On April 15th, there was a meeting held at Tokyo’s Lower Assembly Hall featuring multiple representatives of promotions and companies in Japan to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the next steps that need to be taken for each of the respective promotions to move forward with their businesses. New Japan Pro-Wrestling, STARDOM, Pro Wrestling NOAH, All Japan Pro-Wrestling, DDT Pro-Wrestling, Diana and Tokyo Joshi Pro were all represented at the meeting and there is a recap of the meeting on NJPW1972.com.
They consulted with the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Hase. There was a request made to have testing kits be supplied to protect the wrestlers and staff within the industry. A proposition was also made to have contracted wrestlers be paid as full-time employees during this time period.
Both Hiroshi Tanahashi and Mayu Iwatani got to speak on behalf of their respective companies that are under the Bushiroad umbrella. Hiroshi Hase had the following to say after Iwatani and Tanahashi spoke their minds about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected the economy in Japan:
“Thank you to the representatives of the professional wrestling industry for sharing their plight, as well as to for the explanations from official bodies today. There are measures we can enact to assist enterprises, promotions and wrestlers during these times, and I would like to continue to discuss them further. This situation will not last forever. Speedy and accurate testing, effective treatment and medicinal development are all things the whole world is working together on. Professional wrestling has a huge and very important role in raising the flag of victory over COVID-19. I ask all staff members and all wrestlers to keep working to be in the best shape possible to spread joy to the fans with incredible matches very soon.”
Here are the list of attendees who were present at the meeting:
- Hiroshi Hase (lower house minister, Liberal Democratic Party)
- Sports Board, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry Representative (unnamed)
- Takaaki Kidani (Company director, Bushiroad Group)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
- Naoki Sugabayashi (Chairman, New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
- Suwama (All Japan Pro-Wrestling)
- Takenori Fukuda (Representative Director, All Japan Pro-Wrestling)
- HARASHIMA (DDT Pro-Wrestling)
- Akira Takahashi (Operating Executive, DDT Pro-Wrestling)
- Naomichi Marufuji (Executive Vice President, NOAH Global Entertainment)
- Masashi Ishiguro (Head of Public Relations, NOAH Global Entertainment)
- Mayu Iwatani (STARDOM)
- Katsuhiko Harada (Representative Director, Bushiroad Fight)
- Yuka Sakazaki (Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling)
- Tetsuya Kouda (Representative, Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling)
- Kyoko Inoue (World Women’s Wrestling Diana)
- Taishi Fuwa (World Women’s Wrestling Diana)
