Hello, everyone!
Lately, my days have been an absolute whirlwind.
Being busy is a good thing, and it’s something I’m grateful for.
If anything, I actually prefer keeping busy, but since I’m only human and need to rest, I spent my two days off catching up with friends and holing up at home.
We have our Sendai Sunplaza Hall show this week, followed by a three-show run next week! Things are only just getting started.
Anyway, you could call this installment a continuation of my last column. I’d love to answer some more of the questions you all sent me on Instagram!
First up:
“What would you be doing if you weren’t a pro wrestler?”
Originally, I was planning to go to university to study photography—I was hitting the books and even going to cram school for it—so I’d like to think that version of me became a photographer!
At this point, I can’t imagine being anything other than a pro wrestler, so I haven’t really thought about other jobs. Still, you only live once, so I’d love to try my hand at all kinds of things.
I worked part-time at a ramen shop for about two years, and since I really love interacting with people, I enjoyed working in customer service. On the flip side, I’ve also worked part-time cleaning hotel rooms, where you barely interact with anyone at all.
Conversely, I’ve never worked the kind of job where you’re locked in a staring contest with a computer screen all day, so I wonder how I’d do with that…
I think anyone who takes pride and respect in what they do looks badass, no matter the job. A second career is still a long way off for me, but this made me think I should give it some real thought one day.
Second:
“How do you switch between ‘on’ and ‘off’ mode as a pro wrestler?”
In one of her lessons, Meiko Satomura once told us something along the lines of, “A pro wrestler is a pro wrestler anytime, anywhere.” (Sorry for paraphrasing with “something along the lines of”!)
Lately, more and more people have been coming up to say hello to me out on the street, which has really driven that lesson home. Whether it’s how I carry myself day-to-day or what I eat, you never know who might be watching, when, or where—so I stay on my toes to make sure I never tarnish the image of what a pro wrestler should be.
So my answer to this question might just be that there is no “on” or “off.”
Third:
“Whose entrance theme song do you like best, besides your own?”
I have so many answers for this.
Entrance themes are the best, aren’t they? I think it’s wonderful how a single song can capture a wrestler’s image and entire presence.
Plus, as a huge fan of bands, I get so hyped whenever I realize, “Wait, this wrestler uses a song by that band!” Like Kenoh using “Shitsuren Mosh.”
I’ve mentioned my own entrance theme plenty of times before, but it’s a song called “Alright” by PRAY FOR ME. It’s on YouTube and streaming services, so please check it out!
Honestly, I might actually get happier when people compliment my entrance music than when they compliment me!
Anyway, getting back to the main question:
I’d have to say Toru Owashi, the Brahman Brothers, Yuki Ueno, SANADA, Yuya Aoki, Ryuji Ito, and Syuri, right around there.
I also love unit and promotion themes—I really loved the themes for MAD BLANKEY and the Jimmyz, too.
Whenever I hear those tracks, all the memories come rushing back like, “Man, those were the days!!”
And that wraps up the Q&A corner!!
Thank you all so much for sending in so many questions!
On October 10, we have our Sendai Sunplaza Hall event.
Match 5: Tag Team Match (1 Fall, 20-Minute Time Limit)
Hiroyo Matsumoto & Ryo Mizunami vs. Manami & YUNA
When I saw this card, I felt that I’m being tested in a completely different way than I was up through last year.
No longer being in the opening match or competing in the junior division has made me reaffirm what is expected of me right now. It’s been three years since my debut. Precisely because I’ve finally graduated from that stage, I want to break out of my shell and enjoy pro wrestling even more. Aiming for the victory that lies on the other side of enjoying myself, they’re formidable opponents, but I’ll join forces with Manami and give it everything I’ve got!
Today is Thursday. I actually have something super important coming up today, so I’m a bundle of nerves. It’s a first for me. Stay tuned for the official announcement!
See you next week!
Song of the Week:
CHINESE HOODIE / ENJOY YOURSELF
Translation Notes:
- “Holing up at home” (家で引きこもりをしたり / ie de hikikomori wo shitari): Hikikomori strictly refers to acute social withdrawal (shut-ins), but younger Japanese speakers frequently use it hyperbolically in casual conversation to mean being a total homebody and refusing to step outside on a day off.
- “Cram school” (塾 / juku): Private after-school preparatory academies in Japan attended by high school students studying for competitive university entrance exams.
- “Locked in a staring contest with a computer screen” (パソコンとにらめっこ系の仕事 / pasokon to niramekko-kei no shigoto): Niramekko is a traditional Japanese children’s game where two players stare at each other and try to make the other laugh first. Idiomatically, pasokon to niramekko means sitting at a desk staring intensely at a computer monitor for hours on end.
- “Looks badass” (かっけー / kakkee): A colloquial, slightly tomboyish contraction of kakkoii (“cool” / “stylish” / “admirable”). It reflects YUNA’s energetic, youthful speaking style.
- “Sorry for paraphrasing with ‘something along the lines of’!” (的なでごめんなさい / -teki na de gomen nasai): YUNA summarizes a teaching from Sendai Girls founder Meiko Satomura (whom she respectfully calls Satomura-san) using the casual conversational suffix -teki na (“-ish” or “something like”). Realizing how informal it sounds to summarize a legendary mentor’s philosophy with slang, she immediately adds a parenthetical apology.
- サブスク (Sabusuku): Short for “subscription,” the standard Japanese term for music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
- “Stay tuned for the official announcement!” (リリースお待ち！ / Ririisu omachi!): In Japanese entertainment and pro wrestling, ririisu (release) commonly refers to an official press release or public announcement from the promotion (though in music contexts it can also refer to a media release).
- Puroresu Entrance Themes & Indie Punk References: YUNA is an avid fan of Japanese punk, melodic hardcore, and indie rock, which heavily colors her entrance music discussion:
- Kenoh’s “Shitsuren Mosh” (失恋モッシュ): Pro Wrestling NOAH star Kenoh enters to “Shitsuren Mosh” (“Heartbreak Mosh”) by veteran Japanese punk/hardcore band GARLICBOYS.
- PRAY FOR ME – “Alright”: YUNA’s own entrance theme, performed by Sendai-based melodic punk band PRAY FOR ME.
- Wrestler Theme Mentions: She highlights a diverse lineup of iconic themes across Japanese wrestling: freelancer Toru Owashi, extreme comedy twin tag team the Brahman Brothers (Shu and Kei Brahman), DDT Pro-Wrestling star Yuki Ueno, NJPW’s SANADA, Big Japan Pro Wrestling’s Yuya Aoki and deathmatch legend Ryuji Ito, and STARDOM’s Syuri.
- MAD BLANKEY & Jimmyz (ジミーズ): Two iconic, beloved rival factions from Dragon Gate during the 2010s, remembered fondly by fans of that era for their high-energy unit themes (“MAD BLANKEY” and “Go! Go! Jimmyz!”).
- CHINESE HOODIE – “ENJOY YOURSELF”: Her “Song of the Week” is a 2025 track by Tokyo-based pop-punk/indie rock band CHINESE HOODIE.
- Graduating from the Junior Division (第1試合、ジュニア戦がなくなり): In Japanese wrestling, rookies spend their first few years working the opening match (dai-ichi shiai) and competing for junior titles (for wrestlers with under two or three years of experience). YUNA captured the Sendai Girls World Junior Championship in August 2025 and passed the three-year mark in August 2026, moving her firmly into the main division alongside partner Manami against heavy-hitting veterans Hiroyo Matsumoto and Ryo Mizunami.