 

“It seems that Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s account without permission and changed the settings to prevent notifications of the transfers. The investigative authorities have also questioned Ohtani, and it has been reported that Mizuhara secretly returned to the United States. He is expected to enter into a plea deal regarding illegal gambling,” a correspondent stationed in the United States from a national newspaper reported.

The amount of unauthorized transfers is said to be close to 2.5 billion yen, and there are even plans to repay this debt with the proceeds from Mizuhara’s own memoirs and a movie adaptation. Since his sudden dismissal, there have been some distractions around Ohtani.

“There was a flood of pitches to become Ohtani’s ‘next interpreter.’ Currently, Will Aiaton (age 35), who serves as the interpreter, was seen as a ‘stopgap.’ Various parties, including team officials, advertising agencies, TV stations, and former players covering local interviews, were pleading, ‘Connect us to Ohtani somehow.’ While the annual salary for a typical interpreter is around 10 million yen, it’s said to be an exceptional 70 million yen if you become Ohtani’s interpreter. While it’s understandable to be desperate, Dodgers officials were appalled,” a source from a key broadcasting station stated.

However, the duties of a regular interpreter and an interpreter for a Japanese Major Leaguer are significantly different. If you become Ohtani’s interpreter, your responsibilities will be extensive.

“You have to cover daily shopping, driving, and support for Mrs. Tomomi (age 27). You’ll need to listen to the concerns of the Ohtani couple and overcome them together. You must dedicate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to the Ohtani couple. Confidentiality is a given, and that can also be stressful. The income may be good, but supporting a superstar who has signed a super mega-contract worth over 100 billion yen for 10 years is no small task. Even with an annual salary of 100 million yen, I would decline,” a former interpreter for a Japanese Major Leaguer stated.

Despite the fact that his predecessor met his downfall due to the lure of money, numerous candidates are vying for the extraordinary treatment. It’s quite an ironic situation.