(NOAH) My entrance to wrestling - "Shiranui Curry" produced by Naomichi Marufuji, the "Genius of the Ark"

RETTY NEWS

14th February 2018



 

What just happened?

When I first saw a move called "Shiranui", I remember that my mouth hung open like a blanket.
How to explain the "Shiranui" with words....put the opponents head on your shoulder, rush to the corner of the ring, make a circle in the air, rotate backwards. Use the centrifugal force and your own weight to bring the opponents head down on to the mat to damage it.

Hello, I am Sonoko Ikeda, a professional wrestler who has become a writer.

You can eat curry by the name of "Shiranui" in Tokyo.
The inventor is Naomichi Marufuji of Pro-Wrestling Noah.
He is known as "The Ark's Genius" from his outstanding physical ability, power of ideas and is at the centre of the professional wrestling world.

(Pro-Wrestling Noah's Naomichi Marufuji)

Well, I will now introduce the businesses.

Today I visited "GriddlesBAR Tokyo", Marufuji is one of the owners of the bar, and sometimes also comes here.
"During Noah events I cannot come here that easily, but I try to find time. When I announce it on Twitter, fans will come" (Marufuji)
Whether Marufuji is here or not, fans, wrestlers, entertainers and others are said to visit. They all come for the "Shiranui Curry".
"I have liked curry for a long time. Working as a professional wrestler, I go all around the country and so I have eaten various curries in various places. The most delicious was "Awaji Island Curry" which I wanted other people to eat" Marufuji said.

Marufuji, who has been fascinated by the Awaji Island Curry, started offering his own version as the first project of his own company "Curioshaft" which launched in the summer of 2014.
Once involved in the restaurant business, it is said that people who were unfamiliar with Pro-Wrestling wanted to eat Shiranui curry, and then became interested in pro-wrestling.

Surely after eating it without knowing anything about the person who created, do you not ask "which pro-wrestler produced this curry" or "what kind of people do this? I have never watched pro-wrestling, I should try going once". I want to see how Marufuji's "shiranui" is done.

 "It does not need explaining", the simplicity of the Shiranui Curry

So, I will try the Shiranui curry. It is simple and it does not need words, the impact of it is wonderful. "Wrestler food" has plenty of feeling.

First of all the chicken leg shines white like a vampire to show its indispensable presence. Chicken is an ingredient that makes wrestlers tough bodied.
A fried onion sits on top of the rice. It is fragrant and stimulates the appetite.

The first thing I try is the chicken leg. When trying to cut into it with a spoon, the meat can be cut with surprisingly little power. The chicken is cooked over time until it is soft.
Next put the crunchy fried rice and onion together. I do not feel the sensation of any grease, it is smooth and strange there is a hint of fruit taste.

By the way, getting back to Awaji Island, it is one of the most famous places in Japan for onions. The onions are raised along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, which is known for its temperate climate. The onions are fried for four hours, until they are brownish in color and luxuriously placed on the serving for Awaji Island Curry.
It is the charm of the Awaji Island curry that it has a concentrated sweet taste. In addition it seems that nine types of fruit are blended with the onion to form the fruity taste of the curry: apples, bananas, mango and papaya are some.

Shiranui curry, which makes use of onions contains plenty of good quality protein. You can eat it at lunchtime, or in the bar at night.

Talking about wrestling; Pro-Wrestling Noah and the future

From here on we are talking about wrestling. Naomichi Marufuji has belonged to pro-wrestling Noah since 2000 and has watched the company as it rides the waves of change.

As Mitsuharu Misawa, who was the founder of the group and the top wrestler, died in 2009; Marufuji has become the vice-president. Then came the news that the parent company had changed in autumn 2016. At that time as there were many negative cries that "the company will change", Marufuji made a positive comment through his own social media.
 
"When something is about to end.
Even it if it said that it will end, it is not "the end"
We are taking over the most important "wishes", that of the seniors.
Whatever is said, there are only things that we can understand.
Please think of this as a step to the new stage.
It is not good to affirm something at this time with speculations and rumors.
I told you a few months ago that you would see "only the front" and "it is better to regret doing something than to regret not".
(Does not translate well)
The people in the offices and in the ring, are the most familiar with adversity.
What I understand now is that "Noah will evolve",
Please watch.
I thought that some people might be uneasy, so I decided to write to them".

"There were various things happening. It was very tough that period for a while. A sense of crisis was transmitted to the wrestlers, and this was transmitted to the fans, and a vicious circle was born...but now we have a nice atmosphere on Noah. There are only three wrestlers remaining from then, myself, Yoshinari Ogawa and Takashi Sugiura. The younger wrestlers in their twenties and the mid-thirties wrestlers have also increased. It is no longer possible embody the old Noah, so I would like to show a new one."

Noah's Kaito Kiyomiya, a young wrestler at only twenty-one years old, has also bought new life to the group. He entered the dojo in 2015, spent nine months as a trainee, and debuted in December. Recently returned from overseas training, on February 2nd he fought against Naomichi Marufuji, who is a senior of the company.
The result naturally was Marufuji's overwhelming victory. Naturally in the ring there is no relationship between senior and junior, and there is no pity. This illustrated the difference in a career of twenty-years.
"I am thirty eight years old. He is twenty-one years old and still young. He is blessed with opportunities and I think people absorb the necessary things at such tremendous speed like a sponge in water. However, such things may not always come round for everyone. If there is a moment when you get a chance, take it. People who have made themselves by not missing these can rise. Because what can be absorbed by age, career and situation is different, we want him to make sure that he can absorb it now."

Everyone who rises to the top "has strong will"
Marufuji says that not it is not only because a wrestler is strong, and the skill is amazing, no this is not the only reason why.
While it is common for the wrestlers to have "strong will", it is an indispensable element for a top wrestler to have at his disposal, it is presence that is the essential element of a top wrestler. I personally feel this element in Marufuji. The basis of this is "the fans come to see our promotion by charging 7000 yen or 10,000 yen etc. It is normal to think big. If you do not pay for what you get, it is obviously not good. When I was a child I thought, "I want to see how skilled the wrestlers are and watch the match". As the viewer, I have now understood the opposite side and I wanted to fulfil the wishes of the fans who I think are old fashioned like myself, so I wanted to entertain them as much as I could, and that feeling has not changed" he explains.

Marufuji said that professional wrestling includes entertainment. One element as an athlete is that the match, where wrestlers truly hit each other, is one element as an athlete. The professional who can rise in the ring is only one of a few people who are elected.

Like Marufuji's Shiranui, this boosts and surprises people who see it by the tremendous physical ability and imagination which only a handful of people have, as well as the ability to embody the image as skill. There is also an element of showbiz....

Because Marufuji has two perspectives and has put it into reality and made it fact.

What does he envision, when he has about 130 matches a year, including those in other organisations?

"In pro-wrestling there are people who go to many different groups, but there are many fans who only watch their favorite group, so I try to get as much as possible from other companies as well as going abroad. It gives people a chance to know me, and through me, Noah and those who have not seen it yet may want to come and see it. It has further merits, but going out and fighting, you can bring something to Noah that is not there currently. As we continue having matches with the players of the same promotion, we can be more accurate and have a good match. I think when doing more matches and learning new things, I think it is important to be stimulated from outside and bring it in".

Marufuji is full of love for Noah and for pro-wrestling. When you see it with your own eyes, even if you only see his match once, I would like you see Noah's as well, which is easy to understand and attracts with easy to transmit Pro-Wrestling.

Retty News (link to original article in Japanese)