* The big part of this article was translated by using ChatGPT. Please note that there may be some awkward wordings.
There is a term called the “Bandwagon Effect.” In Japanese, it is used in political and economic contexts, but in English, “bandwagon” is often used as a verb widely to mean “jumping on the trend (or topic).” It can also refer to acting like one has known about something popular or trending for a long time. For example, when a famous person passes away, some people who previously showed no interest suddenly post on social media as if they were long-time fans—this is also considered bandwagoning.
In recent years, thanks to the internet, we can now watch professional wrestling live from various countries, making it a convenient era for wrestling fans. However, with the multitude of options, it’s challenging to keep up with everything. In the United States alone, WWE and AEW alone provide live television broadcasts on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Additionally, I’ve been researching the history of traditional wrestling and the championship lineages in other sports such as boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai for the past few years. Consequently, I find less time to watch Japanese wrestling compared to before.
Last weekend, I watched a live broadcast of Japanese wrestling other than New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It was a memorial match for a young wrestler who took his own life on May 23rd last year.
When I first came to the United States in 1987-04, I remember that Japan had only two wrestling organizations for men and women each. But starting from the following year, the number gradually increased, and now there are apparently around 60 organizations, large and small, in Japan. The number of wrestlers has also grown significantly compared to the past. As someone who grew up in the Showa era, I can’t help but think, “Can people call themselves wrestlers even with such organizations?”
With that said, while watching the broadcast, I recognized some wrestlers, but for most of them, I only knew their names without having seen their matches before. Of course, that’s what I expected, but I still felt an obligation to pay and watch the event. I genuinely felt the love she received from many wrestlers and was glad to have watched it.
However, I can’t say that I knew much about the wrestler who was being memorialized. Of course, I knew she was daughter of another famous wrestler and had been with Stardom for few years, but my knowledge was only like “I’ve seen some of her matches.”
One day, a friend told me, “Giulia, who recently joined Stardom, is interesting.” As I watched various videos, I became interested in Giulia as a wrestler, but I was even more drawn to her rival. Now, I regret not paying more attention to her earlier.
A few months later, it was heartbreaking news.
Although I hadn’t followed her career as a fan, I didn’t feel distant because I knew some mutual friends and acquaintances.
In today’s world, people are raising their own notions of “justice” and engaging in heated debates on social media and other platforms with complete strangers. While humans are meant to learn from their mistakes and grow, it seems like some individuals, hiding behind their anonymous handles, relentlessly attack others as if they themselves are exempt from any failures or mistakes. This cancel culture extends not only to companies and products but also to personal identities and, even worse, to people’s lives.
No, in many cases, this notion of “justice” might not even exist in the first place. It could be that troubled individuals (even without realizing it) lacking self-confidence target others, simply reveling in a sense of superiority. Especially in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, when people are burdened with various levels of mental stress, such behavior might be even more prevalent.
I think “justice” is ultimately a subjective matter.
Usually, when a famous or deeply cherished wrestler passes away, I change the cover photo of my wrestling related Facebook pages to feature that wrestler for about a month. However, this time, I intentionally kept the same photo for a whole year. I wanted as many people as possible to be aware of issues like bullying and suicide.
I don’t know if it actually helped anyone. And, of course, I don’t feel like the world has become any better in this one year.
But since last autumn, I’ve experienced the loss of seven close friends and acquaintances one after another. It has made me contemplate the value of human life more than ever.
That’s why, no matter how small it may be, I want to continue searching for ways to make a difference.
In that sense, if it’s “bandwagoning” like this, then I hope I can continue to do it with pride.
While praying for Hana Kimura’s soul to find peace.
