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sana-yan · 1 year

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Just 4 Guys formed in January of this year with the "remnants" of Suzuki-gun and became "5 Guys" with the addition of SANADA, quickly becoming a central unit in the New Japan scene. Taichi was the "bridge" for SANADA joining the team, and the latter would later win the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at Ryogoku on April 8, 2023. The two men, who share a common background in All Japan Pro Wrestling, have long resonated with each other and candidly discussed the past and present in a friendly atmosphere.

Interviewer: Toru Ichikawa / Photographer: Yoshihisa Kikuta Published in: Issue No. 2240 (May 3, 2023)

NOTE: This interview was conducted around April 10, 2023. DISCLAIMER: I am not a native Japanese speaker, and while translating, I utilized ichi.moe and yomichan transliteration dictionaries to get the most accurate meaning. I've attached a link to the unedited Japanese text here. Please let me know if there are any discrepancies. I will correct any mistranslation. I also tried to emulate the layout of the magazine as best as I could and add in some extra behind-the-scenes images (which will be noted as my own inclusion). As always, please do not share outside of Tumblr! Thank you, and enjoy!

Taichi sensed the signs of a "big shot" from a young SANADA!?

Ever since their days in Suzuki-gun and in Los Ingos, respectively, the two's singles competitions against each other have shown their roots through their offense and defense.

Apr. 8, 2023. All team members seconded for SANADA in Ryogoku and exchanged jokes backstage.

INTERVIEWER (INT): We arranged a talk between you two at the world's fastest pace.

TAICHI: Nah, I'll do it on YouTube later tonight. [laughs]

SANADA: It'll be released first. [laughs]

INT: That's only just a video.

TAICHI: And this here is text.

(Extra inclusion.) Apr. 10, 2023. Taichi and SANADA pose for a photo to plug Sana-yan's first live on Taichi's YouTube channel following SANADA's victory over Okada at Sakura Genesis 2023.

INT: This is in writing for the first time in this country. So, how did you feel when you look back on Sanada winning the belt in Ryogoku?

TAICHI: As you can see, his match was completely different from the Sana-yan of the past. He was a completely different person. Everyone who saw it felt that, didn't they? The costume, the hairstyle, the entrance music...

INT: Sanada, whom Taichi called "Kenichi Mikawa"* in a comment after the match, had a sparkling entrance.

TAICHI: You're teasing me this early? [laughs] Before the match in the locker room, we had "Scorpio Woman"* playing. [laughs] We relaxed in the room so Sana-yan wouldn't be tense. We thought it'd help him loosen up by telling jokes and drinking tea.

INT: Taichi, you were leaning forward and shouting during the match.

TAICHI: That's right. We were excited, but we were also desperate. We were also afraid that Sana-yan and we could fail at this point.

INT: It felt as though the entire unit was fighting together (with Sanada).

TAICHI: Oh yeah, even if he didn't know it. [laughs]

SANADA: No, no. [laughs] I could hear his voice, and for the first time, I thought it was great to have a second. I heard precise advice such as "rest now" and "attack now," which gave me confidence during the match.

TAICHI: We're not just a unit. We're going to win together. [turning to Sanada] Because LIJ is a business unit, aren't they? [laughs] We aim to win collectively as a team and rise to the top together.

SANADA: It's an amazing feeling, thinking of what we'll be building from here on out.

TAICHI: I wanted to create a unit with a never-before-seen scenery.

INT: The sight of Sanada being carried on your shoulders after the Ryogoku match was reminiscent of the 90s All Japan Pro Wrestling, similar to Misawa Mitsuharu of the past.

TAICHI: Naturally, with me, Uncle Nobu, and Sana-yan in the middle, our blood stirred to do something old school. If you win a belt, it should also have a shoulder ride, no? [laughs] I think it was good for us as a trio together, and I'm sure Uncle Nobu's presence was also very significant for Sana-yan.

SANADA: All three of us (from our debuts to our tenure in All Japan) didn't overlap.

TAICHI: We never lived together at the dojo. When Sanada was still young, I once raided the dojo as a surprise. [wry smile]

INT: Why did you raid the dojo?

TAICHI: I was having dinner with Old Man Kihara (Kihara Fumito, the AJPW ring announcer), and we talked about heading over to the dojo. There happened to be a wooden sword at the dojo, so I put on a full-face helmet and went into where the trainees were sleeping. I should have said, "It's a joke," but because I left with my helmet on, the young guys had no clue who I was even at the end. Maybe instead of being surprised, they were afraid. [laughs]

INT: Sanada, you once said that your first impression of Taichi was that he was a "yakara"*, right?

SANADA: Hahaha!!

