Koji Uehara, the former Yomiuri Giants ace who later helped the Boston Red Sox win the World Series, had a family moment go public when his son posted a three-shot family photo taken on September 13 — his mother Miho’s birthday — to Instagram. The post, captioned with a message of thanks written in English, made news, and on 5ch’s Geinou/Sports Breaking News+ board reactions were largely warm (“this photo is so good,” “looks like a close-knit family”). At the same time, plenty of posters couldn’t resist comparing Miho’s current look to her days as a model and race queen, so the thread ended up split between those focused on the family’s warm vibe and those fixated on how the years had changed her.
Ex-model wife shows her face: Koji Uehara’s family photo draws “This photo is so good” and “Hope Miporin stays healthy and full of energy”
A three-shot photo of former Yomiuri Giants and MLB star Koji Uehara with his wife and son has become a talking point.
Son Kazuma posted a family photo the three of them took on September 13, his mother Miho’s birthday, along with playful pictures that show off her personality, to Instagram — adding a message of thanks written in English.
A big-hearted mom type (kimottama kaachan — a tough, warm matriarch figure)
7AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:08
Re: #1
Something about the first photo cracked me up lol
Looks like a close family
14AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:11
Where's the ex-model wife Miho in this?
All I see is some Latina-looking auntie
26AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:16
Re: #14
However you look at it, she was clearly a Latina-style beauty back in her younger days
15AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:11
Uehara's the kind of guy who'd spray champagne right in Ichiro's face — his mental game must be ironclad
18AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:13
Re: #15
Kansai guys just go for it and figure they can apologize later
17AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:13
Seems like a guy with real initiative, having fun with life
19AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:13
Uehara's always posting pics of himself riding the Keio train line — what's that about?
20AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:14
He used to talk about his 'underdog spirit' (lol) but didn't he get something like a 600 million yen signing bonus?
21AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:15
Kind of nice that this is boosting Uehara's likability lol
And nobody's trashing his wife either
30AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:18
With baseball players you can really tell good character from bad just by the face
This guy's one of the good ones
72AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:44
Re: #30
Pretty sure he wasn't that popular on Twitter though
32AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:20
First time I've genuinely liked Uehara
34AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:21
Gives off real 'good mom' vibes
Jealous
36AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:22
I remember it being said on TV that his wife was a model and a smoker
37AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:23
Looks like she's about double her race-queen-era weight
But honestly I like her more now than back in her race queen days
39AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:24
Precisely because I sense so much potential
I wanna see photos from her prime
42AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:24
Sorry but it's weird how someone like this ends up married to a multimillionaire while some gorgeous, wholesome woman marries a broke guy and works a part-time cashier job
Feels backwards!
46AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:29
Their son was so cute when he did that interview in America as a little kid
50AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:32
His wife during her modeling days
59AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:36
Guess 'Daddy Cool's' son is about this age now too
He was a southpaw pitcher — wonder what he's up to these days
61AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:37
Back when I was working part-time at a convenience store as a student, the manager who'd been there like 20 years told me — right after a couple I'd just served had walked out — 'those two used to be a total looker couple back in the day.' You could kinda see traces of it, but yeah, time is cruel.
65AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:39
She's like 50, right?
Go look at your own wife or mother
Time is cruel to everyone
69AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:41
He's doing well streaming, right?
Haven't watched the content but it had a million views
70AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:41
Didn't Miporin nearly drown in the bath or something?
71AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:44
Writing 'ex-model wife' kind of makes it sound like they got divorced
73AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:45
I mean, this whole generation is in their 50s now
77AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:51
Even Izumi Ogami (a TV announcer once known for her looks) is just an ordinary middle-aged woman these days
79AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:00
Another horny old bachelor getting worked up again
81AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:04
She seems like the big-hearted mom type who'd wrap you up in total acceptance — solid for life
Honestly I assumed she'd be more done-up, the glammed-up 'gorgeous forty-something' (bimajo) type from a decade back
My apologies, Lord Uehara
83AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:06
There's an old photo of the Ueharas from back when they were younger, together with a good-looking volleyball player and his wife — all four in one shot. Looking at it, Uehara's wife and the handsome volleyball player actually seemed like the better physical match, while the volleyball player's wife was pretty plain and not exactly a looker. Made me think, yeah, in the end it really comes down to earning power.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Koji Uehara made his name as the ace of the Yomiuri Giants before becoming the Boston Red Sox’s closer and helping the team win the 2013 World Series. This story centers not on the well-known former player himself, but on the fact that a family photo of his wife and son — who have rarely shown their faces publicly — was released. The news article itself was a low-key piece about a family photo taken to celebrate the wife’s birthday on September 13. Where opinions in the thread diverged was over whether the wife’s current appearance matches the impression given by her “former model” title, which led to a stream of posts comparing her to old photos from her race-queen days. Changes in appearance over the years are something that can happen to anyone, but since some posts veered into baseless old rumors and personal digs, those portions have been left out of this article. Comments about Uehara himself skewed fairly positive, with many posters expressing approval of how much he values family.
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