“100-Year President” Ambition—Tanahashi Shares His Vision for New Japan Pro-Wrestling

A Fresh Start

At the traditional January 4 Tokyo Dome event, Hiroshi Tanahashi (49) brought to a close his 26-year career as a professional wrestler and is now focusing entirely on his role as president of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (hereafter NJPW). With his broad chest slightly hunched, he handed out business cards and laughed, saying he had gained weight two weeks after retiring. Indeed, his custom-made suit looked almost ready to burst.

“I’m afraid to step on the scale, so I haven’t checked, but I think I’ve gained about 5 kg. During my wrestling career, I limited myself to ramen twice a year, but this year alone I’ve already gone six times. There’s a ramen shop near the office that’s really good.”

Tanahashi, who used to wrestle wearing hair extensions and in recent years made his long hair a trademark, held a hair-cutting ceremony after retirement to go short and neat.

“The joy of being a professional wrestler comes from being cheered on by so many people. I cut my hair so I wouldn’t feel nostalgic for that life. As president, I want to seek a different kind of joy and fulfillment and turn it into new motivation.”

He was approached by Takaki Kidani, president and CEO of Bushiroad, the parent company of NJPW, and accepted the position in December 2023. Tanahashi, who called himself a once-in-a-century talent as a wrestler—a title recognized by both the wrestling world and fans—used the countdown to his retirement as a training period for his work as a business leader.

“For someone like me who had never worked at a company, becoming president right away in my first year as a professional was obviously going to be tough. Owner Kidani told me, ‘I don’t want you to be just a symbolic president; I want you to look at the numbers seriously and steer the company.’ Since then, I’ve learned in detail how to read and write financial statements, understand the company’s revenue structure, and manage operations. I aim to become a once-in-a-century executive.”

NJPW has about 50 wrestlers on its roster and 70 employees. Including external staff, the organization totals 150 people.

“I made it a point to communicate with everyone, from the young wrestlers to the veterans, to understand what kind of work they were doing and to first gain an overall understanding of the company.”

Devoting Himself to the Company

The new president’s days are long. He arrives at the company in Nakano-Sakaue by 10 a.m. for the start of work.

“Attending meetings and stamping approval documents are important tasks, but what I value most is the morning assembly. How can we continue to energize New Japan Pro-Wrestling? What do fans want right now? I make it a point to hold morning assemblies that raise everyone’s motivation. If we turned what I’ve said in these assemblies into a daily calendar—well, a new door for business just opened (laughs).”

After sitting in the president’s chair until 6 p.m., he visits a sports gym or dojo, continuing the training he undertook to prepare for his retirement match against Kazuchika Okada.

“Even after getting home at 9 p.m., I would check Slack, and if there were no issues, write my column. Now, the time I used to spend training is devoted to company work, such as attending dinners or responding to emails.”

Even after Tanahashi became president, New Japan has maintained its position as the top company in the industry.

“In 2019, New Japan Pro-Wrestling recorded record profits, but we faced tough times during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the second half of last year, the company achieved the second-highest revenue since 2019. My retirement show this year was sold out at Tokyo Dome—the first such full house since Antonio Inoki’s retirement show in 1998—so we can expect even more revenue.”

The legacy Tanahashi leaves as a wrestler is not just ticket and merchandise income.

“The top wrestlers in their 20s to early 30s at New Japan today came of age in their careers just as COVID hit. They went on overseas tours but couldn’t return to cheering fans, or came back to empty arenas. Through my retirement show, we were able to show fans who had drifted away during COVID that today’s New Japan is exciting and has amazing wrestlers.”

Tanahashi, who belonged to the Ritsumeikan University wrestling club, joined New Japan after passing three entry tests in 1999 at the age of 22. At that time, K-1 and PRIDE were at their peak, while professional wrestling was in decline. While young wrestlers were wearing black trunks and following the so-called strong style, Tanahashi’s long, brightly dyed hair flowed as he brought a fresh energy to the squared ring, quickly becoming a popular wrestler.

“Once fans are lost, they don’t return easily, so I aimed to convey the appeal of wrestling to non-fans. During Inoki’s era, the audience was overwhelmingly male. Then someone like me appeared. The outliers get targeted, but I have a strong mindset, so I didn’t get discouraged. Gradually, female fans increased, and recently, those female fans have married and had children, and now they come with their husbands and kids. I’m proud to have made wrestling a genre families can enjoy together (laughs).”

The February 13 issue of FRIDAY and the paid version FRIDAY GOLD feature stories about President Tanahashi’s daily life and his management strategies, inspired by the Dodgers.

For detailed content and multiple photos, click here ↓

From the February 13, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”