TAICHI: I guess if you were attacked with a full-face helmet. [laughs]

INT: I think his appearance is more than a "yakara," though. [laughs]

TAICHI: After the raid event, I went to the public baths with Old Man Kihara*, who was doing a diet then. He went into the sauna many times and collapsed from dehydration.

Since Old Man Kihara is such a prankster, I thought, "Yeah, yeah, another one," and let him be until someone had to call the ambulance. As the staff rushed in, I thought I better leave it to them, so I ended up drying my hair with a hair dryer. [laughs]

After I was at the hospital, I called the All Japan Dojo, told them of Old Man Kihara's situation, and asked someone to come over. One of those people ended up being Sana-yan.

INT: At that time, there were young trainees who came to the hospital.

TAICHI: There was another young guy, and he and Sanada said they'd look after Old Man Kihara. Then, Sana-yan poured a bunch of candy on the waiting room chair and started to snack. "We'll eat and wait for him," he said while munching, and I thought to myself: who the hell are these guys? [laughs]

SANADA: At the time, I didn't like alcohol yet, so I gravitated towards sweets.

TAICHI: I told them Old Man Kihara had collapsed, but they appeared unconcerned and ate sweets. [laughs]

INT: In a way, that's a big response. [laughs]

TAICHI: No, really. I was a bit taken aback. I thought this guy was going to be a big shot. [laughs]

INT: By the way, Sanada, did you ever watch a Taichi match when you were a fan? (T/N: Meaning before Sanada became a pro wrestler.)

SANADA: Yes, I had.

INT: What was your impression?

TAICHI: There weren't any, right. [laughs]

SANADA: You had brown hair, no?

TAICHI: I think I colored my hair brown halfway through.

SANADA: At that time, Akira Raijin-san, the leader of the training camp dorms, was like this... [bows deeply] ...in front of Taichi-niyan. For the training camp dorm leader to be like that...

INT: So you had an image of a scary person. [laughs] Taichi, you met SANADA in Mexico before he joined New Japan, didn't you?

TAICHI: Ah, we met for a moment.

SANADA: We met during the month I was in Mexico after exiting All Japan.

TAICHI: It wasn't more than a greeting, just a "hello."

INT: Until Sanada entered New Japan in 2016, you two had no in-ring contact.

Although from a different unit, Taichi, who always cared, made me "feel love." - SANADA

{page 2}

SANADA: But, when I arrived in 2010, Taichi-niyan wasn't in New Japan.

INT: He was working at NOAH around this time, right?

SANADA: Even after he returned, we didn't have a match. Really, I believe it's been a recent thing.

INT: Taichi originally started saying "Sana-yan" because he created a character resembling Sanada in one of his video games, right?*

SANADA: Ah, it was very similar. [laughs]

TAICHI: It resembled him incredibly! [laughs] The name Sana-yan was easy to say, so I ended up calling it that on my own.

INT: There was a period where the two of you kept in touch through the organization's website diaries, but Taichi, did you feel sympathy towards Sanada?

TAICHI: In a way, I was curious about him, being from All Japan Pro Wrestling. I often said this for years since we competed against each other, but it felt like he had something great that was being wasted. Long before I was comfortable around Sana-yan, I said, "At this rate, he'll be a midranger (T/N: midcarder) if he doesn't change." I was a little worried about him. I know it was selfish and meddlesome, but I told him.

INT: Midrangers are overshadowed somewhat, aren't they?

TAICHI: That's right. Yellow or peach would still be better. [laughs] Something "green" is ordinary, like a nobody. I thought that was a waste.

(T/N: Taichi is riffing on the word "mid" sounding phonetically similar to midori, the color green.)

INT: Sanada, how did you take in Taichi's remarks?

SANADA: It resonated with me that he cared about me even though we were in different units. After all, one wouldn't usually say it, right?

TAICHI: Other guys have the attitude of not giving a damn about what happens (to anybody else).

SANADA: I felt loved that he dared to tell me, especially in a situation like that.

INT: You said you felt loved!

TAICHI: I don't know much about what Love is, but...

INT: Whether or not it was love, there was a lot of resonance between you both when you swung in your singles matches, right?

TAICHI: Somewhere, I realized that every time I did a singles match with Sana-yan, it was as if my true self came out. I was amazed, seeing the self I didn't know I had within me emerging. Conversely, I wondered if it was the same for Sana-yan. If he'd do things he wouldn't in LIJ when he was up against me. I thought what happened in the ring brought us closer together.

INT: How did you see the situation where Sanada could not reach the top?

TAICHI: Watching it, I thought he would surely be a midranger. Takagi, who came in from the middle of the pack, moved with a bang to the place I wanted Sana-yan to go. But you took something like the US title once, didn't you?

