Hello!!
Thank you so much to everyone who attended our Sunplaza Hall event the other day!
When I looked out from the ring and saw the floor packed all the way to the restricted-view seats, I was so moved I could cry.
Through big matches like this, I truly realize all over again that Senjo is number one.
And this week kicks off a three-show stretch: VENY-san’s self-produced show at Korakuen Hall on Friday, Senjo’s Fukuoka event on Saturday, and our Okayama event on Sunday!!!
At VENY-san’s self-produced show:
Match 4 Jaguar Yokota & Yumiko Hotta vs. YUNA & Selene Misora
This will be my first time facing Jaguar-san and Hotta-san.
And my first time tagging with Selene-san.
I’m really looking forward to this match, wondering if I’ll get to experience that same rush of excitement I felt when I fought Aja-san for the first time. Plus, I want to truly take to heart what it means to be invited and chosen for this self-produced show, and go in there with the fiercest glare and highest fighting spirit of anyone in the ring.
At the Fukuoka event:
A singles match against Matsumoto-san.
Being able to wrestle in Fukuoka once a year is something I look forward to so much. That’s because it’s the hometown of my beloved band, THE FOREVER YOUNG…
Lately, I’ve been facing Matsumoto-san a whole lot, and the rate at which I get completely wrecked has been going up.
I don’t think Matsumoto-san is reading this column, so I’ll just say it: my goal in Fukuoka is to bust out GO STRAIGHT and get the win! Look forward to it!
At the Okayama event: Yurika Oka & Mika Iwata vs. YUNA & Chihiro Hashimoto
It’s the main event!
An all-Senjo main event. And in Okayama, no less.
Okayama is home to two incredible bands: Aburina Town and UNFAIR RULE.
This will be my first match against Niki Banana since last month’s event show.
Having Double Crown Champion Hashimoto-san by my side gives me an unreal sense of security, though things got a little awkward between us with HCT, so I’m just a tiny bit worried.
Still, this is a match you absolutely cannot miss.
Let’s meet up somewhere along this three-show run!
Setting this week’s highlights aside, let’s get to the main topic for today.
Right now, Senjo is recruiting new trainees.
In fact, over five resumes have already arrived, and I’ve been surprised to see so many girls at the merch tables and on social media saying they want to become pro wrestlers in Senjo.
I’d love to talk a bit about the things I did when I wanted to join Senjo, and what I really feel now that I’m here.
Of course, basic physical fitness is a major prerequisite, but if I had to say, I think mindset (the mental side) is also super important.
I originally had a pretty weak mentality, but Senjo really toughened me up lol.
Training your mentality is super difficult—unlike lifting weights, it’s not something you can just decide to train and immediately build up, and everyone has different thresholds for what they can endure and how they process things.
For me personally, as I went through day-to-day life here, rather than saying I became “mentally strong,” I think “I got used to it” or “I learned to adapt” is the closest way to put it.
Because of the irregular daily schedule, I also felt that the mental fortitude to keep up with that pace is indispensable. I’m a pretty spontaneous, footloose person by nature, and I was never good with the strict, regular routines back when I was in school—so ironically, an irregular lifestyle actually suits my natural rhythm right now.
Also, I quit being a pro wrestling fan for about half a year.
When I say I quit, I mean I stopped going to watch shows live.
I put some distance between myself and pro wrestling.
At the time, I was living a “pro wrestling is life” kind of existence, so I tested myself to see if, even after stepping away from pro wrestling as a hobby, I still loved it and genuinely wanted to become a pro wrestler.
In my mind, that was the right call.
While I was away from wrestling, I started going to live music clubs a lot and found something I loved with the exact same passion as pro wrestling. Now, that has become an emotional escape for me, a place where friends I made actually come out to watch my matches, and an outlet to let everything out.
And as for why I chose Senjo.
I don’t think I’ve ever really talked about this much.
There are a few reasons, Status one being that the teachings of my judo master back in middle school were all about valuing the fundamentals. I felt that really connected to how Senjo approaches training and the ring. Also, because I lived in Miyagi Prefecture, Senjo’s presence naturally felt close to home in my everyday life.
