(NOAH) Spartan X Theme: The ceremony and symbolism behind Mitsuharu Misawa's memorial (Korakuen Hall, June 2018)
In this article I would like to concentrate on the portion of the show devoted to the remembrance of Misawa. I hope to give you an explanation of the traditions and religion surrounding the aspects of his memorial, and the wrestlers featured that are all associated with him in some way, even if in the case of two of them, they never knew him. I have chosen to concentrate solely on the memorial, rather than the part that came at the end of the show, which I have touched on at the end of the article.
At the memorial for Noah's founder, Mitsuharu Misawa, which took place at Korakuen Hall on 10th June 2018, the roster lined up around the ring, but Noah chose to focus on eight men in turn.
Naomichi Marufuji, vice president of Noah, and who had been Misawa's trainee, and aside from perhaps Yoshinari Ogawa, the person who had been the closest to him, and whose company he was now running.
Takashi Sugiura, who like Marufuji had been with the company since 2000, since walking out of All Japan with his trainers, and therefore had known Misawa well.
Go Shiozaki, who had been Misawa's last tag partner and was now doing the same thing for Kaito Kiyomiya, that Misawa had done for him in 2009, which was to play a mentoring role.
Yoshinari Ogawa, who had been Misawa's tag partner in the All Japan days, and was one of the three left from the All Japan dojo in Noah in 2018. Unlike everyone else in Noah, Ogawa chooses not to wear the green wristband that all the roster wears at the memorial shows in June. Like the other seniors (bar Akitoshi Saito), he maintains a corporate role within Noah in a consultant position (he was on the executive board until July 2009 when he chose to step down).
The tragic Akitoshi Saito, who fate had chosen to be the one to carry the burden of Misawa's death, although it was not his fault.
Katsuhiko Nakajima, who had been competing in Noah since he was a young boy and had half grown up in the Noah ring (his partner Masa Kitamiya stood in front of him, but Kitamiya never knew Misawa, joining Diamond Ring in 2011, and joining Noah in 2014)
Kenoh, who hadn't known Misawa, but yet despite how vocal he had been on the subject of ending the "era of the Misawa generation" and the fact that he had been the first GHC Heavyweight champion who did not know Misawa, seemed to have inherited his spirit. Its true, Misawa would never have come to the ring and called the fans "you bastards", neither would he have encouraged Kenoh's use of colorful language, but like Kenoh, he was someone who was brave enough to envision something new, perceive that a company needed a new era, and have the vision and the dedication to make it happen.
Young, twenty-one year old Kaito Kiyomiya, who was inspired by Mitsuharu Misawa to become a wrestler, whose moves he used both consciously and subconsciously, and who with Kenoh, had reignited the long ago wars of Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada for a new generation.
The arena went dark, everything was in shadows except for the ring which was lit by a spotlight. Matsumara, Noah's ring announcer, stood up and announced "GHC Heavyweight Champion, Mitsuharu Misawa!", almost as if Misawa himself was coming to the ring to address the crowd. Physically he couldn't, but the spirit that was always among Noah and watching over them, was invited to the ring. His theme, Spartan X played, the fans chanted "Misawa...Misawa..." and the green streamers were thrown, just as they would have been if he were standing there.
Since 2009, this has been a staple of the Misawa memorial before the show begins. A remembrance altar is set up at the venue and fans bring flowers, and make offerings of his favorite drinks, which are placed on the altar and left for his spirit. Each fan will close their eyes, bow to him, thank him and pray for his soul.
Misawa's pictures are placed on the altar; the last tag with Go Shiozaki, with his oldest friend and greatest rival, Toshiaki Kawada, and many more throughout his career.
Misawa's portrait is erected in the venue. He stands there, feet apart, hands on hips, his GHC Heavyweight belt on display, staring into eternity from a vanished era in Noah. On the memorial night, the gallery from where the portrait is hung is closed and no one is allowed up there.
Not Noah, not the arena staff, not the fans.
No one until the event is over.
