Baltimore Orioles v Los Angeles Dodgers – Source: Getty
Another Japanese canine has made its mark in pop culture. Following in the footsteps of the famed Hachikō, Shohei Ohtani’s dog, Decoy, is the latest dog from Japan to have its own Wikipedia page.
As first reported by Yahoo! Japan, Ohtani’s beloved pet dog was honored with a page on the Internet’s most renowned encyclopedia. Decoy is a Kooikerhondje, a spaniel-type canine historically used as a decoy to lure ducks.
Decoy’s Japanese name is Dekopin, which refers to the act of flicking one’s forehead in Japanese. Decoy Ohtani first gained prominence in November 2023 during Shohei Ohtani’s American League MVP award ceremony.
The cute canine’s next viral moment came in August 2024, when he went on the mound for the ceremonial first pitch. Decoy picked up the ball and dashed to Shohei who was waiting at the plate. The routine was a part of the bobblehead night, when the two were honored with their own figurines.
Decoy now follows the famed Hachikō as one of the few canines to have their own page on Wikipedia. The latter was immortalized through books and film in Japan. In 2009, the story of Hachikō was popularized in Western media through the movie Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, starring Golden Globe-winning actor Richard Gere.
Shohei Ohtani named AP Male Athlete of the Year
After capping off a memorable 2024 MLB season, the Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was named this year’s Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.
Ohtani received 48 of the 74 votes by sports journalists, claiming his third Male Athlete of the Year award given by the Associated Press. He is now just one win away from tying four-time winners LeBron James, Tiger Woods and the controversial Lance Armstrong.
The two-way sensation earned the same accolade in 2021 and 2023, during his tenure with the Anaheim Angels. Since the award’s inception in 1931, golf Hall of Famer Babe Didrikson has held the record for the most AP Athlete of the Year awards, with a total of six.
