WHILE MUCH OF the world was loosening its COVID restrictions following the height of the pandemic, Japan held tightly to its own. Even as American promotions WWE and AEW allowed maskless fans to return to stadiums at full capacity in mid-2021, companies including New Japan Pro-Wrestling continued to practice social distancing in the form of reduced-capacity crowds, and, even more stringently, forbade any vocalizations from fans. Until earlier this year, the New Japan faithful were strictly limited to non-verbal reactions, such as foot stomps and claps, completely removing the dynamic chants and dramatic gasps that have long punctuated its shows.
Japan was also slower to fully open its borders to tourists, only completing the process last fall. Prior to this, New Japan was able to occasionally book international talent for its shows. But the company faced difficulty in planning more in-depth tours with
