Episode 42: Sales Soul

March 23, 2026

I’m learning. Yes, proactively. Leaning in. Getting excited—well, trying not to get too carried away. Please, bear with me.

Anyway, I’ve entered my third year as President, and three months have already flown by. Transitioning to a full-time President... well, "full-time" sounds a bit formal, doesn't it? It feels more like I’ve just swapped "President & Wrestler" for "President & Handsome Older Guy" (lol). Regardless, I’m spending every day at full power.

This year, to ensure I grasp even the smallest movements of the entire company, I’ve been sitting in on meetings for every department. I started with Administration, then moved through Public Relations, Sales, Business Development, Video Production, and Merchandise.

At the Sales Department meeting, I realized the sheer difficulty of securing venues for our year-round schedule and the complexity of planning tour routes that flow smoothly between neighboring prefectures to avoid exhausting long-distance travel.

Currently, NJPW’s Sales Department consists of just five members. While some shows are "wholesale" (managed by local promoters), they personally handle the rest of our 150 annual matches. They go into each region, arrange ticket sales, and handle promotional activities to draw a crowd. They also coordinate with wrestlers for media appearances to spread the word about the upcoming shows.

The sales staff enters a region long before the wrestlers do, sometimes staying for days if necessary. They often can’t get home; one of them even told me with a poignant voice, "I’m basically just paying rent for a place I’m never at."

As pro-wrestlers, our job is to train our bodies and fight with all our might in front of everyone. But we can only focus on fighting because the sales team handles all the groundwork. Conversely, the sales team’s heart is set on the wrestlers: "We want them to have a great match" and "We want them to fire up the crowd."

Back in the 2000s, I traveled all over Japan for match promotions with Mr. Abe, who is now the Assistant Deputy Manager of Sales. During those trips, I heard firsthand how the sales staff felt, which made me feel like I absolutely had to live up to their expectations.

Of course, our priority is making sure the fans enjoy themselves. But I also want our top stars and champions to feel the passion and expectations of the sales staff and turn that into energy. The staff tells me they always pay close attention to the fans' expressions at the same-day ticket booth or overhear conversations while seeing people off after the show. They’re always wondering, "Did they have a good time?"

Finally, I asked them what the most rewarding part of their job is. As expected, they said: "Seeing the venue packed to capacity with a 'Sold Out' sign."

Conveying these staff sentiments to the wrestlers and turning them into motivation—perhaps that is my true job now. Fufufu. Shall I continue to pull the strings behind the scenes?

As the "Shadow Fixer" (← who happens to be the President).