Japan is commonly divided into eight regions, containing its 47 prefectures, where they live more than 120 million people, including some of the best female wrestlers of all time. From the cold lands of Hokkaido to the beautiful beaches of Okinawa, Joshi wrestlers hail from a variety of cities of the Land of the Rising Sun, including world famous cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto to smaller lesser known parts like Okayama and Kamakura.
Do you know where your favorite Joshi was born? Let’s dive into Japan’s geography and find out.
Hokkaidō
The second largest island and northernmost prefecture of the country is so big that it also serves as its own region. Its capital Sapporo is famous for the homonymous beer brand, the oldest in Japan and holding the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first held in Asia. Living to its cold fame, the prefecture also holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in the country when 41°C (41.8°F) froze out the town of Asahikawa in January of 1902. On the flip side, Hokkaidō is also home to the Sapporo Snow Festival, which was visited by two million people in 2007, the Furano’s lavender fields, the Susukino entertainment district and the Asahiyama Zoo.
AWG’s Ayano Irie was born in Kamifurano, a little village in central Hokkaidō; the Snow Angel’s hometown offers beautiful landscapes, especially flower fields like the Hinode Lavander Garden, the Miyama Pass and Asahino Yamabiko Heights near Tokachi-dake mountain. Going westward, we arrive to Iwamizawa, the birthplace of the mother-daughter duo of Hamuko and Ibuki Hoshi, which holds its own winter festival amongst other kinds of festivities. The former TJPW International and Princess Tag Team champion Hikari Noa is also from Hokkaidō, although she hasn’t revealed her actual hometown.
Tōhoku
The northeastern portion of Japan’s main island, Honshu, consists of six prefectures and it is known for being remote and its scenic open spaces. Sadly, the region is infamous for the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, caused by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. However, Tōhoku also homes views like the Tadami River, Lake Towada and Mount Zaō, and attractions like Hirosaki and Aizuwakamatsu castles, and the Ginzan Onsen hot springs.
Miyagi is the most populated prefecture of the region and Sendai, aside from being its capital, it’s also where the multi-time tag team champions the Jumonji Sisters were born; the DASH Chisako and Sendai Sachiko team was trained in the Sendai Girls dojo, with DASH still being active to this day. Also in Miyagi, Rifu, a village of just 36,000 people, where Nashi pears are grown, is the birthplace of non-other than Tsukasa Fujimoto, the Ace of Ice Ribbon with accomplishments that are too many to count. Speaking of legends from small villages, DIANA’s founder Kyoko Inoue was born in Nan’yo, in the Yamagata prefecture, known for its wine and sake industries. TJPW’s Arisu Endo is from the city of Fukushima, where there are many Onsen on the outskirts of the city.
Kantō
With seven prefectures and more than 40 million inhabitants, this region is the most populated of Japan and the country’s economic and political center. It is also the most developed, urbanized and industrialized part of Japan.
Chiba is home to the widely popular Tokyo Disneyland theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu. This prefecture is the birthplace of independent wrestlers SAKI and Maya Yukihi, retired wrestlers Nao Kakuta and Arisa Hoshiki, Marvelous’ Mio Momono, Stardom’s Saya Iida and legendary wrestler, trainer and founder of Ice Ribbon and ChocoPro, Emi Sakura. With its large flat terrain, the Ibaraki prefecture has a rich agriculture, livestock and fishing industry, while also having a big nuclear energy sector. DIANA’s standout, former Ice Ribbon wrestler Tsukushi Haruka and TJPW stars Hyper Misao and Suzume are from this prefecture.
Shimotsuke, a little city in the Tochigi prefecture, is where Stardom’s young stars and real-life sisters Hanan, Hina and Rina were born. A number of Joshi wrestlers are from the Saitama prefecture, including legends Akira Hokuto, Arisa Nakajima, Bull Nakano, Cutie Suzuki, Dump Matsumoto, Toshiyo Yamada, Mayumi Ozaki and Megumi Kudo; Nanae Takahashi, a legend of her own, and founder of SEAdLINNNG is also from Saitama, as well as Marigold’s Miku Aono, TJPW’s Miu Watanabe and retired wrestlers Hiromi Mimura, Yoko Bito and Reika Saiki.
