List of professional wrestling promotions in Japan
This is a list of professional wrestling promotions in Japan which includes both national and independent puroresu and joshi companies from the post-World War II period up to the present day.
Major promotions
Puroresu
Name | Location | Owner(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
All Japan Pro Wrestling | Yokohama, Kanagawa | Tsuyoki Fukuda | 1972– | Affiliated with National Wrestling Alliance until 1990. |
DDT Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | CyberAgent | 1997– | As of July 2020, DDT is promoted as one of the four brands under the CyberFight umbrella. |
Dragon Gate | Kobe, Hyōgo | Gaora | 2004– | Known as Toryumon Japan from 1997 to 2004. |
New Japan Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | Bushiroad | 1972– | |
Pro Wrestling Noah | Tokyo | CyberAgent | 2000– | As of July 2020, NOAH is promoted as one of the four brands under the CyberFight umbrella. |
Joshi
Name | Location | Owner(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
World Wonder Ring Stardom | Tokyo | Bushiroad | 2010– | |
Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | CyberAgent | 2012– | As of July 2020, TJPW is promoted as one of the four brands under the CyberFight umbrella. |
Independent promotions
Puroresu
Name | Location | Owner(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Active Advance Pro Wrestling | Chiba | Taka Michinoku | 2002– | Known as Kaientai Dojo and K-Dojo until 2019 |
Asuka Pro Wrestling | Tokyo | Akira Shinose | 2014– | Previously named Asuka Project until 2019. |
Best Body Japan Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | Tomokazu Taniguchi | 2018– | |
Big Japan Pro Wrestling | Yokohama | Eiji Tosaka | 1995– | |
Colega Pro Wrestling | Osaka | The Bodyguard | 2021– | |
Dotonbori Pro Wrestling | Osaka | Dotonbori Entertainment System | 2013– | |
Dove Pro Wrestling | Hiroshima | Gunso | 2005– | |
Dradition | Tokyo | Tatsumi Fujinami | 2008– | |
Ehime Pro-Wrestling | Ehime | Erina Tanaka | 2016– | |
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Explosion | Greater Tokyo Area | Akihito Ichihara Yukihide Ueno |
1989–2002 2015– |
Previously named Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling. |
Ganbare☆Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | CyberAgent | 2013– | Originally a special event by parent company DDT, GanPro has since become its promotion and as of July 2020, it is promoted as one of the four brands under the CyberFight umbrella, along with DDT. |
Gleat | Yūrakuchō, Tokyo | LIDET Entertainment | 2020– | Founded by the former parent company of Pro Wrestling Noah, the promotion styles itself as something of a spiritual successor of the UWF and UWFi. |
Hard Hit | Tokyo | Hikaru Sato | 2015– | Originally a series of events under DDT Pro-Wrestling, Hard Hit established itself as an independent promotion in 2015. |
Hitachi Pro Wrestling | Kanto region | 2008– | ||
Hokuto Pro Wrestling | Hokkaido | Crane Nakajo | 2004– | |
Kyushu Pro-Wrestling | Fukuoka | Ryota Chikuzen | 2007– | |
Lion's Gate Project | Tokyo | Bushiroad | 2015– | Developmental branch of New Japan Pro Wrestling. |
Michinoku Pro Wrestling | Morioka | Jinsei Shinzaki | 1993– | |
Mobius | Fukuoka | Masao Orihara | 1997– | |
New Nemuro Pro Wrestling | Nemuro | Kenji Miyamoto | 2006– | |
