President's Diary RSS

April 16, 2026 After finishing my TV appearance in Osaka, I stayed the night there. Even though I had set my alarm for an early hour, I woke up before it even went off. Lately, it's always like this. Am I the man who's faster than his own alarm clock?? Anyway, on this day, I traveled from Osaka to Wakayama Prefecture for a talk event with Tatsumi Fujinami-san at Okuwa, a retail chain headquartered there. Every time I meet Fujinami-san, I get nervous. And since he is still active while I have already retired, that factor probably carries a lot...

April 15, 2026 Last Friday, I was in Osaka for work. I’ve been appointed as a bi-weekly Friday regular for Asahi Broadcasting's afternoon news program, "Okaeri," and it was my very first appearance. Now, everyone... just imagine. Tanahashi as a news commentator. Can he handle it? I have a feeling most of you are a bit worried. To be honest, I am too! When I looked up the definition of a "commentator," it said: "An expert or media personality who provides original commentary and insights on current events, such as politics, society, and sports, on news or information programs." O-o-original......

April 14, 2026 We’re well into April now. A new school term! A new life! A fresh start! For those of you hitting the reset button—congratulations! It’s a brand-new beginning. Did you get off to a good start? Don’t worry if you didn’t. Honestly, if you can just get moving at some point during April, you’re already winning in my book. I’ll give you a gold star. This spring, two new employees joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Both of them have prior work experience. When they came to my desk to introduce themselves, their eyes looked like they were overflowing with...

April 13, 2026 Every day on my way to work, I find myself wondering, "What should I talk about at this morning’s meeting?" I keep hoping, "Please, let some brilliant little story descend upon me!" but before I know it, the office building is right in front of me. And just as you’d expect, I step into the elevator with zero plan. Hiding my anxiety behind a smile, I walk into the office with an energetic "Good morning!" Sitting at the President’s desk, I thought about it even harder. And finally! An image came to me: "It’s important to visualize...

April 10, 2026 When I read post-match comments or interview articles, I often notice something that bothers me. It’s the frequent use of phrases like "I think I’d like to do my best" or "I think I want to win." Using the expression "I want to—" or "I think I'd like to—" seems polite and convenient on the surface. But if you're going to do your best, just say "I will do my best!" If you want to win, say "I will win!" That’s much better, isn't it? This convenient "I want to—" phrasing is actually a magic spell that...

April 9, 2026 Thank you for reading my Presidential Diary. I’m squeezing every bit of inspiration out of my brain to write these, hoping they can provide even a little bit of energy for you. Lately, I’ve received a lot of feedback, opinions, and requests from all of you. I want to share them here so we can work on improvements... and by declaring it publicly, I'm cutting off my own escape route! Here it comes: my "walk the talk" personality! 【Information regarding remaining ticket types is hard to understand.】 We will work on creating a system that is clear...

April 8, 2026 Today, we held the press conference for the upcoming series, "WRESTLING DONTAKU 2026." During the last press conference, I tripped over my words, made mistakes, read things in the wrong order, and then tripped over my words again... I ended up having to do so many retakes. Up until last year, Chairman Sugabayashi was the one usually announcing the cards at these conferences. I’m sure many of you felt a sense of "professionalism" in the cool, detached way he’d read through the list, right? Both last time and today, the conference was pre-recorded, so if I stumble...

April 7, 2026 The other day, I went out for dinner with President Takemori of Lion Corporation. You’re probably thinking, "Wait, is this because of the 'Lion' connection?" (Lions are the symbol of NJPW). Well, as it turns out, President Takemori is a huge pro-wrestling fan! He is 56, which is six years older than me, but we watched pro-wrestling during the same era—the days of the Three Musketeers and the Four Heavenly Kings. Coincidentally, we both took office as President in 2023, but the paths we've walked are... quite different. President Takemori has primarily been involved in the oral...

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...

April 3, 2026 Every day on my way to the office, I find myself thinking, "What should I talk about at today’s morning meeting?" Sometimes great ideas pop up, but when my mind is a total blank, I occasionally just raise my voice and shout to cover up the fact that I have zero ideas. On the surface, it might seem like a disappointing speech (and actually, it is), but in my mind, I’ve achieved at least one goal: "Projecting a loud voice." Even if you can’t clear every hurdle, that attitude of "never giving up" will surely lead to...