President's Diary RSS

March 4, 2026 Ever since I started going to the office every day, the biggest change has been my sense of the days of the week. When I was an active wrestler, my daily routine only shifted slightly based on whether I had a match or not—though Sunday match times were usually a bit earlier. I was appointed President in December 2023. That means for 24 years, from my debut in 1999 until then, my daily life was pretty free. In other words, I didn’t really have a grasp on the days of the week (← that’s a problem). I’d...

March 3, 2026 I really can't let this one slide without mentioning it. Yes, I'm talking about... [Yuto’s Diary] As I was reading it, I thought, "Wow, that’s a lot of words," but it had such a unique, conversational rhythm that I found myself bouncing through it. His thoughts. His feelings for the fans. I think the reason he can write with that level of intensity is because there are no "impurities"—like worrying about how people will perceive him. Now, saying that makes it sound like my own writing is full of impurities... Well, yeah, it is. It’s packed with...

March 2, 2026 [Tatsumi Fujinami, Masakatsu Funaki, and Hiroshi Tanahashi Talk Event] The other day, I attended an event hosted by Belc. Since I was appearing alongside such great legends, I was feeling a bit nervous. In terms of career length, I’m the junior, yet somehow, I’m the only one who’s retired... Now, what do these three people have in common? Do you know? Is it our good looks? (lol). The answer is: we have all published training books. Back when I was a university student, I used to train while reading Funaki-san’s physical transformation books. At the inaugural Pancrase...

March 1, 2026 I love clothes. This was heavily influenced by a jeans shop that opened in my neighborhood back when I was in high school. Brands like FULL COUNT and DENIME were denim labels I had never heard of before. Trembling at price points that were hard for a high schooler to reach, I saved up my allowance and New Year’s gift money to finally buy a pair. I was so obsessed with getting that "perfect fade" that I used to sleep in them. I even took a bath while wearing a pair of raw denim once, turning the...

February 28, 2026 I attended a wedding recently. It was a truly wonderful ceremony. I felt that the personalities of both the bride and the groom really shone through. Now, the groom had asked me in advance to give the "toast" speech. I’ve only done this once before in my life... and man, was I nervous. Honestly, more nervous than picking up the mic at the Tokyo Dome (lol). In terms of the program, I was scheduled to go right after Chairman Sugabayashi’s brilliant congratulatory speech (which was seriously moving). At that point, I was in a "there’s nothing left...

February 27, 2026 Business Dinners (Kaishoku). They happen quite often. I decided to look it up. "A business dinner is a setting where two or more people gather to eat for the purpose of socializing, exchanging information, or building relationships with clients (entertainment). It holds more significance than just a simple meal and serves as an important business tool for establishing trust." Purpose is relationship building... φ(･･ Holds more significance than just a meal... It’s a business tool... ＿φ(￣ー￣ ) As I thought, if you don't approach it with a clear "purpose," you won't get results. Even with training, having...

February 26, 2026 On NJPW World, we have a program called "PRESIDEN-TALK." It’s a show where I welcome a guest each time to discuss their current thoughts and dreams for the future. The first guest was Yota Tsuji, and I’ve just finished recording the second episode with Shota Umino. What I felt after the recordings is that both Tsuji and Umino have a clear vision for the kind of wrestling they want to do and where they want to go. Yeah, they’re really something else. What’s that? Are you asking if I didn’t have a vision back then? O-of course...

February 25, 2026 I had a recording job in Nagoya, so I headed straight back to my parents' house in Gifu afterward. I stayed there because there was a show in Nagoya on Sunday. The "living information" you gather at a venue—the matches, the atmosphere, the attendance—is incredibly important. From those things, we find points to improve and new ideas are born. Plus, just watching the wrestlers is a huge source of inspiration. Right now, I’m holding meetings at the office with every department and speaking with all the employees. I’m listening to their job details, goals, and requests (it...

February 24, 2026 On a certain day, I headed to Nagoya for a TV program shoot. When you board the Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya is practically right there. It’s over in a flash. It's better to tell yourself, "The trip is halfway over," the moment you’re cheering because you saw Mt. Fuji from the window. Otherwise, you’ll end up in a frantic rush when it’s time to get off. Well, after finishing the recording, I could have just headed back to Tokyo. However, since Sunday and Monday (a public holiday) were off, I thought to myself, "Why not head back...