Shohei Ohtani welcomes second child but is accused of "ignoring his wife's health," and many people find this criticism unacceptable

Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese two-way superstar for the Los Angeles Dodgers, announced on June 20 that he and his wife Mamiko are expecting their second child. While this should have been a joyous occasion, the fact that the two pregnancies are only about one year to one year and two months apart has drawn criticism from some netizens, who label it as what is commonly referred to in Japan as "nenko" (siblings born in consecutive years). This nitpicking has provoked reactions from figures in the entertainment and medical fields, who have stepped forward to defend him.

Not long ago, Ohtani posted on social media: "I am truly happy to share such a wonderful day with you. Thank you for being born safely into this world," thus publicly announcing the birth of their second child.

A happy event like the arrival of a child would normally be met with widespread congratulations, and many fans were indeed delighted for Ohtani. However, some people have cited the World Health Organization's recommendation that women wait at least 18 to 24 months between pregnancies, accusing Ohtani of treating Mamiko as a "baby-making machine." Others have dug up Ohtani's widely circulated "life plan" chart, where he had written down the goal of having a second child at age 31, and questioned whether he was stubbornly sticking to his own schedule at the expense of his wife's postpartum recovery.

Nevertheless, this negative sentiment is regarded by most as utterly baseless. Renowned Japanese manga artist Mayumi Kurata directly countered: "What? Now even having children born in consecutive years is subject to public scrutiny?" She argued that these keyboard warriors have no right to speak on behalf of others, saying, "Regardless of their financial situation or the state of their relationship, to harass the Ohtanis simply because of a short interval is simply insane."

Prominent obstetrician and gynecologist Migen Song also posted on X a screenshot of a news article titled "Positive and negative opinions about consecutive-year births," and wrote: "What 'positive and negative opinions' can there be about someone having a child? What else is there besides congratulations? Those who constantly nitpick others are simply discontent with their own lives."