By: Jeff Brown

All photos below by Masahiro Kubota

For TJPW, the talent is very much on-the-job training, so accomplishing basic maneuvers routinely is the goal in their bouts, in addition to getting across their colorful characters and personas. They all have a long road ahead as far as in-ring performance goes, and that’s something that even the company posted about on SNS: “They all have room for improvement but are loaded with potential”.

2023 saw the introduction of six rookies to the Tokyo Joshi roster, each quite unique from the others. In early 2024, the company debuted four more rookies as the company continues to expand and diversify. It’s very early in their careers, and many of their matches are extremely basic, with offense consisting of an elbow strike, a shoulder block, and a drop kick. The majority of their matches are short and, at times, unpolished, as each young roster member is finding out what they do well and, yes, what they do not do well.

Wakana Uehara
Debut: 1.4.2023 (Korakuen Hall)

Wakana has “it,” and that was apparent from the YouTube series Dream on the Ring as she dominated it. She is very much like Maki Itoh in the sense that she is a strong self-promoter with a savvy social media game. She has a bit of a size advantage compared to much of their roster and is very athletic, with a handspring back elbow that she is focusing on perfecting. Her experience in entertainment really gave her an advantage in regards to confidence in front of a crowd. While Wakana officially debuted on January 4 at Korakuen in 2023, she had been a participant in the above-mentioned Youtube series that TJPW held to find a new roster member and was the winner.

HIMAWARI
Debut: 1.4.2023 (Korakuen Hall)

HIMAWARI is a larger-than-life character who is developing into a power-fighter-style wrestler, picking up and throwing her opponents. Her enthusiasm and use of her long, braided hair make for a lasting impression. She was announced as a rookie at the January 4th Korakuen Hall show in 2023 but had done a short summer run with Actwres girl’Z in 2022; she of course had acting experience and did Action Ring Girl’Z shows as well, so she had zero nerves with her first TJPW matches. Minutes into her first match, she performed a log roll, and it was apparent she was right at home in the Tokyo Joshi locker room. Pre-matches often include her doing a call and response with the audience, which has helped endear her to the fanbase. At Yes! Wonderland 2024, she and Wakana challenged Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo & Suzume) for the Princess Tag Titles.

Shino Suzuki
Debut:3.6.2023 (Shinjuku FACE)

Shino is one of the newest members of the Up Up Girls (the newest member is Uta, who had performed musical numbers prior to making her in-ring debut) and debuted on March 6 at Shinjuku FACE, 12 days before Grand Princess 23. It was an all-Up Up Girls tag match, with Miu Watanabe and Hikari Noa going against Shino and Raku. Shino is putting it together slowly and has an up-for-anything attitude while also being very popular with fans. Her struggles in the ring have become part of her story as she lost to the less experienced Haru Kazahiro at the Max Heart Tournament finals. A big step forward was made at At Yes! Wonderland 2024 when Shino beat Toga to get her first singles victory. There’s certainly a hidden star inside her, and fans will be with her as she discovers it.

Runa Okubo
Debut: 3.18.2023 (Ariake Coliseum)

Debuting last spring at Grand Princess ‘23 along with Haru, she is a 15-year-old who has just started her journey with about 40 matches to her name. Runa has quickly become the most aggressive member on the roster; her hard forearm strikes are so uncharacteristic of the TJPW fun-loving style, and even the veterans seem caught off guard. What she lacks in a moveset, she more than makes up for with anger and passion in every fight she has. Her forceful demeanor juxtaposed with her bright jellyfish-inspired gear is a wonderful addition to each card, and she really is the template for what the new era of TJPW can offer.

Toga
Debut: 3.6.2023 (Shinjuku FACE)

Toga has the size advantage and shows promise, but is a bit tentative compared to the others. She debuted against Miyu Yamashita on the same day as Shino’s match; it was a one-sided contest, but her strengths would soon become apparent. At Grand Princess ’23, Toga set the tone for the new crop of rookies by knocking Mahiro’s head off with a wicked elbow counter, and that really was a wake-up call for Mahiro, who came alive in that match. She has since been teaming with Yamashita and is finding out what type of big power moves work best for her. When she puts all the pieces together, Toga will be involved in title hunts and main events.

Haru Kazahiro
Debut: 3.18.2023 (Ariake Coliseum)

Haru began at the same time as Runa but was a bit more reserved in her early bouts. After seeing Runa’s physicality, she followed suit but added in a lot of cool counters and submission work. Both are somewhat linked because they both began at the same time and are both 15 years old.

For now, the ground game of arm bars and various pins is what she is focusing on, and that helps her stand out from the pack. Her striking is not as refined, but as her confidence grows, she is introducing more complex sequences to set up moves, and that will likely be her key to success. Her win over Shino Suzuki at Korakuen Hall was a vote of confidence for the young upstart, as she picked up her first singles victory.

Chika Nanase
Debut: 2.24.24 (EDION Arena Osaka #2)
Chika made her debut in her hometown of Osaka against Moka Miyamoto, and a shoulder block is her initial signature move. Chika got her first singles victory at Prism 24 when she defeated fellow rookie Uta.

Her mother is active on Twitter and supports her daughter with retweets.

Uta Takami
Debut: 3.3.24 (Shinjuku FACE)
Uta is likely a familiar name and face to TJPW fans, as she has performed with the Up Up Girls in recent months, filling in for Hikari Noa.

She fittingly made her debut in an all-UUG tag match, teaming with Miu Watanabe against Raku and Shino. She has developed a mischievous, almost bratty, younger sister attitude in matches. Her youthful energy is a strong positive attribute as she begins her journey in TJPW.

Kira Summer
Debut: 3.3.24 (Shinjuku FACE)
Kira is from Australia but has been living in Tokyo for six years, working as an animator and illustrator, and has family that are also wrestlers in Australia.

Kira made her debut in a tag match with Nao Kakuta, facing Arisu Endo and Chika. Kira teamed up with joshi legend Aja Kong at Prism 24, wearing Aja’s signature face paint.

Ami Yumoto
Debut: 3.31.24 (Ryogoku Kokugikan)
Ami, a former member of AKB48, is a stage actress who had been in a stage play with Nao Kakuta. She teamed up with Nao for her debut match at Grand Princess ’24 against Mahiro Kiryu and HIMAWARI. While she’s only had one appearance, her dive to the floor in her first match proved she was up for anything, and she has the charisma to win over the audience.

TJPW is in a rebuilding phase and taking a step or more back, but they are setting themselves up with their new generation, who are more physical and serious in contrast to the likes of Raku, Pom, and Neko. To be fair, those three are capable of more traditional wrestling but fulfill a different role for the brand. Their outlandish spirit is still there and should be something that Tokyo Joshi holds onto since it has been a calling card.

However, a sharper edge from this new batch of wrestlers is an exciting evolution in their 11-year existence. As they get up and running, these rookies may be the spark that sets off a leap forward for this unorthodox, inventive company.