Ippei is a close personal friend of Shohei's in addition to being his interpreter, and ESPN reported that he was making between $300,000 and $500,000 for his work as Shohei's interpreter, both when he was with the Angels and with the Dodgers.

Ippei was a familiar face to baseball fans in large part because he was Shohei's constant companion, interpreting for him during media interviews and other public appearances.

He was fired following reporting from ESPN and The Los Angeles Times about his connections to an illegal bookmaker. Sports betting is still illegal in California.

“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” law firm Berk Brettler LLP said in a statement on March 20, 2024.