SANADA: Yeah, I picked it up.

TAICHI: But you got injured (with an orbital floor fracture). Even though he was in an enemy faction, I felt a sense of dread at the time. In wrestling, luck is also a kind of skill. Maybe Sana-yan didn't have the skills to hold the US title.

To lose the singles belt you worked so hard for due to injury felt like something was still missing, like the gods of pro wrestling said, "You're not ready to be a champion yet; isn't there something more you need to awaken?" I wondered if such forces were at work.

"I want to work with Takagi again and change my landscape." - Taichi

INT: In last year's G1 Climax, Taichi, you said to Sanada, "Why are you in that place?" After you said those words, it felt like the distance and the relationship between you two began to change around that time.

TAICHI: There's the G1, but the actual decisive moment was in the first round of last year's TV title tournament.

INT: The match was in Sanada's hometown of Nagaoka.

SANADA: Around that time, he asked me something like, "Won't you join me?"

TAICHI: It's plain to see. Looking back (at the fight footage), you can see we discussed it in the ring after the match.

INT: What prompted you to make such a direct offer back then?

TAICHI: It was a period where the faction members (Suzuki-gun) were looking in different directions, as there were talks of disbanding, so I was wondering what to do should the unit disappear.

During that time, Sana-yan's usual demeanor would be there, but a different Sana-yan would come out when he fought against me in a match. I thought if he worked with me, the things he couldn't catch up on, the talents he couldn't find results with, all those things I could help cover. So I asked him if he wanted to join me. To which Sana-yan asked, "Is Taichi-niyan going to be in (Los Ingos)?"

INT: He thought you were going to join! [laughs]

TAICHI: "No, no, Sana-yan is coming over here." The topic really started from that point forward.

SANADA: I thought I was being set up when he said that. I wondered if I was getting pranked.

TAICHI: What kinda prank is that! [laughs]

SANADA: I worried it might be some kind of trap.

TAICHI: I thought, "You should have moved up quickly (in the ranking)," but he seemed to give the impression of, "No, I'm fine here." I wished he was a little more greedy. He didn't need anything pretty; if he let go of his obsessive hangups, he could go far. It felt that LIJ's Sana-yan was becoming rigid.

INT: With that in mind, did you consider earnestly recruiting him into the unit at the beginning of the year?

TAICHI: I had been recruiting him since the TV title match, and in my mind, I believed my persistent prods would gradually work. That's why on January 5th (at New Year Dash), when I said that the four of us would go and change the scenery, I was sure he wouldn't join. I believed I was partly at fault for saying needless things, resulting in Sana-yan's poor performance and causing him to lose his way in his matches.

"I didn't want him to revert to the Sana-yan he had been in LIJ; I believe it was absolutely the right thing to do." - Taichi

Taichi / Real name undisclosed. Born March 19, 1980 in Ishikari, Hokkaido. Debuted at All Japan in December 2002. Around 2006, he started to appear on the New Japan ring, and became a member of Suzuki-gun in 2011. Moved up to heavyweight in 2018, and won the IWGP Tag, NEVER Openweight, and KOPW titles. Finisher: Black Mephisto. 177cm, 100kg. SANADA / Real name: Seiya Sanada. Born January 28, 1988 in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture. Debuted at All Japan in March 2007. Left in June 2013, joined WRESTLE-1, and worked freelance, before joining New Japan in April 2016. He was a Los Ingobernables de Japon member until he left in March of this year. Finisher: Deadfall. 182cm, 100kg.

{page 3}

INT: On January 5th, at Ota Ward, you envisioned Sanada joining your team.

TAICHI: I told my teammates that Sana-yan might choose us.

INT: Sanada joining the unit wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing but something that had been set into motion.

TAICHI: Yes, although it was possible we weren't going to be together, we started to feel something the more we had matches against each other. And little by little, each nudge led to the action in March at Korakuen Hall.

INT: Honestly, what's the atmosphere in the unit like now that Sanada has joined?

TAICHI: It's crazy good. We four were already like that, so when Sana-yan joined, I didn't want him to revert to the Sana-yan he had been in LIJ. So, as I mentioned, we played "Scorpio Woman" and tried to make him laugh with our antics. As you can tell from the backstage, he started to laugh more often.

SANADA: I could bring out my natural, true self. I thought it would be best not to embellish it.

TAICHI: If people notice that side of you outside the ring, that aspect would also naturally appear inside the ring. As a result, he's come this far now. To a casual viewer, we might seem childish (with our backstage talks), or they might think we're doing a comedic bit, but I took a chance to do that and genuinely believe it was the right choice since it's led to the present-day Sana-yan.

