Twenty-seven years after his death... Kyohei Wada testifies to Giant Baba and Motoko's "unspoken understanding": At home, right and wrong were reversed.

1st February 2026

Tokyo Sports

January 31st was the anniversary of the death of Giant Baba, who died of liver failure at the age of 61 in 1999. Twenty-seven years have passed since then.

On April 17th, a farewell ceremony titled "Thank You" was held at the Nippon Budokan. Tokyo Sports reprinted the ceremony, which began at noon. 

The Wrestlers Association President Misawa Mitsuharu contributed an exclusive memoir to the paper. 

"I am often asked what my best memory is, this may not be the answer, but it can be summed up in one phrase: "Meeting Giant Baba." Several of my classmates also had starting salaries of 10,000 yen, but mine was a little more. Baba explained to me, "You're different from the others..." which made me really happy. It was a great encouragement for me thereafter. The president taught me to have compassion for others. He also taught me, "Don't betray people. Don't deceive them." He continued, "For a long time, the President was like a god to me, so I'll never forget the first time I pinned him (at Nippon Budokan in March 1994). At the time, I felt no joy, only sadness. I thought, "Ah, that moment has come." But I can say this for sure: Baba is Baba. No one can surpass him, no one can imitate him. That's how big a presence he was."

After finishing my morning work, I headed to the Budokan with my colleagues to lay flowers. I expressed my heartfelt gratitude for the kind treatment I received during my interviews. Last year, I finally had the chance to visit his grave.

Baba's grave is located at Nichiren sect Honsho-ji Temple in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is the family temple of the Ito family (Motoko's). It is about 10 minutes from JR Akashi Station.

Behind the main hall is a tombstone engraved with the words "Each Sacred Member of the Baba Family," and to the right is a black granite monument in the shape of a ring shoe, modeled after Baba's 16 mon*. It was installed later so that fans could easily identify it at a glance.

A few years ago, the temple attracted attention from "grave milers", a group of people who visit the graves of famous people around the country. Honshoji Temple has a garden said to have been designed by the master swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, which was featured on an Osaka TV, and as a result, many fans have visited the grave.

Incidentally, after Baba's death, Motoko kept his remains at her home for a while. On April 14, 2018 Motoko passed away from cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 78. A burial ceremony was held on June 3rd, in conjunction with the 49th day memorial service, with relatives and referee Wada Kyohei in attendance. 

Referee Wada told us, "Motoko was very sad when her father passed away. Baba said, "When I die, I'll rest next to your father", and built a grave next to the Ito family. Baba always said, "I already have a grave." Apparently, he left the grave in his hometown (Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture) to his older sister. The grave was wrapped in a cloth. After Motoko passed away, the cloth was removed at the interment ceremony, and Baba and Motoko were buried together. Motoko kept Baba's ashes at her home in Ebisu, and everyone told her, "You should bury them in the grave," but she would say, "I don't want to be separated from him, and I hate people who say things like that," and they would end up arguing. She wanted to be with Baba forever."

Motoko was willing to play the "bad guy" for Baba. 

Wada reminisced, "Motoko had a lot of good points, but that's not who she was. In the ring, Baba was the babyface and Motoko was the heel*. But at home, the roles were reversed. 'Make dinner,' 'Make coffee,' he'd say. Baba and Motoko were in perfect harmony*." 

Notes

16 mon: The name originated from a Japanese sports newspaper mistaking the shoe size "16 (approximately 34cm)" that he purchased while training in America for "16 mon (approximately 38.4cm)." Although his feet were actually smaller than 16 mon (approximately 38cm), the name stuck due to his incredible foot size. 

Grave milers: People who visit the graves of great historical figures, literary figures, and celebrities to pay their respects. It is not just a tourist activity, but a pilgrimage to convey gratitude and respect for the deceased, and has been gaining attention since around 2010. 

Motoko the heel: While she could be problematic, there were a lot of kind things she did that were not well known. For example, The Patriot remembered her arranging a Thanksgiving dinner for the American wrestlers. Naomichi Marufuji remembers her giving him money to spend at an arcade. 

Perfect harmony: Not always. She once confiscated Baba's GameBoy and hid it because he was paying more attention to it than his dinner.