Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling's Sayuri Namba Nears Ring Announcer Graduation: "How to Interact with Pro Wrestlers"

Sayuri Namba of Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling is set to graduate from her role as a ring announcer after seven years of service. Her remaining appearances are at four shows: June 7 in Shinagawa, June 14 in Shin-Kiba, June 21 in Kofu, and June 22 at Ryogoku KFC Hall. While her final call will be at Ryogoku KFC, the June 14 Shin-Kiba show is titled “Sayuri Namba’s Make-Your-Dreams-Come-True Special” and will, in a sense, spotlight her as the main attraction. At the June 14 event, it seems that various wrestling-related dreams of hers will be fulfilled all at once. Looking ahead, her post-graduation dream is to move abroad. She hopes to live in Canada on a working holiday visa and pursue a new dream of teaching Japanese. So what did pro wrestling mean to her? "It’s like I found the pillar of my life!” she says, describing how deeply she fell into the world of pro wrestling. But how did it all begin?

“Back in the day, I was an underground idol, and one of our jobs was to perform live during intermissions at pro wrestling shows. That was my first exposure to wrestling. But none of us in the group knew anything about pro wrestling. Honestly, I just thought it was scary. If you don't know how to watch it, it’s hard to enjoy, and I kind of felt like outsiders weren’t welcome. Still, after our performance, we got to watch the second half of the show—and that’s when the Brahman Brothers came out. They sprayed water on the audience, and it was such a shock—it left a deep impression on me! (laughs) What surprised me even more was that the fans getting sprayed actually looked like they were having fun. That was the moment I realized, ‘Wow, pro wrestling is really fun.’

“And after the show, fans came up to us and said, ‘That was fun,’ even though we were nobodies from the lowest tier of the idol world. I thought, ‘How kind of them.’ Even among us members, we talked afterward and said, ‘That was kind of awesome, wasn’t it?’ My image of pro wrestling totally changed after that.” After that, the group she had been part of disbanded. Originally aiming to become an actor, she shifted her focus to stage performances. Around that time, she met Chiho Tomiyama, who was already active as a ring announcer.
“I had the chance to perform in a play with Tomiyama-san, and that brought back memories of pro wrestling. Since she was working as a ring announcer, she would come to rehearsals after finishing her announcing jobs. Tomiyama-san is sharp and cool, right? That really struck me—she became like a role model, like an older sister I looked up to. I was drawn in by her image and thought, ‘Being a ring announcer is actually really cool.’”

Around that time, a university friend happened to tell her that AbemaTV was holding auditions for female pro wrestlers and ring announcers. She thought, “Maybe I can become a cool woman like Tomiyama-san!” And so, she headed to the audition venue...

“I was wondering, ‘Why are they making us change into tracksuits? Why are we doing physical measurements? I want to be a ring announcer…’ But I told myself, if I work hard here, maybe something will open up. Maybe being a ring announcer is a position you can only reach if you're capable of doing all sorts of things.”

She forced herself to go along with it and completed the audition. Later, she was called into the office, and when she went in, they said: “Would you like to become a pro wrestler with Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling?” So, it turned out that the audition was mainly for aspiring wrestlers. “I thought, ‘Ah, I knew it. So then... what happens with being a ring announcer?’” At that moment, she decided to speak up boldly: “I want to be a ring announcer!”

“I think it was Takagi (Sanshiro) who said, ‘Actually, Yuki Aino, who’s been doing ring announcing, is about to debut as a wrestler—why don’t you take over after that?’” Having officially joined Tokyo Joshi Pro as a ring announcer candidate, she made her formal debut on May 3, 2018, at Korakuen Hall after a trial call arranged by Yuki Aino. That event was also Aino’s pro wrestling debut match. In front of legendary former NJPW ring announcer Kero Tanaka, Sayuri Namba made her first official call. “I was incredibly nervous that day. But Kero-san’s presence meant so much to me. I was feeling intimidated, but he told me, ‘When you’re doing the call, that moment belongs to you—express yourself however you like.’ And I could really see how he embodied that in his own style. Of course, if I’d gone completely free-form from the start, it would've been a disaster! (laughs) But Kero-san’s words have stayed with me. I still recall them whenever I feel small or overwhelmed—they’ve really been a source of strength.”

