A Treasure for Life

■ Autograph Board

One day, as summer vacation in 1989 was approaching.

The sound of a promotional vehicle reached my ears while I was bored in class, as usual.

It was an announcement that Antonio Inoki, who had launched the Sports Peace Party and was running for the House of Councillors, would be coming to the plaza in front of a supermarket in the next town.

At the time, I had almost nothing to enjoy amidst the turmoil following my parents' divorce. My only pleasure was watching professional wrestling.

Watching professional wrestling and being encouraged by the sight of wrestlers getting back up no matter how many times they were knocked down, I was in a state where I managed to keep attending junior high school without dropping out or becoming a delinquent, just barely.

Antonio Inoki at that time had finished his IWGP Heavyweight Championship match against Tatsumi Fujinami in 1988, and as a competitor, he was reaching the end of his career. Even so, Antonio Inoki's presence was still immense.

Back then, New Japan Pro-Wrestling never came to my local area, so I had never even seen him in person.

I have to go.

Not being particularly fond of or good at studying, I listened to the class with my mind elsewhere more than usual, thinking only about where to buy an autograph board and a pen to get Antonio Inoki's autograph, waiting for school to end.

When class ended, I started running, sparing no time to even greet my classmates.

Since I lived in the countryside, there were limited places to buy an autograph board. I dashed straight to the stationery store that came to mind and bought an autograph board and a permanent marker.

I took a bit of a detour, so after that, I ran without stopping to the supermarket in the next town even faster. I think I was probably faster than I was during gym class.

When I arrived at the supermarket, there was already quite a crowd, but I think most of them were children who didn't have the right to vote. As a wrestling fan who usually loved reading Weekly Pro-Wrestling, I cursed the children of my generation who had gathered in my heart, thinking, 'You're not even that big of a wrestling fan!'

After waiting for a while, a van pulled up and Antonio Inoki appeared. That figure, which I had only ever seen on television, looked divine in my eyes.

People who shouldn't have been that much of a wrestling fan were asking for autographs on things like the back of flyers.

Don't be so rude!

Ignoring my thoughts, Antonio Inoki smiled and signed autographs for everyone, shaking their hands.

With so many people lined up, time was passing by in vain.

Yes, well, the time has come, so we will end it here, the secretary who was acting as the facilitator declared.

I thought to myself.

Even though I've come this far, even after trying so hard, I can't even get a single autograph. Nothing good ever happens in my life.

Back then, I was dominated by such negative thoughts. I might have even had tears in my eyes.

Just then, one of the secretaries said,

Okay, you there, you're the last one!

He beckoned to me, standing a little behind the front row.

Perhaps he noticed a boy standing there all alone, holding an autograph board while the other children were getting signatures on the backs of flyers. That is how, skipping a few people ahead, I was able to get the final autograph.

Of course, since it was signed during the busy election campaign, it was written quickly without much time spent on it. Even so, for me, it was undoubtedly a treasure.

By obtaining such a treasure, I felt like I could finally believe that if I kept living, maybe, just maybe, some good things might happen in the future.

Of course, I still cherish that autograph board I received back then, even now, more than 35 years later.

■ Injecting Fighting Spirit

Then, about a quarter of a century later, I had become a lawyer and was living in Fukuoka.

The owner of my favorite local izakaya was known for his connection with Antonio Inoki. The izakaya's sign was written by Antonio Inoki, and the shop was filled with Inoki merchandise.

One day, after finishing my evening legal consultations, I checked my mobile phone and saw multiple missed calls from the owner. Worried that some trouble had occurred, I called him back, and he said, Inoki-san is coming today! You want to meet him, right? Come to the shop right away.

Nervous, I downed my beer mug in one go.

You have a strong tolerance. What would you like to drink next?

No, I... excuse me, thank you...

The person who spoke to me from the side was none other than Antonio Inoki himself!

Shall I pour you some shochu?

I was already humbled just by exchanging business cards, yet for some reason, Inoki-san was being very attentive to me.

I honestly felt that if Mr. Inoki were to pour me a drink of shochu, it would be such a blessing that I might use up all my luck and lose my life the very next day.

In the end, we continued to talk about various things after that. Along the way, some important people from Fukuoka City appeared and listened intently to Mr. Inoki's stories. His attendants didn't seem to care much for that topic, but I was curious, so I asked about politics, and Mr. Inoki spoke even more passionately than before about 'peace diplomacy through sports.'

I was very happy to confirm that his consistent stance since his election 25 years ago—to bring about peace through unique diplomacy without pandering to power or easily criticizing other countries—remained unchanged.

Incidentally, the following year, Mr. Inoki ran for office again, became a member of the House of Councillors, and successfully completed his six-year term.

As the gathering that day reached its peak, I found myself hesitating over whether I should ask Mr. Inoki for one more thing.

It was the so-called 'Fighting Spirit Injection,' or the 'Fighting Spirit Slap.' It seems Mr. Inoki doesn't just do it whenever asked. Moreover, he might not be very happy to be asked in a private setting. I was a bit timid, fearing that if I did it poorly, I might ruin the pleasant atmosphere we had enjoyed until then.

Even so, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I felt that if I didn't ask now, I would regret it forever. I gathered my courage and made the request to Mr. Inoki.

'Please, do that thing for me!'

To my surprise, Mr. Inoki agreed quite readily with a smile. Still smiling, he placed his fingers on my stomach, focused his energy, and then—'Bam!'—the sound of a single slap to my cheek echoed through the room.

Many people ask me about that moment. 'Did it hurt?' To that, I always answer: 'I was so happy that I don't even remember if it hurt or not.'

In fact, that was my true feeling.

Fortunately, the owner of the restaurant recorded a video of this moment. This video has become a treasure for my entire life.

From that day on, it is no exaggeration to say that I felt the flow of my life change in various ways. After that, I had more opportunities to interact with various amazing professional wrestlers and celebrities. Perhaps it is because I came to realize that there is no point in overthinking things and regretting them later.

I think I developed the habit of living each day so as not to have regrets later. I believe that attitude is connected to the poem Mr. Inoki recited at his retirement match.

'If you walk this path, what will happen? Do not fear. If you fear, there is no path. If you take a step, that step becomes the path, and that step becomes the path. Walk without hesitation, and you will understand once you go!'