Episode 52: Old Friends

April 6, 2026

The other day, I went to meet an old friend. The setting was a steakhouse in Harajuku. I was invited with a message like, "President! Let's get some meat in you so you can stay energized!" Well, I’m always energized, but still...

Since I’m naturally an early bird, I arrived at the shop about an hour before our meeting time (laughs). Since I’d confirmed the location and I was in Harajuku, I thought, "Maybe I should do some shopping? ♪" But I stopped myself at the last second, sat on a nearby bench, and spent the time writing a column.

Returning to the shop five minutes before the start, I saw a familiar figure, so I raised my right fist high to signal him. Even from quite a distance, he noticed me.

The man I was meeting was Abe-san. He was a member of the NJPW staff until a few years ago. He was also a founding member of my podcast, so I’m sure many of you remember his legendary "sharp tongue."

Once we got into the shop and started ordering, the conversation was already in full swing. "Shall we have a drink since it's lunch?" Since it was my day off, I indulged: Steak + Highball. Absolute bliss.

Abe-san was also involved in the project we've been doing with JR Central for the past two years. As a result, it got a huge response, and they even became a sponsor for the Tokyo Dome show where my retirement match took place.

While expressing my gratitude for all of that, we eventually got to talking: "Let's do something fun!" "Yeah, I really want to do something interesting together." I think we had about three drinks while eating our steak. As a result, we both got so hyped that... "President! Let's do something fun!" "Let's definitely do something interesting!" ...We went in a complete circle and ended up right back where we started (laughs).

We said our goodbyes with a "Talk to you soon," and after I got home, I fell asleep immediately (it was around 3 PM).

I think meeting old friends like this is important for checking in on who you are today. It also strengthens my resolve to "be a version of myself I'm not ashamed of" when I see them.

Drawing great inspiration from an old friend, I woke up just before midnight thinking, "Man, I really have to work harder..." (—Yeah, because you slept way too much).