Since then, Namba has called matches in TJPW, becoming a key figure who stands at the gateway to each wrestling event. In a sense, she became the "face" of the promotion. So how does she view the wrestlers she announces into the ring? “I think of a ring announcer as someone who sends the wrestlers off and also supports them. Sometimes I get a little too into it and end up banging the gong more than I’m supposed to (laughs). Have I ever wanted to wrestle myself while watching matches? Oh, definitely. Quite a few times, actually (laughs). Probably because everyone’s matches are so exciting. But if I became a wrestler, I wouldn’t be able to watch the matches anymore, would I? (laughs)”

So it’s precisely because the matches are so fun to watch that she’s glad to stay on the announcer side. Since Namba became a ring announcer, the number of wrestlers in Tokyo Joshi has grown significantly. However, there’s generally only one ring announcer. So how has she built relationships with the wrestlers, given her unique position? “When I first joined, I had no idea about the wrestlers’ routines or customs, so I was super reserved. I was just focused on making sure I didn’t offend anyone. But I was so stiff and nervous that some of the wrestlers would come up to me and say, ‘Hey Namba-chan, want to grab a meal with us?’ That’s how I started to open up. Before matches, everyone’s super focused, and afterward, they’re totally exhausted—but during downtime, when they’re not in match mode, we get to chat, and I’m reminded how genuinely charming everyone is. Like, sometimes I get invited to go to the pool with them. During moments like that, everyone’s vibe is completely different.”

Because she isn’t a wrestler herself, Sayuri Namba says that wrestlers sometimes come to her for advice. With fellow wrestlers, rivalry often gets in the way—no one wants to show weakness to someone they might face in the ring. “Yeah, sometimes someone will just let something slip and say, ‘This is something I can only tell you, Namba-chan.’ I don’t even know if it’s really advice they’re seeking or if they’re just venting—but either way, I’m honestly happy about it. I know everyone to a certain degree, and I think it's easier for them to talk to me because I’m not too close, but not too distant either.” She’s played a valuable role as a bridge between the wrestlers and the promotion. But now, she’s drawing a line and taking the next step toward a long-held dream: “The truth is, I’ve always wanted to live abroad.” Her destination is Vancouver, Canada.

“I think of life as a stamp rally. I want to try everything. When I do something, I get to ‘stamp’ it in my heart. I love collecting those experience stamps. Being a ring announcer is one stamp. My photo book Kinema Meme is another. And now, living overseas is going to be another one. “But among all those stamps, the one for pro wrestling is just way too special to me. Back when I quit job hunting as a college student to go into entertainment, it was because I wanted to be an actor. Honestly, I still do. I still want to act. But I love pro wrestling so much that sometimes I feel like that love outweighs even my desire to be an actor. Pro wrestling is such an overwhelmingly powerful presence in my life—it’s scary how much it wins out over everything else (laughs). That’s why I feel like I’ll probably do something related to wrestling again someday.” So even though she’s graduating from her role as a ring announcer, there’s a chance she may return to the wrestling world after her time abroad. When asked what Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling means to her, she answers:

“Cute, cool, and strong—it’s this mysterious promotion where all of those things coexist. It really is a mystery. Like, take Mizuki-san—doesn’t she defy logic? How can someone so tiny be that strong? It doesn’t make sense. I wish a biologist or physicist could analyze her body and explain it to me. It’s not normal to be that cute and that strong at the same time. And it’s not just Mizuki-san—why is everyone in this promotion so tough? It’s still a mystery to me! (laughs)”