INT: How do you plan to proceed from here as a unit?

TAICHI: Now that we've taken our first step into the new scene, we'll be a one-trick pony if we just keep calling out, "Sana-yan" this and "Sana-yan" that. Of course, myself, Uncle Nobu, Douki, and... I don't know about Taka [laughs], we should move together to see the new scenery. Uncle Nobu has the juniors (title), and I want to work with Takagi again and change my landscape.

INT: Regarding KOPW, Taichi, you said you didn't care if the title wasn't on the line.

TAICHI: I'd certainly appreciate it if the title was on the line, but I've already lost three times in a row, so who am I to demand they put the title up for grabs? Because of Takagi, I fell into a huge slump last year and couldn't win any singles matches. I have to defeat Takagi, the opponent who made me fall into this state, to move forward. Anyway, I'm only asking for a singles match. If KOPW happens to be included, that would be even better for my landscape.

INT: And as for its rules?

TAICHI: I'm in no position to declare the rules, so Takagi should decide. We could even do a "Return Sana-yan"* match if he wants. [laughs]

INT: It'd be too revolutionary to have the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion move to a different faction in the middle of his reign. [laughs]

SANADA: I want to do a shoulder ride.

TAICHI: You want to do it the other way around? It's a dream, then! [laughs] Will you and Uncle Nobu do it together? For real? Then let's get that on the cover (of Weekly Pro Wrestling) too! [laughs]

INT: Making shoulder rides a regular part of the tradition would be nice.

TAICHI: We'll carry whoever is the central person on our shoulders. Because no one is the boss, or the leader, so whoever stands out at the time is the best. So if Uncle Nobu wins the junior belt, the two of us will do it together.

INT: I would love to see Kanemaru being carried around. [laughs]

SANADA: It's a dream. [laughs]

TAICHI: Old school All Japan style is still a new scenery. [laughs] Even if Uncle Nobu doesn't make the junior title, we still have Douki and Taka... though I don't know about Taka. [laughs]

INT: Sanada, you're set to defend against Hiromu.

SANADA: Hiromu-san said that if he wins the belt, he wants to go up against Naito-san. I feel he's using the IWGP belt and me as a stepping stone, so I want to show him that it's not such an easy belt to win. I barely managed to get this belt, so I want to say that this isn't something that can be taken lightly.

TAICHI: Well... it could be a shot at you. Perhaps there's jealousy that you became a champion after leaving. But there's a chance that if he messes up (against Uncle Nobu), the three of us could be in Fukuoka holding singles belts and riding on each other's shoulders, no? It's a dream~ "Triple Crown Champions!" [laughs]

INT: Is there anything else you'd like to do with Sanada outside the ring?

TAICHI: I'm working two jobs as (a wrestler and) a YouTuber, so I thought it'd be nice to show the world the other side of Sana-yan that hasn't been seen before. He said he's curious about playing pranks, too.

SANADA: I badly want to try. I've seen prank videos on YouTube, and I want to cream (pie) someone in the face with a bam! I want to do it.

TAICHI: You think that'd work on Uncle Nobu? I'm sure it'd work on Taka. [laughs]

In the upcoming series, Kanemaru and Taichi will be carried on the shoulders... "Shoulder rides" will be a part of this faction's tradition!

The J5G team was on the cover of last week's issue. Will we see this scene again in the next series?

Footnotes:

Kenichi Mikawa is a gay drag personality and onnagata singer.

The "Scorpio Woman" Taichi refers to is the single by Kenichi Mikawa, not the song by Jimi Hendrix.

やから (yakara) is a slang word with various meanings, both positive and negative, meaning someone of the same "clan/blood/background" as you (kindred), or that they're "thugs/delinquents," etc. Taichi definitely fits both terms lmao. This word is mainly used in the Kansai dialect. Since SANADA's hometown is in Niigata, which is in the Chūbu region closest to the Kansai region, he sometimes uses this dialect.

Read more about Taichi and SANADA's first encounter here.

Read more about the creation of the nickname and "The Big Adventure of SANA-yan" here.

I can't believe Uncle Shingo denied us of a "Sanada-on-a-Pole" match, RIP

And this is the end! I hope you had fun reading as much as I did translating. If you enjoyed my scanlation and if you have the means, please consider leaving a tip through tumblr and supporting my translations! No pressure if you can't, and please reblog and support these two guys! :) Thank you very much!

#taichi #sanada #seiya sanada #taichi ishikari #njpw #*translations #( this took way too long apologies )#( but we have lots of interesting lore here!!! )#( sorry for some of the image scans )#( ngl pujoshi photography hobbyists >>>> ''the pros'' every single time )#just 5 guys

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