I supported Senjo as a fan of the whole promotion rather than having one specific favorite wrestler, and looking back now, I honestly think that might have been for the best. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to stay close to someone you idolize or wanting to train under them, but personally, precisely because someone is my idol, I’d rather they stay at a distance.
That’s exactly why, by joining Senjo, I feel I’ve been able to get to know my seniors for who they really are, learn from them, and build a genuine respect for them.
I’m sure there are people who became interested in joining because of Senjo Damashii. And that makes me happy. However, what’s shown on Senjo Damashii isn’t everything, so I really hope people don’t judge the whole experience based solely on that.
One more thing I was really careful about was social media.
Simply put, I imagined the future when I would actually become a pro wrestler, and I didn’t want to do anything back then that would put my future self at a disadvantage.
There are great things about it, like friends I made through wrestling coming to cheer for me, but social media is a scary place where you can get exposed and all kinds of things can happen! lol
Well, I guess that’s about it!
I talked about a lot of things toward the end there, but above all else, it comes down to heart! Age might factor into it to some degree, but as long as you have that love for it, you’ll be fine! Because the power of loving something is truly incredible.
If there’s anyone out there still hesitating about their path in life, having the courage to take that first step is what matters. Life will work itself out one way or another.
See you next week!
This Week’s Song
PRAY FOR ME / All my reason
Translation Notes
- Senjo (仙女): The standard Japanese portmanteau and fan/industry shorthand for Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling (Sendai Joshi Puroresu).
- Sunplaza Hall (サンプラザホール): Refers to Sendai Sunplaza Hall, the premier concert and event venue in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, where Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling holds its major marquee events.
- Restricted-view seats (見切れ席 – Mikire-seki): Seats located at extreme angles (often behind the entrance stage or pillars) where part of the ring or entranceway is obstructed. Opening and selling out these seats indicates a massive, beyond-capacity crowd.
- Eye pressure / Fiercest glare (眼圧高め – Gan’atsu takame): Literally “high intraocular pressure,” this is modern Japanese slang used to describe staring someone down with intense, wide-eyed, intimidating focus.
- Matsumoto-san / Aja-san: Refers to regular Sendai Girls’ outsiders and veterans Hiroyo Matsumoto and Aja Kong.
- THE FOREVER YOUNG / Aburina Town (炙りなタウン) / UNFAIR RULE / All my reason: Japanese punk and indie rock bands. YUNA is an avid fan of the Japanese live house (indie rock/punk club) scene. THE FOREVER YOUNG is a melodic punk band from Kurume, Fukuoka; Aburina Town and UNFAIR RULE are rock bands from Okayama; All my reason is a melodic punk band from Nagoya.
- GO STRAIGHT: Both a reference to a signature move/spot YUNA is aiming to hit and a nod to the song “GO STRAIGHT” by the Fukuoka band THE FOREVER YOUNG.
- Niki Banana (ニキバナナ): The tag team name of Mika Iwata and Yurika Oka.
- Double Crown Champion (2冠チャンピオン) & HCT: Chihiro Hashimoto holding dual championships, and “HCT” referring to Hashimoto Chihiro Team (or a recent faction/unit dynamic involving Hashimoto) where minor comedic or storyline friction occurred between them.
- Footloose / Spontaneous person (フッ軽人間 – Fukkaru ningen): Slang contraction of futtowaku ga karui (light footwork), describing someone who is always down to go places on a whim, adaptable, and doesn’t get bogged down by rigid routines.
- Supporting the whole promotion (箱推し – Hako-oshi): Idol and wrestling fandom slang meaning to support an entire group, unit, or promotion as a whole (“the box”) rather than exclusively cheering for one single member (tan-oshi).
- Senjo Damashii (仙女魂): Literally “Senjo Spirit,” referring to documentary/behind-the-scenes features and video content highlighting the grueling training and daily lives of Sendai Girls trainees and wrestlers.
- Getting exposed / Doxxed (晒されたり – Sarasaretari): Internet slang referring to having past posts, private accounts, or embarrassing photos dug up and publicly shared on social media once someone becomes famous or debuts professionally.