VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

Chance And Success

Mt. Fuji, Japan (November 2000)---With the coming of fall, nature's brilliant reds and yellows make their annual appearance. In Japan, fall is the season for appreciating the changing colors of the leaves.

Tomoaki Homma, September 17, 2000 and CZW's Zandig, August 29, 2000---Homma and Zandig will have a "Plate Glass Death Match" at Yokohama Bunka Gym in Kanagawa on November 23, 2000. Homma is a "treasure" of the Japanese indy scene today. He loves being a wrestler and still helps to set up the ring and chairs.

We are still in the midst of what seems like an unending recession here in Japan. In the Japanese Puroresu (pro wrestling) business now, New Japan Pro Wrestling keeps running alone, All Japan Pro Wrestling has had much difficulty in selling tickets, even for their traditional annual Real World Tag Team Tournament, and other indy groups have struggled hard to draw 1,000 fans. But, they have to keep running their tough business, anyway. In November 2000, a total of 28 offices and groups have 141 wrestling shows all over Japan.

http://www.puroresu.com/tour.html

Chris Jericho, July 30, 2000---The "Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla" came to Japan for the first time for FMW for $1,200 for two weeks from October 10-24 in 1991. "Y2J" has achieved his great success through his great talent and great efforts. He won't forget those days.

But, there are still lots of opportunities in Japan. If you, as young aspiring "gaijin" wrestlers, love challenges and adventures, then perhaps Japanese Puroresu will be able to satisfy both ... it provides both to wrestlers like Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Eddy Guerrero, and many others. They had very good careers in Japan, and that helped them develop their great abilities.

"Gaijin" is a Japanese word for "foreigner." Not every gaijin wrestler succeeds in Japan. Only limited gaijins can get over in Japan. First of all, living in Japan is very expensive, and you have to break barriers of language, lifestyle, foods, human relations, and wrestling style (which is said to be much faster, much stiffer, and a lot more technical). Plus, there is the traveling every day, trying to work out with a very hard schedule, and the injuries, far away from your home and family. Add the boredom of traveling, and it is all very tough for you, gaijins. There are many things that gaijins must learn in order to fit in this country, and it's true for any country ... "When you're in Rome, do as the Romans do", but it's still very tough.

Bionic J (Jessica Soto), August 29, 2000---Jessica was trained at Al Snow's Bodyslammer's Gym in Lima, Ohio. She lives in ARSION's Dojo in Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan now.

In some cases, you have to agree to receive small offices' inferior working conditions and treatment, including tour schedules and uncomfortable motor coach transferring. The wrestling offices in Japan all have their own tour motor coaches to save spending money. Both Japanese and Gaijin wrestlers are picked up at the Dojo or hotel and ride the motor coach for several hours to the next place. "Dojo" is the Japanese wrestling training system and all-living facility, as its purpose is the training of young wrestlers into main eventers while inculcating them with the strict etiquette, discipline, and special values of wrestling. But, some of the smaller offices don't have Dojo, or nice buses. For example, the trip to Sapporo City in Hokkaido (the northernmost and second largest of Japan's four main islands) from Tokyo is about 14 hours on the motor coach, then eight hours on the ferry boat, and then another several hours more on the motor coach. Young wrestlers have to perform routine duties, set up the ring, regulate the crowd as a second, and take care of main eventers, etc. Chris Benoit, Darrell Peterson (Maxx Pain / Man Mountain Rock), Brian Adams (Crush), Richard Slinger, 2 Cold Scorpio, Taiyo Kea (Maunakea Mossman), Madusa, and Tori (Terri Power) all trained in Japanese Dojo.

(L-R) "Nature Boy" Buddy Landell, James Beard, Big Johnny Hawk (Justin Bradshaw), Booker T, and Steve Simpson, on Kendo Nagasaki's NOW (Network Of Wrestling) tour in March 1993----James said, "Booker was very easy to work with and always had great attitudes with no hint of ego."

We Japanese fans are very different from the American crowds. I think Japanese Puroresu and American Pro Wrestling are two different genres, but I love and have respect for them both and their histories. Puroresu is more of a competition rather than short minute-condensed performances between good guys and bad guys. In the 1990's, CATV and satellite TV have come into wide viewing in Japan, and we can watch the WWF and WCW's scenes on time; then, we have found another way to enjoy Puroresu but still remain pretty quiet throughout the match from our respects. Even we started a behavior of "booing" at the end of 1980's.

The Great Kabuki (Akihisa "Takachiho" Mera) and Juggernaut, July 2000---Juggernaut, who is a wrestler/assistant instructor at the House of Pain Wrestling Training School of ECCW in Vancouver, BC, Canada, really has big respect for his business.

You will arrive at the facility around 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. for the show, which usually starts at 6:30 p.m. here in Japan. Then, you have training with Japanese boys/girls in the ring or rest in the dressing room before the door opens, and then wrestle, shower, and get back on the motor coach to the hotel. After having a late supper at family restaurants or buying a cheap meal at convenience stores near the hotel, you will try to sleep, because you have to wake up early the next day to do it all over again. Some small offices won't give you the hotel rooms. They will leave the facility immediately after the show and drive for the next place all through the night.

We seldom make good without hard work, but LIFE is not only FAIR but also UNFAIR; you may find the chance under those white street lamps, or you may not.

Mick Foley and Leatherface (1995)---Cactus Jack had wrestled about 70 matches in Japan in 1995. He even wrestled in front of less than 100 fans in those days.