Episode 45: Dragon Ice
March 26, 2026
The second installment of the Youme Town presents Tatsumi Fujinami x Hiroshi Tanahashi talk show. This time, our special guest was Liger-san.
On the Shinkansen to Hiroshima this morning, I found myself thinking... "I’m the most junior person here today. It’s been a while since I've been in a situation like this. Fujinami-san is in his 55th year of his career... Since I retired this year at 26 years, to match him, I’d have to... keep wrestling for another 30 years? Wow."
Compared to Fujinami-san's pro-wrestling career, I haven't even reached the halfway point. It’s so staggering that I stopped thinking about it and just stared at Mount Fuji (escapism).
Upon arriving at Hiroshima Station and heading to the venue, memories of past matches in Hiroshima came flooding back. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that no matter where I go in Japan, those kinds of memories will be waiting for me.
At the venue, I greeted Fujinami-san and Liger-san, and the talk event kicked off. The conversation was full of that unique "veteran flavor." This event was held inside a Youme Town shopping mall, and an incredible number of people showed up. The seated area was packed, and there were so many people standing in the back. Most importantly, being seen by regular shoppers who just came for their groceries is vital. How do we create "touchpoints" between pro-wrestling and the general public? That is my current challenge. Ideally, it’s best if active wrestlers are out there, but I want to continue providing this kind of "rear-guard support" that I can do right now.
By the way, the MC, Kendo Kobayashi-san, was so hilarious that I was just cackling the whole time.
On the Shinkansen back, Fujinami-san happened to be sitting in the seat right in front of me. He was ordering something from the lady with the snack cart. Then, Fujinami-san turned to me and asked, "Tanahashi-kun, would you like some ice cream too?" "Oh! Yes! I’d love some! Thank you!"
That Shinkansen ice cream Fujinami-san treated me to... I don’t think I’ll ever forget that taste. It looks like the next event is already being planned, so I’ll keep working hard on "creating touchpoints."