This space and this space alone is for Misawa. He alone must be the only one there. It would be a serious insult to his spirit for anyone to be in a position where they would be looking down directly on him, as it would indicate that someone thought they were greater than he; in real life Misawa was not an arrogant man, its just there are rules when it comes to honoring the dead or the deity in Shinto and Eastern religion, and this is forbidden. People in the balcony opposite and to the side do not count as they are looking at him, and naturally everyone else at ringside or even in the ring, are looking up at him.
At the end of the show, the "Super Generation Army" of Go Shiozaki, Masa Kitamiya, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Atsushi Kotoge, Kenoh and Kaito Kiyomiya all turned towards Misawa and faced him. Go Shiozaki bowed deeply to him. There was a sense in the air that they were not defying Misawa by challenging the old order of Noah, and the men who had known him, but rather they were nervously seeking his permission to bring Noah into a new era.
At the memorial for Noah's founder, Mitsuharu Misawa, which took place at Korakuen Hall on 10th June 2018, the roster lined up around the ring, but Noah chose to focus on eight men in turn.
Takashi Sugiura, who like Marufuji had been with the company since 2000, since walking out of All Japan with his trainers, and therefore had known Misawa well.
Go Shiozaki, who had been Misawa's last tag partner and was now doing the same thing for Kaito Kiyomiya, that Misawa had done for him in 2009, which was to play a mentoring role.
Yoshinari Ogawa, who had been Misawa's tag partner in the All Japan days, and was one of the three left from the All Japan dojo in Noah in 2018. Unlike everyone else in Noah, Ogawa chooses not to wear the green wristband that all the roster wears at the memorial shows in June. Like the other seniors (bar Akitoshi Saito), he maintains a corporate role within Noah in a consultant position (he was on the executive board until July 2009 when he chose to step down).
The tragic Akitoshi Saito, who fate had chosen to be the one to carry the burden of Misawa's death, although it was not his fault.
Katsuhiko Nakajima, who had been competing in Noah since he was a young boy and had half grown up in the Noah ring (his partner Masa Kitamiya stood in front of him, but Kitamiya never knew Misawa, joining Diamond Ring in 2011, and joining Noah in 2014)
Kenoh, who hadn't known Misawa, but yet despite how vocal he had been on the subject of ending the "era of the Misawa generation" and the fact that he had been the first GHC Heavyweight champion who did not know Misawa, seemed to have inherited his spirit. Its true, Misawa would never have come to the ring and called the fans "you bastards", neither would he have encouraged Kenoh's use of colorful language, but like Kenoh, he was someone who was brave enough to envision something new, perceive that a company needed a new era, and have the vision and the dedication to make it happen.
Young, twenty-one year old Kaito Kiyomiya, who was inspired by Mitsuharu Misawa to become a wrestler, whose moves he used both consciously and subconsciously, and who with Kenoh, had reignited the long ago wars of Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada for a new generation.
The arena went dark, everything was in shadows except for the ring which was lit by a spotlight. Matsumara, Noah's ring announcer, stood up and announced "GHC Heavyweight Champion, Mitsuharu Misawa!", almost as if Misawa himself was coming to the ring to address the crowd. Physically he couldn't, but the spirit that was always among Noah and watching over them, was invited to the ring. His theme, Spartan X played, the fans chanted "Misawa...Misawa..." and the green streamers were thrown, just as they would have been if he were standing there.
Misawa's pictures are placed on the altar; the last tag with Go Shiozaki, with his oldest friend and greatest rival, Toshiaki Kawada, and many more throughout his career.
Not Noah, not the arena staff, not the fans.
No one until the event is over.
This space and this space alone is for Misawa. He alone must be the only one there. It would be a serious insult to his spirit for anyone to be in a position where they would be looking down directly on him, as it would indicate that someone thought they were greater than he; in real life Misawa was not an arrogant man, its just there are rules when it comes to honoring the dead or the deity in Shinto and Eastern religion, and this is forbidden. People in the balcony opposite and to the side do not count as they are looking at him, and naturally everyone else at ringside or even in the ring, are looking up at him.
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