I’m about 2/3rds of the way through translating TJPW’s September 24 show, but I thought maybe it would be a good idea to split the contract signing into its own post, haha.
The transcript for this is up on the DDT website (shupro didn’t have anything for it), which should make things a little easier!
Namba asks Yuka to start:
Sakazaki: “I’ve had many singles matches with Shoko Nakajima since TJPW started. This is a turning point for me and for TJPW, or I guess I should say it feels like this title match came together at an important time.
Then Yuka says I think the longest sentence I’ve ever seen in Japanese . I struggled a fair amount with this due to its length: “そして中島翔子とタイトルマッチ、シングルマッチをやっていく中で、自分たちでどんどんハードルをあげていって、越えられるかな、越えられないかな、みんなの期待に応えられるかなって不安になりながら、でも自分たちの力を信じて、何回も何回も乗り越えて、今このタイミングでまたタイトルマッチが組まれたっていうことは、さらに東京女子が上にいくために組まれたタイトルマッチだって、運命だって思ってるから、今持っている以上のものって、当たり障りないことになるけど…でも、後悔ないように全力で中島翔子にぶつかっていきたいと思います.”
"In the title matches and singles matches I’ve been having with Shoko Nakajima, the two of us have been gradually raising the bar more and more, and I’m anxious about whether we’re going to clear it or not, and whether we can live up to everyone’s expectations, but I believe in our power, and we’ve cleared that bar time and time again. Having this title match again now, it’s once again a title match set to bring TJPW to the next level, and I think it’s fate. So having it again would be bland, but… I want to hit Shoko Nakajima with everything I have so that I don’t have any regrets.”
For Shoko’s answer, the only part that I wasn’t really sure about was her second sentence here: “今の東京女子プロレスでこの短いスパンでベルトに挑戦するということはそう簡単にできるものじゃないと思うし、そこにたどり着くまでに心の強さとか、努力とか、色んなものを自分に……そうですね.” The この短いスパン part in particular was a little unclear to me.
Nakajima: “As a result of the summer tournament, I will once again have a title match with Yuka Sakazaki. I don’t think it’s very easy to challenge for the belt in this short span of time in current TJPW, so to get there, I’ve needed strength of mind, hard work, and many other things. In any case, I think I’ve had to be very strong to get to this point. In the tournament, I had a setback. But Yuka Sakazaki alone won amidst all of the other voices, and stood in front of me once again. I beat her once in June, but seeing her ahead of me again gave me courage. She’s someone who really inspires me, and she makes me feel like even if I win, I have to win again, and that I want to keep winning over and over again. That’s the kind of opponent she is. I think if I want to stand at the top, I always have to believe that new things are the best. I think the fans are always wanting to see something new. In order to create that new landscape, I have to fine tune myself even more, and if I lose to myself, I will lose to the opponent in front of me. This summer, I reconfirmed my own weaknesses. I will not lose to myself, and I will not lose to Yuka Sakazaki. I will defend this belt, and very soon it will be TJPW’s 10th year. I will absolutely hold onto my belt, and keep it until we’ve reached that critical juncture. I want to fight in the main event at Ryogoku Kokugikan for the second time, just as I did when I put on this belt. For this reason, I want to keep winning. Everyone, please watch me. Thank you for your support.”
Namba: “You had a title match at CyberFight Fest in June this year. Is there any difference in your frame of mind compared to then?”
Sakazaki: “CyberFight Fest was more like a festival, having a title match in that kind of lively atmosphere."
Then Yuka said, “自分のペースで雰囲気を持っていけない部分、自分が関与できない部分とかもある中でのタイトルマッチと今回、東京女子だけのフィールドでの闘いっていうのはまったく別物の闘いになると思いますので、その違いっていうのを見ているお客さんが感じてくれたらいいなと思いますので、目を離さないで見てもらえたらいいなと思います.” Another long sentence! The first half of this one was hard, but I think I figured out the point she was making?
"It was a title match where we couldn’t control the atmosphere and we couldn’t participate just as ourselves. But this time, we’re fighting just in a TJPW ring. I think it’s a completely different fight, and I hope the audience watching the match will feel that difference, so keep your eyes on us.”
In Shoko’s answer, I was confused by her second line here: “やっぱり総当たり戦みたいなものなので、そこで私は勝ち残れなかった.” In particular, the 総当たり戦 part, because that phrase apparently means round-robin tournament, but the Tokyo Princess Cup is a single elimination tournament, not round robin, so it wasn’t really at all similar in operation. So I think she was comparing it to feeling like a G1 or a Five Star Grand Prix, or something like that (in terms of tension and prestige)?
Nakajima: “One of the differences is the tournament we had this summer. I think that’s the biggest. It felt like a round-robin tournament in the end, and I couldn’t advance. But the fact that Yuka-chi was able to keep winning after all… I think of Yuka Sakazaki as an opponent who is passing me and getting passed by me day by day. That was the true lesson for me this summer. I was also energized by watching her go ahead of me, so this time I want her to watch me step out in front.”
Namba: The two of you often talk about the ‘growth of the young wrestlers’. Miu Watanabe and Yuki Arai also have title matches. Do you have a message to give to your juniors?
Yuka’s answer to this was kind of confusing: “うーん…まぁその、荒井優希に関しては、タイトル戦で負けてるので言うことはないですけど、今一瞬一瞬、その瞬間その瞬間に一番誰が輝くかって思いながら試合をしてると思うので。私はお姉ちゃんの方ですけど、時間は平等なので。みんなその瞬間、自分を掴むために生きてるので。みんなガムシャラに今を生きたらいいと思うよ。以上です.”
Sakazki: "Well, I lost our title match, so I don’t have anything to say concerning Yuki Arai, but right now, each moment, every single moment, I’m wrestling my matches and thinking about who will shine the most. I’m the older sister, but time favors no one. Everyone, in each moment, is living for the sake of seizing themselves. I think everyone should make the most of the present moment. That’s all.”
The first half of Shoko’s response was tricky, though I think I did okay with the second half? She started off by saying, “入りたての頃とかは先輩・後輩ってハッキリしてたと思うんですけど、一緒に道場や試合で時間を過ごしていく中で、その先輩・後輩だったものが、ちょっとずつそうじゃなくなってるっていうのは今年強く感じました。なので自分が勝ち続けるためにも、もっともっと荒井ちゃんも未詩も、赤井さんもそうだけど、みんなのことをちゃんと見て、自分が今どのくらいの力があるのかをつねに確認していかないといけないし.”
Nakajima: “When I first joined, I think the junior-senior distinction was very clear, but as we’ve spent time together in the dojo and in matches, it has gradually become less and less distinct, and I’ve felt that very strongly this year. This is more and more true about Arai-chan and Miu, and Akai-san, too, but in order for me to keep winning, it means that I need to watch everyone closely and always have to confirm how much power I have right now They are the kind of juniors who make me think that I must always, always work hard. But I feel a little sad that you can’t apply words like ‘young wrestler’ and ‘the future’ to myself. Yuka-chi also said it, but we want to do our very best now. So, I want you to look at everyone, all of us all together.”
I was a little unsure about that last sentence, too: “なので、全部ひっくるめてみなさんには見て欲しいなって思ってます.”
And that was everything said during the contract signing!