Sports

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, expecting their first child

Dec 30 (CBS) - Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, are expecting their first child, the player announced Saturday.

Ohtani, who set an MLB record this year before going on to win his first World Series title, made the announcement in a post to Instagram with the caption: "Can't wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!"

Earlier this year, he became the first Major League Baseball player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season, solidifying his place in baseball history with the record-setting ball later selling for $4.4 million. That was just a little over a month before the Los Angeles Dodgers would face off with the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic.

Hokkaido Shinkansen Sapporo Extension Delayed by 12 Years

The long-delayed extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo is facing further setbacks, with the opening now pushed back by more than a decade and total project costs projected to more than double, even as construction steadily advances on the ground.

Water Gushes From Kasumigaseki Station

Water erupted from near the ceiling of an underground passage inside Tokyo Metro’s Kasumigaseki Station in Chiyoda Ward at around 6:00 p.m. on January 14th, in what the operator believes was caused by a burst water supply pipe.

Hokkaido to Ease Brown Bear Alerts

Hokkaido is set to relax the criteria for issuing its so-called “brown bear alert,” making it possible to release warnings even before human injuries occur, as the prefecture seeks to respond more flexibly to the early appearance of dangerous animals.

Japan Welcomes New Generation of Adults

Ceremonies celebrating those turning 20 were held across Japan on January 12th, with events taking place nationwide to mark Coming of Age Day.

China Begins Restricting Rare Earth Exports to Japan, U.S. Paper Reports

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan.

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MORE Sports NEWS

Kyoto Student Crowned First Lucky Man

A traditional New Year event known as the “Lucky Man Selection,” in which participants compete to be the first to pray for the new year, was held on January 10th at Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo Prefecture, the head shrine of “Ebessan,” the deity of prosperous business.

Yokozuna Perform Ring-Entering Ceremony at Meiji Shrine

Both yokozuna, Toyoshoryu and Onosato, performed a dedication ring-entering ceremony on January 6th at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo ahead of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, which begins on January 11th at Ryogoku Kokugikan, drawing a crowd of around 2,000 spectators under clear skies.