President's Diary RSS

May 11, 2026 The final installment of my Young Lion trilogy. The name 【Young Lion】 originally comes from our organization’s symbol—the lion. They are also sometimes referred to as "Wakajishi" (Young Lions). In appearance, they are basic: a buzz cut, black short tights, and black boots. While there isn’t a strict rulebook, their move sets center around fundamentals like elbows, chops, body slams, and dropkicks. When we have enough Young Lions ready, we hold a tournament called the 【Young Lion Cup】. The winner usually receives the "prize" of an overseas excursion. I competed in the Young Lion Cup myself, but...

May 8, 2026 In my last post, I wrote about the significance of being a "Young Lion." This time, I’d like to introduce you to their "ecosystem." Once you enter the Dojo, life in the dormitory begins. Everyone wakes up at 8:00 AM, and cleaning duties for the Dojo, the dorm, the bathrooms, and the outdoor areas are assigned on a rotating basis. Joint training starts at 10:00 AM and can sometimes last until around 2:00 PM. After that, everyone except those on "Chanko duty" (cooking) is free to spend their time as they wish. However, there is an old-school...

May 4, 2026　 In New Japan Pro-Wrestling, wrestlers who have just debuted are called "Young Lions." They wear simple gear—black tights and black boots. Once upon a time, I was a Young Lion too. I suppose now I’m a "Senior Lion"? Actually, since I’m retired, maybe I should go with 【Legend Lion】. That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Anyway, this is a traditional style passed down through the generations at NJPW. Right now, we have so many Young Lions, and even more trainees working hard to make their debut. As a result, the Dojo’s expenses are going up, up, and...

May 3, 2026 The final spot for BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. 33 has been awarded to Daiki Nagai. Following DOUKI’s withdrawal—or should I say, boycott?—it suddenly came down to this. I happen to be traveling with the tour right now for the title match in Fukuoka and for a general site inspection, so I suppose I was able to be useful in an unexpected way. Nagai volunteered, and he was elected on the spot! Years ago, I once shouted into the mic, "With stuff like this, momentum is everything!" to force a tag team pairing (with Goto-san). Having done...

April 30, 2026 Since retiring as a wrestler, it goes without saying that I no longer go on tours. I entered the Dojo in March 1999 and went on my first tour from June to July that year—traveling through Tohoku and Hokkaido as a personal assistant to Choshu-san and Muto-san. For the next 26 years, my life was defined by traveling all over Japan. Now, I’m putting all my effort into office work, but I’m finally heading out on a long-term business trip. The schedule is packed with greetings to our sponsors and PR for our upcoming events, so I’m...

April 28, 2026 After my retirement, we launched a new content series on NJPW World called 【Presi-Talk】. I serve as the MC, inviting a different wrestler each time to sit down and chat. The lineup has been incredible so far: Yota Tsuji for the 1st episode, Shota Umino for the 2nd, and Hirooki Goto for the 3rd. And this time... our guest was Taiji Ishimori. Ishimori-san began competing in NJPW full-time around 2018. With his speed, technique, rough style, and those rock-hard "six-pack" abs, he is a truly magnificent athlete. I had a strong feeling that this episode would have...

April 27, 2026 The other day, I visited the Stardom event in Yokohama on April 26th to provide commentary for the matches. The venue was packed to capacity, and the atmosphere was incredible. For Stardom, this Yokohama Arena show at this time of year is their equivalent of NJPW’s January 4th Tokyo Dome show—their biggest event of the year. I could feel the intense energy radiating from President Okada, the entire staff, and of course, all the wrestlers. When everyone in a company moves as one toward a massive goal, the atmosphere backstage becomes something special. I truly felt that...

April 24, 2026 I first fell in love with professional wrestling when I was in high school. I had started staying up late, and I’d watch the matches with my younger brother. The one I remember most vividly was Kenta Kobashi vs. Steve Williams. Seeing Kobashi-san take those high-angle backdrops over and over, yet somehow still finding the strength to stand back up, truly shook my soul. To use a modern term, I was "totally hooked" (numatta). For the record, the first pro-wrestling event I ever attended in person was an All Japan Pro Wrestling show in 1994 at the...

April 23, 2026 If someone asked me, "Can professional wrestling really expand any further?" I would answer with a confident "NO." That is because New Japan Pro-Wrestling still has an enormous amount of untapped "Room for Growth" (Nobishiro) just waiting to be awakened. In a business context, this boils down to two main pillars: "Global Expansion" and "Integration into Lifestyle." Our overseas strategy is steadily progressing, but there is still so much frontier to explore in terms of providing content optimized for local needs. We can definitely expand our data utilization through "NJPW WORLD," and of course, there’s the hosting...

April 18, 2026  New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s greatest strength is that it is a collection of individuals who possess "thoroughly refined self-production skills." In a typical company, it’s not easy for employees to maintain a mindset of "doing business under my own name." However, every wrestler who steps into the NJPW ring has an intense pride, believing "I am the protagonist." ...Well, at least I want them to have that. Naito used to say, "I am the main character," after all. From a business perspective, this could be seen as the ultimate form of an "autonomous organization." Or, as the comedian...