Shohei Ohtani Looking To Sell LA Mansion Because Japanese Media Won’t Leave Him Alone

Shohei Ohtani prior to game against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park

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Shohei Ohtani and his new wife Mamiko Tanaka bought a mansion in Los Angeles in May and they are already looking to sell it because of Japanese media invading their privacy.

According to a report by Yahoo Japan (loosely translated by Google), “It all started with some TV stations going out of control. In late May, the local newspaper, Los Angeles Times, revealed the existence of a 1.2 billion yen mansion that Ohtani had purchased, and newspapers and TV stations all reported on it.

“Meanwhile, a dispute broke out between Ohtani’s side and Fuji TV and Nippon TV. Both companies reported the house in a way that revealed the address, such as having reporters broadcast from in front of the house, which angered Ohtani.”

Fuji TV, during a live broadcast, shot video through the trees of the basketball court on the property and conducted interviews with local residents about Shohei Ohtani and his wife moving into the neighborhood.

Two weeks ago, News Post Seven reported an American journalist as saying, “Many viewers wanted to know about Ohtani’s daily life, so the TV stations reported on the state of his new home every day. Among them, Fuji TV and Nippon TV went too far in trying to attract viewers’ interest. It was Fuji TV’s coverage in particular that made Ohtani furious.”

The male reporter spoke from the front of the new house while filming the exterior. The team then went around to the back of the house, taking paparazzi pictures of the basketball goal on the property, visible through the gaps in the dense trees. Referring to his wife Mamiko, a former basketball player, the reporter said, “I wonder if Ohtani will enjoy playing basketball with Mamiko!” What also angered Otani was the interview with the neighbors.

“The program spoke to people walking around the area, eliciting exclamations of surprise such as, ‘I can’t believe Ohtani is my neighbor!’ It seems they had no idea that it was Ohtani’s new home, so the reporting team was essentially exposing the location of his new home, which is a huge problem in terms of privacy,” said a TV station source.

The property is located about a 20 minute commute to Dodger Stadium in La Canada Flintridge. It was previously owned by comedian Adam Carolla.

A team source reportedly told Yahoo that Ohtani said that he could no longer live in the $7.85 million mansion he purchased and indicated his intention to sell it without ever actually moving into it.

Upset that the address of his new home was made public so quickly and easily, Shohei Ohtani has reportedly told the real estate company to “look for a buyer responsibly.”

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Before settling down at BroBible, Douglas Charles, a graduate of the University of Iowa (Go Hawks), owned and operated a wide assortment of websites. He is also one of the few White Sox fans out there and thinks Michael Jordan is, hands down, the GOAT.