Kanagawa is the second-most populated prefecture in Japan with more than nine million people, with Yokohama, its capital, having almost four million alone. Indie star VENY, legend Shinobu Kandori, Stardom’s Natsupoi and the mother-daughter duo of Kyoko and Hana Kimura were born in this city. The Shirai sisters, Mio and Io (now known as WWE’s Iyo Sky) are from the city of Kamakura. AEW’s Hikaru Shida, EVO’s Chi Chi, veteran Kaori Yoneyama, Marigold’s Misa Matsui, independent wrestlers, Hiroyo Matsumoto and Marika Kobashi, Stardom’s Saya Kamitani, Momo Watanabe and Syuri, and TJPW’s Yuki Kamifuku and Wakana Uehara are also from Kanagawa.
Officially known as Tokyo Metropolis, is Japan’s most populous city with 14 million people, and more than 40 million in the Greater Tokyo Area. The city of Tokyo is the country’s main economic and touristic center, with more than 15 million visitors every year, making the area have an economy almost as large as Canada’s and larger than some countries like Mexico. Aside from attractions like the Shibuya Crossing, Kabukichō and Tokyo Skytree, the city is also the main destinations for wrestling fans, as it holds shows almost every day, with venues going from Shin-Kiba 1st Ring and Shinjuku FACE to the mythical Korakuen Hall and Tokyo Dome. Joshi wrestlers who hail from the city include AEW’s Riho, Mina Shirakawa and Yuka Sakazaki, legends Jaguar Yokota, Aja Kong, Chaparita Asari, Lioness Asuka and Las Cachorras Orientales (Etsuko Mita and Mima Shimoda), Indie sensation Sareee, Marvelous’ Magenta team (Riko Kawahata and Maria), Stardom’s Starlight Kid and AZM, and TJPW’s Pom Harajuku and Raku.
Chūbu
This region is characterized by extensive mountain resorts in the Japanse Alps. Chūbu also homes Mount Fuji, arguably Japan’s most famous landmark. It consists of nine prefectures. Also, the Toyota Motor Corporation, the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, is headquartered in Toyota City, in the Aichi prefecture.
Aichi is the most populated prefecture and it is full of open-air attractions, mainly preserved historic buldings from the Meji and Taishō periods, and beaches like Himakajima and Shinojima. Nagoya is the capital and economic center; this city is known for its automotive industry, and is where Ryo Mizunami, one of the busiest independent talents in the Joshi scene, and Jungle Kyona, former Artist and Goddess of Stardom champion, were born. Tam Nakano, one of the most decorated Joshi in Stardom, is from Anjō, while Sakura Hirota, the veteran comedic wrestler, is from Owariasahi. Tae Honma, another indie standout, is from the little town of Toyoyama, and the Inaba sisters (Tomoka and Inaba) are from Toyokawa.
Niigata, a prefecture famous for its ski resorts and onsen, is the birthplace of emerging star Chanyota, TJPW star Shoko Nakajima and the living legend and founder of Sendai Girls Meiko Satomura. The Shizuoka prefecture, home of world leading brands like Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, is where ChocoPro’s energetic wrestler Chie Koishikawa and Ice Ribbon’s Kaho Matsushita were born. TJPW’s first Triple Crown champion Rika Tatsumi is from the Nagano prefecture. Chihiro Hashimoto, multi-time Sendai Girls champion, and Pure-J’s Leon are from the Fukui and Toyama prefectures, respectively.
Kansai
Also called Kinki, Kansai is the second-most populated region in Japan thanks to big cities like Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. It consists of seven main prefectures, although the Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori prefectures are often considered to be in this region. Contrary to the Kantō region, which has a more western influence, Kansai tends to be a popular tourist destination to experience a more traditional Japanese experience.
Kobe city, more famous for its luxurious Kobe Beef, is located in the Hyōgo prefecture and served as entrance for trade with the west when Japan’s policy of seclusion ended in the late 19th century, with AWG’s Marino Saihara, indie wrestler Makoto, legend Yumiko Hotta and TJPW’s Mizuki all being born there. Former wrestler-turned trainer Fuka, a key person to the creation of the Stardom and Marigold promotions, is from the city of Nara, which receives thousands of visitors every year, especially in Nara Park, where the Sika Deer roams freely. Ōtsu is a city in the Shiga prefecture and is full of temples, shrines and other attractions designated as National Treasures of Japan, while also being the birthplace of Stardom wrestler Saori Anou.
