President's Diary RSS

March 18, 2026 The last New Japan Pro-Wrestling Taiwan show was in April 2024. I felt like I had been here so many times, but two years have already passed since then. This time, with the cooperation of DAISO, both shows were held at LaLaport. For the regular customers who just came for some shopping, seeing a wrestling ring inside the store must have felt a bit surreal and interesting. Since the event was free, many people stopped in their tracks to take a look. For this Taiwan tour, the local promotion "Puzzle" helped with the ring setup and also...

March 17, 2026 I’ve arrived at the venue. Today's location is LaLaport. It’s a massive shopping mall, so I kept wondering, "Is there actually a spot here big enough to set up a ring?" as I headed over. I saw a huge LaLaport that looked just like the ones in Japan. Even though I’m not competing, that familiar feeling of sharp focus and tension hasn't changed. I walked in through the main entrance like a regular shopper, and as I made my way through, there it was. The ring. It was set up right in the middle of a large...

March 16, 2026 The weather is just right. Wearing a down jacket is actually a bit too warm. I’ve arrived in Taiwan. Now, let me be clear: this isn't a vacation. And it’s definitely not an "all-you-can-eat" gourmet food tour. There's a pro-wrestling event happening here in Taiwan. And even though I’m not actually competing, there I am on the poster—sitting right in the center, looking all important. Wait. Is this a case of "advertising a pedigree but selling a mutt" (selling mutton as dog meat)? Well, I guess you could call it a "desperate measure" (Kunikunosaku)... or maybe just...

March 15, 2026 How long has it been since I was last in Taiwan? Before the pandemic, New Japan Pro-Wrestling held events there frequently, and I remember going many times. But the memories are a bit fuzzy—is it because the last Taiwan show was that long ago, or is my memory just starting to fade...? Even Narita Airport feels nostalgic, even though I used to fly out to the US and the UK all the time. Ah, so this is what "retirement" feels like. When the word "match" disappears from your mind, the lack of tension is truly something else......

March 13, 2026 I haven't been able to visit the venues much lately, but I’ve been keeping up with the NEW JAPAN CUP 2026 by watching the broadcasts on NJPW WORLD. The other day, I watched the main event of the Okayama show: Yuya Uemura vs. Drilla Moloney. It was fascinating. What made it so good, you ask? Well... Moloney’s power was incredible! There were so many "turning points" in the match where I thought, "This is the climax," that my predictions couldn't even keep up. It was truly a main-event caliber match. It’s funny—when you watch a match while...

March 12, 2026 I went to bed early again yesterday. I set my alarm for 7:00 AM, but I woke up at 4:00 AM and couldn't get back to sleep. What a disaster! Well, not really—I just had to use the time effectively. I thought about watching Netflix and my eyes immediately landed on Kingdom: Return of the Great General. I’ve always loved Records of the Three Kingdoms, so I can easily immerse myself in the world of Chinese historical epics. Plus, Togi Makabe-san is in this movie! He plays a very important role as "Hairou," a member of the...

March 11, 2026 I haven't been feeling well the past few days. It started with a fever on Monday night. On Tuesday, I took the day off work and went to the hospital. I took my medicine and got plenty of sleep, but I just couldn't shake it. Wednesday was no better. I even had to reschedule (Risuke!) an interview. I managed to pull myself together for the Ota City Gymnasium show on the 6th, but then it was a whirlwind: an event at Don Quijote in Misato on the 7th, moving to Kobe, a dinner with fans after the...

March 10, 2026 The other day, I had a job giving a lecture. The requested theme was "Second Careers." For a pro-wrestler, this is a topic of great interest. Compared to other professional sports, pro-wrestling has a relatively long athlete lifespan. In fact, I stayed active until I was 49, and many of my seniors are still going strong. I mean, look at Fujinami-san... I never imagined I’d retire before the man I’d been watching since I was a kid! (lol). Anyway, back to the topic. Since retiring, I’ve been receiving more requests for lectures from corporations and local governments....

March 9, 2026 Throughout my life as a pro-wrestler, I have received the gift of "connections" (En) in so many different places. Whether it’s for matches, promotions, or media appearances, no matter where I go in Japan, I often find myself saying, "Thank you for your help back then." Recently, while I was doing a talk event at the MEGA Don Quijote Misato store in Saitama, the store manager from a Don Quijote in Gunma went out of his way to come and greet me. Back in the 2010s, I went to Gunma many times for promotional work. The manager...

March 5, 2026 I can’t deny that it feels a bit "too little, too late," but I’m still struggling to master business terminology. It happens a lot, especially during presentations at Board of Directors meetings. Lately—well, actually, for a long time—I’ve been tripping over the term "Gross Profit" (Arari). It’s read as Arari, not Sori. If it were Sori (which also means "sled" in Japanese), I’d probably just slide right out of the room. But I keep accidentally saying "Sori." Yeah... I’m "Sori" (Sorry). (← And just like that, I "slid"/bombed in a different way. Lol.) So, how about we...