(NOAH): PRO-WRESTLING COLUMN, BOYS ARE BOYS by Fumihiko Saito

Weekly Pro

July 11th 2000

Differ Ariake, Differ Ariake, what is Differ Ariake? 

Differ Ariake. Differ Ariake. Differ Ariake. What is Differ Ariake? I've heard the words "Differ Ariake" at least 100 times in the past week or two. It's basically a multipurpose event hall, but it's also apparently Japan's first (or rather, the world's first) arena dedicated to professional wrestling and martial arts. At the grand opening on July 1st, All Japan Pro Wrestling will hold their opening of the 2000 Summer Action Series*. On Sunday 2nd, All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling will hold an afternoon show, with LLPW* holding an event in the evening. On the 20th July, Onita* will hold a produce on the 20th, and on the 22nd Toryumon* will hold a house show, as will FMW on the 23rd. Various areas of professional wrestling and martial arts are emerging in Ariake, where adjustments for each promotion have begun.

The "Differ" in Differ Ariake, is the verb form of "Different", and the conceptual work of trying to do something different is evident. Speaking of the Ariake area, although the transportation is convenient, but if anything it can be said that this is a development zone* in Tokyo that people choose to visit. Take the Yurikamome train from JR Shinbashi and get off at the last stop, Ariake. If you're driving, you can get off at Ariake JCT on the Shuto Expressway, and if you're using the lower road, you can easily get to this point by heading towards Ginza and following Harumi Dori Ave as Ariake Coliseum and Ariake Tennis Forest Park are only one block away. The location is where the legendary live house "MZA Ariake" was located in the late 1990s. The address is not on the coast of Minato Ward, but at Ariake 1-chome, Koto Ward, in the so-called warehouse district of Tsubosa, which gives the impression of the last of Tokyo's best areas of land that can be tinkered with, as the surface is finally starting to disappear*. If you have the same feeling as going to Odaiba*, Ariake is not far away.   

The arena can accommodate approximately 1,500 people when configured for professional wrestling. If "standing room seating" can be created in the second-floor aisle that serves as a catwalk, a capacity of approximately 2,000 people can be secured, and since the arena is designed specifically for professional wrestling and combat sports, the ring is set up right in front of the audience seats. There are two 9-panel 100-inch LCD screens on either side of the stage, and during pro wrestling performances, this stage will become the entryway for the wrestlers. Differ is fully equipped with a lighting system and a sound PA system, that can be used as is for events. Pro wrestling promotions, which cannot afford to spend a lot of money on various things, can produce a decent event just by bringing in a ring. A very promising environment is now in place.    

An environment that is a blessing to a pro wrestling promotion, is of no use unless it creates an environment that is useful to the audience. If you go there, you can watch a professional wrestling match anytime. Every Friday or at the weekend, and the day before a public holiday. There are many different kinds of professional wrestling, each with different flavors, on the daily menu. But, what is most needed from Differ Ariake is its staying power as Tokyo's new mecca for professional wrestling*. It seems that the temporary office of the new major promotion that Mitsuharu Misawa and his group will establish, will be made at Differ Ariake. The long established All Japan office is located in Roppongi, and the independent Misawa group office, is located in Ariake. I feel like the differences in the groups colors are clearly expressed. 

"Differ" in "Differ Ariake" is a verb form of different.    

The multi-purpose event hall with a capacity of about 1,500 people is actually an arena dedicated to professional wrestling. It's already too late to change the concept, and pro wrestling has enough energy to change the mood of the town. 

Notes

Note about the author: The best bio on Fumihiko "Fumi" Saito, can be found here 

2000 Summer Action Series: Noah were forced to participate for four dates. See article about the Super Action Series Card

LLPW: Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling. Now LLPW-X, they run shows about once a year. 

Onita: Atsushi

Toryumon: Ultimo Dragon's promotion, some of whose students would appear in Noah. Most notably Taiji Ishimori and Hajime Ohara. 

FMW: A promotion founded by Atsushi Onita, which bought the death match to Japan. See BAHU'S page.

Development of the Ariake area: Mitsuharu Misawa was commenting just seven years after this article on how much the area had changed. 

MZA Ariake: The former name of Differ Ariake. Bands and artists who played here in the 1990s included (as well as Japanese bands/artists) names such as Erasure, Paul McCartney and even B.B. King .

The vanishing land: I am reminded by this line of the ending of the Kenji Mizoguchi film, "The Lady of Musashino". Set during and after WW2, the film ends with a letter from the heroine, regarding Musashino (a manor house with a lot of rural land, which represents old Tokyo), and how it's future is the new Tokyo - "Your beloved, beautiful Musashino only exists in your dreams. It's a sentimental idea. Factories and schools...and...the dynamic new development of the city of Tokyo...are the reality of Musashino." Takashi Sugiura would in later years refer to how rural the area still was (although Mitsuharu Misawa noted about five or six years later how much it had changed), when he said after being exiled to Differ as he was getting in the way of his family unpacking when they were moving house that you could "hear wolves howling". Then again, he also complained that he had no porno to watch, and it had all been packed away.  

Odaiba: Artificial island off of the coast of Tokyo

Staying power: Differ did a good job for sixteen years until the site was sold, Noah moved out and it became an Olympic Village and then the Ariake Arena. 

Picture credits: Weekly Pro

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