Episode 80: Infinite Gratitude

May 28, 2026

It was January 2012 when New Japan Pro-Wrestling became a member of the Bushiroad Group. I was in the 13th year of my career and 35 years old at the time. Ever since I first entered the dojo, I had been doing everything in my power to promote New Japan and fire up the promotion.

Once the Bushiroad era began, the sheer scale of their marketing and promotional power changed the game. Thanks to that, NJPW saw a dramatic increase in fan attendance, and we kept growing right up until the start of the pandemic in 2020.

After pushing through the hardships of those pandemic years, we were finally able to sell out the Tokyo Dome for a packed, roaring crowd on January 4, 2026.

And as you all probably know by now, the ownership of New Japan Pro-Wrestling has changed. Bushiroad Group has transferred its shares to TV Asahi and CyberAgent.

I’m sure this news came as a big surprise to many of you, but the battles inside the ring and the day-to-day operations in the office remain completely unchanged. From here on out, we are going to tighten our focus and work harder than ever before.

As 【Hiroshi Tanahashi】, the feeling that is welling up in my heart right now is pure 【Gratitude】. I have nothing but absolute gratitude for Bushiroad and President Kidani. I will never forget what they did for us.

I believe it is not a mere coincidence, but rather destiny, that I happen to be serving as President at the exact moment we are being reborn into this new structure. I think I’ll go take a little look down this new path we are walking, to see where it leads and how far it goes.

The sheer energy of New Japan Pro-Wrestling is born because our action inside the ring is so fulfilling. That will never change. In fact, we are going to crank that energy up even higher.

Please keep your eyes glued to the battles of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.