Shohei Ohtani’s Dog ‘Decoy’ Receives Joke Visa from U.S. Embassy in Japan: Passport Number ‘000MVPUP000’

Ohtani's dog had became one of the biggest light-hearted mysteries of the MLB offseason last month

Shohei Ohtani’s dog Dekopin (referred to as Decoy) received an honorary visa from the U.S. Embassy in Japan this week in the form of an oversized mock document that jokingly identified the canine as "000MVPUP000."

Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor and current U.S. Ambassador to Japan, met with the Dodgers star and gave him a mock visa designed just for Decoy.

“Thrilled to meet trailblazing two-time MVP Ohtani-san again – my lucky day,” Emanuel posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Maybe next time I’ll be fortunate enough to meet his MVPup, Decoy. – this ‘visa’ should help.”

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Ohtani shared an image of the visa on Instagram Story, which was reposted on X by the MLB. The snapshot showed that the fake document was filled with jokes.

Decoy’s age was listed as “N/A Dog Years,” his passport number was listed as “000MVPUP000,” his control number was listed as “000GOODBOY000” and his VISA type was listed as “canine.” The mock travel document also states that Decoy has dual nationality between Japan and the United States.

Ohtani, 29, and his brown and white pup first made headlines when the then-Los Angeles Angels star appeared on camera with his well-behaved pet while awaiting his second-straight American League Most Valuable Player award last fall.

The small Kooikerhondje dog “stole the show” during the virtual MVP awards ceremony, according to Sports Illustrated. The MLB and its broadcasting partner Fox even poked fun at how much attention the spaniel was receiving on social media, posting an image on X of Ohtani and his dog with the caption: “The MVP and Shohei Ohtani.”

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Ohtani, who is famously private about his life outside the baseball diamond, later played coy about his pet dog for months as baseball reporters tried to find out more about the animal, starting with his name.

However, when Ohtani announced he was joining the Los Angeles Dodgers last month in the biggest off-season free agency deal in MLB history, the back-to-back MVP also finally revealed his dog’s name.

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At a press conference for his contract signing with the Dodgers, the MLB slugger was finally asked point-blank to tell fans his dog’s name: Decoy, Ohtani explained to the reporters in the room.

“I figured it would be hard for American people to pronounce it, so he has an American name,” Ohtani told the media via his longtime translator Ippei Mizuhara, according to the Associated Press.

Sports reporters immediately saw the irony in Ohtani’s pet’s name, after the MLB star’s months-long, mystery-filled free agency decision led reporters on a wild goose chase. Dodgers reporter Matthew Moreno posted the news on X that fans could call Ohtani’s dog “Decoy.”

“Which given how his free agency went, is perfect,” Moreno joked.

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