Osaka Pro Wrestling | Osaka | Zeus | 1998– | |
Ossan Style Wrestling | Osaka | 2019– | Originally called Osaka Style Wrestling, the promotion restarted as Ossan Style Wrestling in 2020. | |
P.P.P. Tokyo | Tokyo | Masayuki Mitomi | 2019– | |
Pro-Wrestling Basara | Shinjuku, Tokyo | Isami Kodaka | 2015– | Continuation of Union Pro Wrestling. Pro Wrestling Basara spun off from DDT Pro-Wrestling on January 1, 2020. |
Pro Wrestling Dewa | Tohoku region | Lock Suzuki | 2004– | |
Pro Wrestling Freedoms | Tokyo | Takashi Sasaki | 2009– | |
Pro Wrestling FTO | Ōita Prefecture | Skull Reaper A-ji | 2004– | |
Pro Wrestling Heat-Up | Kawasaki | Kazuhiro Tamura | 2012– | |
Pro Wrestling Land's End | Tokyo | Ryoji Sai | 2016– | |
Pro Wrestling Secret Base | Tokyo | Mototsugu Shimizu Jun Ogawauchi |
2009– | Continuation of El Dorado Wrestling. |
Pro-Wrestling Shi-En | Osaka | Eiji Sahara | 2010– | |
Pro Wrestling Zero1 | Tokyo | First On Stage Inc. | 2001– | |
Professional Wrestling Burst | Kanzaki | Towa Iwasaki | 2021– | |
Professional Wrestling Just Tap Out | Tokyo | Taka Michinoku | 2019– | |
Ryukyu Dragon Pro-Wrestling | Okinawa | Gurukun Mask | 2013– | |
Strong Style Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | Satoru Sayama | 2005– | Known as Real Japan Pro-Wrestling until 2019. |
Tenryu Project | Tokyo | Genichiro Tenryu | 2010–2015 2020– |
Closed in 2015 after promoters retirement, re-established in 2020. |
Tochigi Pro-Wrestling | Utsunomiya | Kamiu Trust Holdings, Inc. | 2021– | Antenna of Zero1 in the Tochigi Prefecture. |
Tokyo Gurentai | Tokyo | Nosawa Rongai Mazada |
2010– | |
TTT Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | Guts Ishijima | 2020– | Also known as Total Triumph Team, Indie Unified TTT Pro-Wrestling and Triple T. |
Wrestling of Darkness 666 | Tokyo | Onryo | 2003– | Also known as Triple Six. |
Joshi
Name | Location | Owner(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Actwres girl'Z | Tokyo | Super Project Co. Ltd. | 2015– | |
Gatoh Move | Tokyo | Emi Sakura | 2012– | Formerly based in Thailand. |
Girl's Prowrestling Unit Color's | Tokyo | Saki | 2022– | |
Ice Ribbon | Warabi | Neoplus | 2006– | |
Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling-X | Toshima | Rumi Kazama Shinobu Kandori |
1992– | |
Marvelous That's Women Pro Wrestling | Funabashi | Marvelcompany, Inc. | 2014– | |
Oz Academy | Tokyo | Mayumi Ozaki | 1998– | |
Pro Wrestling Wave | Tokyo | Zabun Co, Ltd. | 2007– | Sister promotion of Osaka Joshi Pro-Wrestling. |
Pure-J | Adachi, Tokyo | Command Bolshoi | 2017– | |
Seadlinnng | Kawasaki | Nanae Takahashi | 2015– | |
Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling | Sendai | Meiko Satomura | 2005– | |
World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana | Kawasaki, Kanagawa | Kyoko Inoue | 2011- |
Defunct promotions
Puroresu
Name | Location | Owner(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Apache Pro-Wrestling Army | Tokyo | Kintaro Kanemura | 2004–2016 | |
Battlarts | Koshigaya | Yuki Ishikawa | 1996–2011 | |
Big Mouth Loud | Tokyo | Fumihiko Uwai | 2005–2006 | |
Diamond Ring | Yoshikawa | Kensuke Sasaki Akira Hokuto |
2003–2013 | Previously named Kensuke Office. |
Dragondoor Project | Tokyo | Noriaki Kawabata | 2005–2006 | |
Fighting Network Rings | Tokyo | Akira Maeda | 1991–2002 | Continuation of Newborn UWF. Revived as a pure mixed martial arts promotion (The Outsider series) in 2008. |
