They’re skinny, have floppy hair and are kind of pale. They’re also coming soon to a wrestling tournament near you. Well, if you live in Tokyo, that is. And there you were thinking Japanese wrestling was all about those big sumo guys!
These are bishōnen – beautiful young men. The first kanji character of bishōnen (美少年) is 美 meaning “beauty”, and the last part 少年 is “young man”. Bishōnen puroresu is the latest addition to Japan’s burgeoning puroresu (pro wrestling) scene.
Here are the chosen ten (the eagle-eyed among you will notice that it’s actually a team of twelve – there are two stand-ins, presumably in case someone needs to have a little sit down after all that posing).
▼ Sho is the guy in the middle, but why’s he wearing pyjamas?
▼ He really does like those PJs.
Compared to American pro-wrestling, the Japanese sport is generally less theatrical, more contact-based, and sticks harder to the pretense of being a legitimate fight. Bishōnen wrestling looks like it might be the exception to that rule, though.
The website also features these character profiles of the athletes, including their reasons for joining the gang. Some of their reasons are refreshingly honest!
▼ Sho’s aim is to make his lifelong dream come true. No, not getting off that drip, starting his own wrestling league!
▼”Sho is my best friend. I wanna make his dreams come true.”
▼ This guy, on the other hand, says “I want to escape from my parent’s control”.
▼ Kōichi goes for it idol-style with a cheery “I want to give everyone a happy smile!☆“
▼ “I dunno… Something to do with my time.”
Anyway, it looks like they’ve been hitting the gym (although not too hard…):
The website also promises merchandise, although none is available yet! For now you’ll have to do with these iPhone lock screen downloads:
▼It’s worth pointing out that virtually all of these captions read “hey, wanna do it with me?”
So far, so good. When we get deeper into the website, though, it becomes clear that not all these guys actually appear in the June show. In fact, the line-up for the show looks drastically different to those skinny guys on the front and profile pages.
▼ “But wait, where did the hot young ones go?” I hear you cry.
If you still fancy your chances at actually seeing some beautiful wrestlers at the June 13th show, which will be in Shin-Kiba, Tokyo, a seat in the stands can be grabbed for 3,000 yen (US$29.45). Top-price “special ringside seats”, meanwhile, are 5,000 yen ($49). I’ll be sticking with the free wallpapers for now though, I think.
Judo gold-medalist Aaron Wolf announces move to New Japan Pro-Wrestling
This is how a Japanese pro wrestler’s breakfast looks: Huge! 【Photos】
Family Mart unveils new Japanese bread that elevates convenience store food to mocchiri levels
New 7-Eleven sandwich goes viral in Japan, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
How to take your home ramen to the next level by making your own chashu pork in a frying pan
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Japan travel bucket list: top places to visit in each prefecture before you die【Part II】
Schoolkids learn life skills through shopping field trips at street markets in Kochi Prefecture
How to make amazing Japanese fruit flower sandwiches
Does a long line mean a sweeter deal? We compare two sweets from a Hokkaido food fair【Taste test】
Tokyo’s dedicated Nintendo store finally begins offering its exclusive items online
Photos from 140 years ago show Tokyo’s skyline was amazing long before the Skytree was ever built
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Tokyo teahouse serves up a sakura matcha dessert you won’t find anywhere else
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says