President's Diary RSS

October 21, 2026 For a professional, "imagining the near future" is an extremely important ability. The method is simple: First, decide on the goal (target). Then, try drawing a line from that goal all the way back to your current location right now. When you do that, the sense of distance to the goal (which is surprisingly hard to grasp) and questions like "How do I get there?", "What skills do I need to acquire?", and "What am I lacking?" reveal the precise things you ought to do. It's not just foresight, but "line-sight"—insight from drawing lines! Kita Kore! (Boom,...

October 20, 2026 The other day, after the event at Malera Gifu in Gifu ended, my younger brother came to pick me up by car. Sitting in the passenger seat for the first time in a while, we talked about our recent lives in our nostalgic hometown dialect—"How've things been with you lately?"—as we headed back to our parents' house. To begin with, the one in our family who started watching pro wrestling first was actually my younger brother. From then on, almost every day, the two of us would watch recorded videos of pro wrestling broadcasts over and over,...

October 19, 2026 The other day, I did a public recording of the CBC Radio show Tanahashi Hiroshi's Energy Time at Malera Gifu in Gifu. The guests were Shota Umino and a persimmon farmer from Mizuho City. Between recordings, at the Dole booth, Umino was wolfing down bananas like crazy. The total count was a whopping 10 bananas! Wrestlers really do eat a lot. Since I'm fond of bananas too... I feel a little jealous of him having such a classic wrestler-like anecdote (laughs). Now then, during the public recording, I talked with the persimmon farmer, and while we were...

October 16, 2026 October 12th, the Ryogoku Kokugikan show. In the main event for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Ryohei Oiwa was defeated by Yota Tsuji. Having conquered G1 CLIMAX 36 and standing at the peak of midsummer, Oiwa challenged for the pinnacle of New Japan Pro-Wrestling this time. It was his very first challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Looking at the result alone, he was unable to overcome the Champion's wall. However, as President, and as a professional wrestler who stood in the ring for 26 years, I want to tell Oiwa, "You did a great job." Of course,...

October 14, 2026 With the opening night of the next tour fast approaching, I am particularly interested in the final show at Hiroshima Sunplaza Hall. In truth, for me, calling this venue a place packed with memories - not just from my life as a professional wrestler, but my entire life as a single human being would be no exaggeration... Well, maybe it is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is nonetheless a deeply special venue. Winding back the hands of the clock, there are two memories I can never forget. The first was over 20 years ago now, during the...

October 13, 2026 6,422 people. That was yesterday's attendance at Ryogoku Kokugikan. How do you read this number? First, the facts. Attendance for the October Ryogoku show was 9,234 in 2017, 9,152 in 2018, and 9,572 in 2019. The other side of the COVID pandemic, it was 5,002 in 2023, 6,211 in 2024, and 5,372 in 2025. This year, it was 6,422 people, making it the highest number since the COVID pandemic. This is an increase of 1,050 people from last year, which is about a 20% increase. Compared to 2023, it's about a 28% increase, so the direction is...

October 9, 2026 The two-day Korakuen Hall shows have come to an end. While we were able to obtain better results than last year, there are still plenty of challenges ahead. Switching gears from here, New Japan Pro-Wrestling charges forward toward the upcoming Ryogoku Kokugikan show. In the few days until the Ryogoku show, and throughout the short series over these few days, "preview matches" have been booked for the wrestlers competing in title matches at Ryogoku. In professional wrestling, there is enjoyment not only in the match itself, but also in the time leading up to it. The prime...

October 7, 2026 A match begins the very moment the mic turns on at a press conference. Just a moment ago, I attended the signing ceremony for the Oiwa vs. Tsuji title match as an official witness. Sitting right between both wrestlers, the sharp, crackling tension in the air was transmitted directly through my skin. The battle begins even before the gong rings. It's a preview match of words, isn't it? So today, having appeared in countless press conferences since my active wrestler days (bragging ♪), I will pass down "what to look for in comments" from a President's perspective....

October 6, 2026 In 2007, New Japan Pro-Wrestling held 5 shows at Ryogoku Kokugikan. And I stood in the main event of every single one of them. Back then, even though it was New Japan's home turf, I was an away presence. "He's too flashy and tacky (charai)," "He's not New Japan-like." Boos when I made my entrance, boos even when I won. Telling myself that I had no choice but to turn boos into a boost (a tailwind), attaching hair extensions to look even more flashy and flamboyant—it was during this exact era. In February, a match against Koji...

October 5, 2026 During my active wrestler days, I was pampering myself by leaning on and taking advantage of the fans (amae). "If Tanahashi becomes famous, the venues will become packed with sold-out crowds." There was an era where I kept running forward, believing that to be true. I actively appeared in the media. When walking down the street, I would flash smiles all around (looking like a totally crazy guy, laughs). The objective was to deliver the name "Tanahashi" to people who didn't know professional wrestling. To the existing fans: a heartfelt thank-you for knowing about us. I believed...