The Kyoto prefecture is known as the cultural capital of the country and a major tourist destination with numerous sites like the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kiyomizu-dera, collectively designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is also home to the KBS, probably the most beautiful wrestling venue in the world ChocoPro Ace Mei Suruga, powerhouse Maika Ozaki, former DDT wrestler Saki Akai and former SK48 member and TJPW wrestler Yuki Arai all hail from here.
Osaka is arguably Japan’s second-most famous city is known for its regional cuisine, including Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Udon and Oshizushi. a great number of theaters, markets, museums and shopping districts are popular attractions too. Independent stars Unagi Sayaka, Momoka Hanazono and Miyuki Takase (nicknamed The Osaka Phoenix) were born there, as well as Sendai Girls talent Manami and Yurika Oka and multi-time WWE Women’s champion Asuka, A.K.A. Kana.
Chūgoku
Literally translated to “Middle Country”, this region consists of only five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. Sadly, this is the place where the other atomic bomb, “Little Boy”, was dropped. However, Chūgoku has way more to offer, like its long list of museums, ancient temples and cultural and festivals.
ChocoPro wrestlers and real life sisters Miya Yotsuba and Nonoka Seto are from the Hiroshima prefecture. Hardcore wrestler Risa Sera took inspiration from her hometown of Sera to choose her ring name. Stardom’s Konami was born in the city of Fukuyama. From the Okayama prefecture, we have former AWG champion, and former Princess Tag Team champions, the BAKURETSU Sisters, Nodoka Tenma and Yuki Aino, another pair of real life sisters. Fun fact: Nodoka, who is retired, owns a rice farm in the rural part of Okayama.
The Shimane prefecture is the birthplace of Puroresu legend and Joshi icon, Manami Toyota, and Stardom’s Emblem Saki Kashima. Two thirds of the historic trio, Threedom, Mayu Iwatani and Kairi Sane, are from Mine and Hikari, (respectively) in Yamaguchi.
Shikoku
The smallest of Japan’s four main islands and the least populated region, Shikoku is not often brought up when talking about the country, as it has historically been isolated; however, that has led to the region keeping ancient traditions such as the 88-temple Pilgrimage and the Awa Odori, the biggest dance festival in Japan, which attracts more than one million people a year.
With such a small population, it’s not a surprise that few Joshi have come out of the region. Ehime, its largest prefecture, is known for having the oldest extant hot spring in the country, the Dōgo Onsen, with over 2000 years of existence. Former Wave Tag Team champion and COLOR’s member is from the region. Hikari Shimizu, another COLOR’s member, is from Uwajima, famous for the homonymous castle, while former Wonder of Stardom champion, Yuzuki Aikawa, was born in Niihama.
Kyūshū
This region is the southernmost of the four main islands in Japan. It is home to the country’s most active volcano, Mount Aso. Seven prefectures conform Kyūshū, including Nagasaki, where the “Fat Man” atomic bomb was dropped.
Fukuoka is the most populated out of the seven prefectures in the region, and it is famous for the Dontaku Festival, celebrated during Golden Week and said to have begun more than 800 years ago. The prefecture is also the birthplace of some of the finest Joshi wrestlers in recent years, such as Takumi Iroha, the Ace of Marvelous, Mika Iwata, Sendai Girls standout, Maika, former world of Stardom champion. Two prolific tag teams proudly represent the prefecture: Stardom’s Fukuoka Double Crazy (FWC) members Koguma and Hazuki, and TJPW’s 121000000 members Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh.
The Deathmatch Amazon Rina Yamashita and Marigold’s top star Utami Hayashishita are from the Kagoshima prefecture. Former ICExInfinity champion and current Stardom wrestler Suzu Suzuki is from Miyazaki, while the legendary wrestler and trainer Chigusa Nagayo, was born in the aforementioned Nagasaki.
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