Listen to Ippei Mizuhara confess how Shohei Ohtani was involved in paying back gambling debt

Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani’s translator’s debts almost caused his downfall. In an interview, Ippei Mizuhara revealed how the Los Angeles Dodgers star was involved in his financial troubles.

Shohei Ohtani is in the middle of an incredible season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The baseball sensation is in contention for the Cy Young award thanks to his stellar pitching.

An ugly story from his past has reared its head once again, though. Ohtani’s interpreter and confidant, Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to prison in 2025 for bank fraud.

And while Shohei was cleared of any wrongdoing in the case, a 2024 interview with Mizuhara which was recently released reveals how he was involved in the situation.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Ippei Mizuhara initially said Shohei Ohtani made the gambling debt repayments with him

The entire situation is a little confusing. Mizuhara claimed in the released interview, that he went to Ohtani about his debts, who then agreed to help him out.

“I explained my situation, what was going on and why,” Mizuhara said, as heard in ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcast . “Obviously, he was unhappy about it but he said he would help me out. He decided to pay it off for me.

“He knew the whole amount and he knew we had to make several payments because we couldn’t send more than $500,000 at a time,” Mizuhara also said. “I would do it with him every time.”

However, Ohtani later denied any knowledge of his translator’s debts through his legal team. Mizuhara himself later confessed that he had stolen from the Japanese star without his knowledge.

These clips show that the situation may have been more complicated than people understand, but the result remains that Mizuhara is now paying for his crimes.

Ippei Mizuhara vowed to pay Shohei Ohtani back

As part of his sentence, the court ordered Mizuhara to repay the Japanese superstar $17 million. However, it seems he was already motivated to do so.

In the interview, Mizuhara described Ohtani as family, saying he spent more time with the Dodgers man than his wife.

“I’m going to pay him back,” Mizuhara said. “I told him I’m going to pay him back. It might take a while, but I told him, even if he says no, I’m going to make all the effort to pay him back.”

One way or another, this chapter in Ohtani’s life is now firmly behind him. He has only enjoyed success in Los Angeles, and will be hoping to get a third consecutive World Series win this October.

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