(NOAH) Fan event recap: NOAH FANFES 2021

31st December 2021

Hotel Metropolitan Edmont, Tokyo 

"Let's have a happy New Year's Eve"

Atsushi Kotoge

Noah held an end of year fan event today, which was split into three parts; an event for the fans (which included a group picture), an event for the fan club members, and then a meal with some of the attending wrestlers. The event was held at the Hotel Metropolitan Edmont, which is a stones throw away from the Nippon Budokan and I do believe have some kind of deal going on for fans attending Noah's show on the 1st. Some fans came today from as far away as Hiroshima. By the end of the evening "noah_fc" was trending in Tokyo. 

As has been tradition over the past few years, Noah have sold what is called "The Lucky Bag" which contains a collection of merchandise and can be anything from hoodies, t-shirts, even one year an exclusive Parka jacket, pamphlets, rubber wrist bands and keyrings. The bags are never wrestler specific and contain a mixture of both roster and promotion. Naturally, these bags sold out quickly. In the first part of the event the fan club members and the non fan club members could meet the wrestlers, get autographs and photos etc and then have a group picture taken (and sit between Go Shiozaki and Kaito Kiyomiya). Fans were grateful for the event which Noah made as safe as they possibly could with plastic screens, a set of tin can phones for each attendee, which were later autographed by the wrestler in question and placed back in plastic wrap. Everyone wore face masks and fans (and yes the Funky Express cosplayers attended) were checked before they came in to the hall.  

The roster who attended where: Kai Fujimura, Yoshiki Inamura, all of Funky Express (Akitoshi Saito, Mohammed Yone, Masao Inoue and King Tany), unsurprisingly none of Kongoh, surprisingly one of STINGER (Seiki Yoshioka), strangely none of The Sugiura Army, one of Perros Del Mal De Japon (YO-HEY), Yasutaka Yano, the Noah Junior Regulars (Junta Miyawaki, Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge who one fan called "pink chan" and Hajime Ohara), Daiki Inaba, Kaito Kiyomiya, Go Shiozaki and Masa Kitamiya. Fans said the Noah Junior Regulars had "a lively energy", with Atsushi Kotoge who was sandwiched at the back "pulling a mysterious pose". People were delighted to see Junta who returns from injury tomorrow. 

Even today Masao Inoue could not escape the usual teasing, and he was photographed "on a break" by Akitoshi Saito. Inoue had the same expression on he usually does when Sugiura catches him unaware. Quiet Storm thought it was very funny.

Narihiro Takeda (Noah's Director) mentioned recently in an interview that he wants Kiyomiya to lead Noah, and so he wants him to assume more leadership positions. Kiyomiya was very natural in meeting fans, as was YO-HEY who put the most nervous at ease, so this was why today was so important in training up the much younger roster by watching their seniors. Yoshiki Inamura hinted they all learned something. Yano for the first time was given a seat on his own and a chance to meet and chat to fans during the Fan Club "Tin Can Telephone" session.

  

"Tin Can Telephone" 

In order to get round the restrictions caused by Corona, Noah as ever were inventive and so the "Tin Can Telephone" was born. The sessions were short and only lasted about one and a half minutes, but everyone had a lot of fun. I am not sure if fans could choose who they were seated with, but they were given a numbered wristband and asked to queue by this number. Not all of the roster took part in this, and in any case with Go Shiozaki's apparent hearing problems, I don't think he did. Yoshiki Inamura (who said he had fun but he didn't think he did it well) was asked questions about reptiles and films. Hajime Ohara was giggling so much that the official Noah Twitter wondered what was so funny, it turned out that he spent most of his time discussing and advising fans on anime. I am not sure why Daisuke Harada was photographed looking down one of the cans. 

"Noah The New Year"

While some of the roster went back to the dojo, a few stayed behind and with some fans sat down to eat Toshikoshi Soba (Ōmisoka) and talk with the wrestlers at the table. These noodles are eaten while reflecting on the old year and ushering in the new one. I don't have much information on this event other than that Yoshiki Inamura, Hajime Ohara, Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge, King Tany, Mohammed Yone and Masao Inoue attended and there was a kind of gift raffle afterwards where the roster gave away some old gear of theirs as well as postcards and photos. Kaito Kiyomiya gave away some trainers, Daisuke Harada some old trunks and for the Funky Express fans, Mohammed Yone gave the new funky t-shirt.

With thanks to: Yuka, Sachan, Fujiwara Armbar, Gotchino, Daichannelman, Risaki, Izumi Ichikawa.

Picture credit: Noah Official Twitter, Daisuke Harada