Fu-Ten Promotion | Fukuoka | Daisuke Ikeda | 2005–2015 | |
Global Professional Wrestling Alliance | Tokyo | Yoshiyuki Nakamura | 2006–2009 | |
Hustle | Greater Tokyo Area | Nobuhiko Takada | 2004–2011 | |
Inoki Genome Federation | Tokyo | Simon Inoki | 2007–2019 | |
International Wrestling Association of Japan | Tokyo | Tatsukuni Asano | 1994–2014 | Continuation of W*ING. In the 2000s evolved into a King's Road style promotion featuring sports-entertainment elements. Known to consistently feature AJPW talents and 1980s era WWE Hall of Famers on TV, where they wrestled on a regular basis. |
International Wrestling Enterprise | Tokyo | Isao Yoshiwara | 1967–1981 | Associated with the American Wrestling Association from 1970, and the Japan Pro-Wrestling Commission with New Japan Pro Wrestling until 1981. |
Japan Wrestling Association | Tokyo | Rikidōzan | 1953–1973 | Affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance. Membership was transferred to AJPW. |
Kingdom | Tokyo | Ken Suzuki | 1997–1998 | Continuation of UWF International. |
Onita Pro | Tokyo | Atsushi Onita | 1999–2012 | Also known as Onita FMW in 2002. |
Pro Wrestling El Dorado | Tokyo | Noriaki Kawabata Koji Fujinaga |
2006–2008 | Continuation of Dragondoor Project. |
Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi | Tokyo | Yoshiaki Fujiwara Masakatsu Funaki Minoru Suzuki |
1991–1995 | |
Riki Pro | Tokyo | Riki Choshu Katsuji Nagashima |
2004–2010 | Also known as World Japan Pro Wrestling or Fighting of World Japan. |
Smash | Tokyo | Yoshihiro Tajiri Akira Shoji |
2010–2012 | Continuation of Hustle. |
Super World of Sports | Tokyo | Hachiro Tanaka | 1990–1992 | Associated with the World Wrestling Federation. |
Tokyo Pro Wrestling | Tokyo | Takashi Ishikawa | 1994–1996 | |
Universal Wrestling Federation | Matsumoto | Hisashi Shinma | 1984–1986 | Revived as the Newborn UWF in 1988 and again in 1991 as Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWF International or UWFi). |
Uwai Station Freestyle Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | Fumihiko Uwai | 2006–2007 | Continuation of Big Mouth Loud. |
UWF International | Tokyo | Nobuhiko Takada | 1991–1996 | Continuation of Universal Wrestling Federation. |
Union Pro Wrestling | Shinjuku, Tokyo | Naomi Susan DDT Pro-Wrestling |
1993–1995 2004–2015 |
|
Wrestle-1 | Tokyo | Keiji Mutoh | 2013–2020 | |
Wrestle Association "R" | Tokyo | Gen'ichiro Tenryu Masatomo Takei |
1992–2006 | |
Wrestling International New Generations | Tokyo | Kiyoshi Ibaragi Victor Quiñonez |
1991–1994 | Associated with the World Wrestling Council. |
Wrestling Marvelous Future | Tokyo | Hayabusa | 2002-2008 | |
Wrestling New Classic | Tokyo | Yoshihiro Tajiri | 2012–2014 | Continuation of Smash. Sister promotion of Reina Joshi Puroresu. |
Joshi
Name | Location | Owner(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | Kunimatsu Matsunaga Takashi Matsunaga |
1972–2005 | |
Arsion | Tokyo | Rossy Ogawa | 1997–2003 | |
Gaea Japan | Tokyo | Yuka Sugiyama Chigusa Nagayo |
1995–2005 | |
Ibuki | Tokyo | 2005-2010 | ||
JDStar | Tokyo | Yoshimoto Kogyo Company J Office Group |
1995–2007 | |
JWP Joshi Puroresu | Tokyo | Kiyoshi Shinozaki Masatoshi Yamamoto |
1992–2017 | |
NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling | Yokohama | Kyoko Inoue | 1997–2010 |