Hiroshi Tanahashi made his first address to NJPW staff on Monday morning as the new President of the company.
His “morning assembly” remarks were captured on video and posted to YouTube.
He said (OpenAI translation):
I have been appointed as President and Representative Director. I am Hiroshi Tanahashi. Once again, I ask for your kind support.
As a wrestler, seeing the smiles of fans from the ring is truly the greatest joy. However, these smiles come from the cumulative efforts of various departments – from ticket sales and public relations to the creation of event programs and promotional materials.
It’s everyone’s collective effort that enables us wrestlers to see those smiles. Therefore, I aim to further develop New Japan Pro Wrestling into a company that brings even more happiness to our fans.
I ask for everyone’s support in this endeavor. Let’s embrace the challenges ahead of us, no matter how daunting they may seem.
The comments were greeted with applause.
Tanahashi took over from previous NJPW President Takami Ohbari on December 23rd as part of a shake-up of the company’s management structure.
A press conference is scheduled for December 26th to introduce the new management team.
新日本プロレスリング株式会社、代表取締役社長に就任した
棚橋弘至の朝礼のご挨拶をYouTubeショートで緊急アップ!【新日本プロレス】棚橋弘至 新社長、朝礼のご挨拶 #shortshttps://t.co/R8CZ2o3VoB#棚橋弘至 #njpw pic.twitter.com/Ku3QGDXzDc
— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) December 25, 2023