Episode 9: Memories of Osamu Nishimura

March 5, 2025

I met him for the first time in 2020 when I was a university student. Apparently the president of the Hosei University wrestling club, which I was a member of, tried to join New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the same time as Nishimura when he was young and got to know each other at the time. Back then I wanted to join a different promotion, but after talking to Nishimura, he told me “if you’re going to wrestle professionally, do it at the top.” He was the one who got me aiming for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Without him I would never have stepped foot on the cerulean blue. 

 
After that, Nishimura-san was very fond of me, and we stayed at his villa in Chiba, we would sunbath at the pool, eat sushi, and go back to the villa to train on the balcony and drink wine from morning to night. He taught me about whiskey, wine, and cigars. Everything was new to me and I still remember it clearly. 

Nishimura-san used to call me "Ryo-chan" and I can still hear his voice repeating in my head. 

I'm sure I'll remember him every time I drink a glass of Suntory Daruma whiskey that he introduced me to as well as this red wine in the photograph. 

Of course I wasn't drinking back then, but other than that it was business as usual and if that day had been the last, I would have liked to have talked with him more. I've been practicing Nishimura's karaoke favorites that we always sing together and I'm slowly getting better at singing them. 

Nishimura lives on in my heart. Please continue to watch over me.