Where Did Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Grow Up? Was He Born in Japan?

Ippei Mizuhara has become a known face in the Land of the Rising Sun. Working as an interpreter since he completed his graduation, little is known about the linguist’s family—only that it has the same roots as his most famous client, Shohei Ohtani.

Mizuhara has been on the American baseball scene since 2013. Though he started his translation journey working for the Boston Red Sox, he did not live in close quarters with any players—just near a certain baseball stadium. However, that is not the same place where his origins began.

Ippei Mizuhara comes from the same land that produced Shohei Ohtani

Ippei Mizuahara was born on December 31, 1984, in the port city of Tokomaki in Japan, Hokkaido. Born to professional chef Hidemasa, Ippei-san emigrated to Los Angeles along with his family in 1991.

While the journey to the Land of Opportunity might have begun on a note of a search for a better future, the patriarchs of the family certainly have a different goal in mind as of now, considering that they have found both peace and success in the U.S.

According to Jeff Fletcher’s book, “Sho-Time: The Inside Story of Shohei Ohtani and the Greatest Baseball Season Ever Played,” Ippei Mizuhara spent his childhood in the Diamond Bar County of Los Angeles. Although his home was just 25 minutes away from Angel Stadium, he never really took much of an interest in the game until a certain Japanese factor came into play.

Watch This Story: Breaking Down The Details Of Ippei Mizuhara: The Bridge Between The Japanese Phenom Shohei Ohtani And America

The Sporting News reported that he first got reeled into the game when Hideo Nomo, one of his favorite Japanese pitchers, stepped into the Dodgers clubhouse back in 1995. Ippei Mizuhara later admitted it to be his MLB stepping stone as well: “Ever since then, I just watched a lot of MLB.” However, his connections to his Japanese roots did not end there.

Stepping back to his roots was a golden opportunity

Ippei Mizuhara’s family now owns a restaurant in Los Angeles, while their son has gone on to become one of the most famous interpreters in MLB. During his initial years as an interpreter, Japan’s famous Nippon Professional Baseball League took note of his helpfulness to the Red Sox’ Japanese player Hideki Okajima.

That led to them calling upon Mizuhara to help their American player, Chris Martin. As fate would have it, within days of accepting the offer and traveling back to his home country, Ippei Mizuhara found the player who would change his future forever—a gesture that he paid back in kind.

Read More: Before LA Days, Shohei Ohtani’s Translator Forged Fame in Another Storied MLB Franchise

During his 2013 stay with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of the NPB, Ippei Mizuhara met Shohei Ohtani. Shotime, who was just 18, played for the same team as Martin. He did not take much time to warm up with fellow countryman Mizuhara. The two have been forming the closest of bonds since then, as the entire MLB knows by now!