Antonio Inoki’s 65-Year Legacy: The Four Women He Loved and the Loneliness Behind the Legend

The four wives that were never revealed even in his autobiography

“My brother was an extremely lonely person. Contrary to his image as the ‘Burning Fighting Spirit,’ roaring in the ring and defeating his rivals, he was utterly weak against loneliness and was far from someone who would seduce women. He was a theatrical person who seemed to live on the attention and praise of those around him.”

This is how Keisuke Inoki (77), the younger brother of professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, who passed away in October 2022 at the age of 79, described his true nature.

On February 20, Keisuke published his book “My Brother: The Antonio Inoki Only I Knew” (Kodansha), which chronicles Inoki’s post-war migration to Brazil, his encounter with Rikidōzan, numerous historic events in professional wrestling, and his unknown struggles with illness—stories that only his real brother could tell, covering 70 years of history.

While there have been many books about Inoki, none have touched on his personal life, particularly his marriages. Even Inoki’s own autobiography never revealed details about his “four wives.” Here, we introduce some episodes about his encounters and separations with these women.

His first marriage took place in 1965, during his time in the Japan Pro Wrestling Association. At the time, Inoki was 22 years old, and the marriage was de facto. His partner was Diana Tuck, an American woman he met while training in Portland.

“I never met his first wife, Diana,” Keisuke revealed to “FRIDAY.”

“Our family emigrated from Yokohama to Brazil in 1957. My brother, who was scouted by Rikidōzan and joined Japan Pro Wrestling, was the only one who returned to Japan in 1960. Later, we received a letter informing us of his marriage to Diana, but I remember our mother, Fumiko, being deeply depressed. She must have felt that my brother was going somewhere beyond her reach.”

Inoki and Diana had a daughter and lived in a house in Noge, Setagaya, which was previously owned by enka singer Midori Hatakeyama. However, Diana struggled to adapt to Japanese life and returned to the United States in 1969, ending their four-year marriage. Tragically, their daughter, born from this union, passed away from illness at the age of eight.

A family effort in raising the flag

The next woman Antonio Inoki dated was actress Mitsuko Baisho (78), introduced to him by veteran wrestler Michiharu Toyonobori.

With her older sister, Chieko Baisho (83), already a national icon thanks to the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series, their lavish “100-million-yen wedding” at Keio Plaza Hotel was widely covered in the media. However, right after the ceremony, Inoki clashed with the upper management of Japan Pro Wrestling over reforms and was expelled. He then focused on establishing his own organization, New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Keisuke Inoki returned from Brazil to join the new company as a salesman.

“Mitsuko-san’s support was indispensable in launching the promotion. She even volunteered to record the announcements for New Japan’s events, played from the publicity trucks. It was truly a family effort.”

In 1973, while the Inoki couple was shopping at the Isetan department store in Shinjuku, rising heel wrestler Tiger Jeet Singh (80) ambushed Antonio Inoki in the street, creating a now-legendary scene.

“I was there at the time. I remember desperately trying to hold Mitsuko-san back as she attempted to rush toward them. She was not just Inoki’s wife; she was his comrade-in-arms during his prime as a wrestler. Though they divorced in 1987, we still keep in touch with her and their daughter, Hiroko.”

Inoki’s third wife was “Ms. A,” 22 years his junior, whom he announced his engagement to in 1989, alongside his candidacy for the House of Councillors.

“They met at Osaka Airport and happened to sit next to each other on the same flight, which led to their relationship. During the engagement press conference, my brother made it seem like he took the initiative in their marriage, but the truth is, he was quite reserved when it came to women. He never proposed himself—he was always the one being pursued. Whether he truly followed his famous creed, ‘I’ll accept any challenge, anytime, anywhere,’ I can’t say, but when it came to relationships, his motto was definitely never turn anyone away.”

The big stand-up fight between women

In the late 2000s, a dark shadow began to loom over Antonio Inoki’s marriage with A.

At that time, Inoki was living a life traveling back and forth between America, where A. and their child resided, and Japan. However, behind the scenes, he had grown close to a woman living in Tokyo—his final wife, photographer Tazuko Hashimoto (who passed away in 2019 at the age of 62).

Hashimoto, originally a still photographer, is said to have met Inoki in the mid-1990s. Later, she accompanied him on his visits to North Korea as a politician and acted as both his public and private partner. Meanwhile, she distanced his family, relatives, and old friends from him. Keisuke speculates that her intention was to monopolize the privileges that came with being Inoki’s wife.

Sensing the presence of another woman near her husband, A. returned to Japan and stormed into the office of IGF, the wrestling organization Inoki was involved with at the time. There, she confronted Hashimoto, and the two engaged in a fierce altercation.

“It was an intense shouting match between the legal wife and the mistress. Hashimoto even left a woman’s coat in Inoki’s car on purpose to make sure A. knew she was there.

Right before A. returned to Japan, a women’s weekly magazine exposed Inoki and Hashimoto’s hot affair, and it is said that this was part of her carefully planned strategy.”

In 2011, A. and Inoki divorced, and she cut all ties with the Inoki family.

“I am aware of the foolishness of speaking ill of the deceased, but even so, I cannot forgive Hashimoto to this day. Not just me—Hiroko, Inoki’s daughter with Mitsuko, and her children were also unable to maintain contact with him.

Because of this, my brother spent his final years in isolation from his family, forced to battle his illness alone. This, too, is part of the truth of his tumultuous life.”

The grave Hashimoto built in Tsuta Onsen, Aomori Prefecture, did not contain Inoki’s remains—this was Hiroko’s decision.

Never revealing his true self as a lonely man, the ‘charismatic figure of the wrestling world’ departed this life.

From the March 14-21, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”