Episode 155: Pro-Wrestlers and Social Media
September 17, 2026
The new series: 【Pro-Wrestlers and 〇〇】.
The memorable 1st edition is about "Social Media" (SNS). We're now in an era where wrestlers can stay connected with fans 24 hours a day through their smartphones.
However, looking back at my career, the early 2000s was a time when even official promotion websites weren't very common yet.
Amidst that, the broadcasting of my words began with my mobile series on Pro-Wrestling Kakutogi DX titled 【Tanahashi no Tanagokoro (Tanahashi's Palm)】.
I remember staring at the screen of my flip-phone (garakei), desperately searching for words on how to convey the charm of pro wrestling.
After that, once the New Japan Pro-Wrestling mobile site was launched, I continued writing 【Tanahashi no HIGH】 with my full power (targeting 2,000 characters per entry) right up until my retirement.
And now, having become President, my writing history continues into 【Hare Nochi Hare (Always Sunny After Sun)】.
Since the dawn of blogs and Twitter (currently X), I have consistently believed in the potential of "individual broadcasting power."
Wrestlers expressing their daily lives, personal quirks, and thoughts extending beyond the backstage on social media holds tremendous explosive power from a business standpoint as well.
Because a wrestler's raw voice reaches demographics that official promotional announcements alone can't touch, becoming the strongest weapon to boost ticket sales, trend on social media, and ultimately cultivate brand new fans.
In a way, we've entered an era where "broadcasting power = wrestler value" directly aligns.
However, now that I've become an "executive" overseeing over 150 affiliated wrestlers and staff members, I face the "double-edged sword" aspect of social media as a tool on a daily basis.
While wanting to respect free expression so fans can enjoy it, how should we protect the mental health of especially young wrestlers, as well as the promotion's brand? There is always a real struggle between management control and the heat of the frontlines.
Even so, my answer doesn't change. It's the fans on the other side of the smartphone screen.
Even as eras progress and the tools for conveying change from flip-phones to smartphones, and from diaries to social media, what we ought to deliver is love, passion, and respect for pro wrestling. And energy for tomorrow.
Moving forward, while capitalizing on each wrestler's unique personality, we will continue creating a "hyped timeline" straight out of New Japan Pro-Wrestling where fans and wrestlers can get excited together!
Though occasionally, tweets from a President who ate way too much will slide onto your feed, though (laughs).