Finally, a fun press conference! I finished the January 3 presser before Ittenyon! …Even though Ittenyon is already long past 
. There’s some good stuff in here, though!
The video for the presser is here, and the transcripts are split into three places, so I’ll link them as we go. First up: the match for the vacated tag titles (transcript)!
On January 3, the contract signings for the three major title matches at the January 4 Korakuen Hall show was held in Suidobashi, Tokyo. Ring announcer Sayuri Namba presided over the signing. Each wrestler signed the contract and then gave their comments.
Suzume: “The card changed, but our feelings concerning the belts and our confidence remain the same as ever. We, Daisy Monkey, are going to hold the belts that have been held by the strongest tag teams in TJPW, like Daydream, Bakuretsu (Sisters), and (Free) WiFi.”
Arisu: “We have more opponents, and the opposing teams are chock full of powerful people, but as Suzume said, our desire for the belts is unchanged, so the two of us are going to take them!”
The first part of Miu’s answer was a bit tricky: “突然めぐり込んできたチャンスですが、白昼夢としてはいつでもいける準備はしてきたので。いつだって今日だって明日だって、いつでもいけると思ってやってきたので、リカさんとまだ叶えたい夢はいっぱいあるし、2019年に獲って以来、4か5年ぐらい獲ってないので、このベルトを今回獲って、2024年、リカさんといろんな夢を叶えていきたいと思います.”
Miu: “This chance appeared out of nowhere, but I’m always prepared to wrestle as part of Daydream at any time. I’ve been thinking that we can always go at any time, today, tomorrow, or whenever, so I still have a lot of dreams I’d like to fulfill with Rika-san, and since about 4-5 years have passed without us winning the belts since we won them in 2019, I want to win the belts here in 2024 and make some dreams come true with Rika-san.”
Rika: “As Miu said, it’s been a while since we’ve won the (tag) belts, and I have a strong impression that those pink belts also want to be worn by us. I’ve found it rather strange that Daydream weren’t the next challengers in the first place, so it’s only natural for us to challenge this time, and I think it’s divine providence. So I hope everyone can enjoy the championship match with peace of mind.”
I wasn’t quite sure what she was saying about Daisy Monkey here: “ただ、でじもんもそうだし、ユキと水波さんというタッグも現れて、一筋縄ではいかないなと思うんですけど、今まで積み上げてきたものがあるので、私たちがベルトに返り咲きたいと思います.”
“However, the same is true for Daisy Monkey, and Yuki and Mizunami-san’s tag team has also materialized, so I don’t think we can deal with them through ordinary means, but we’ve built up a lot of experience so far, so I hope we can bloom again with the belts.”
Yuki: “I’m really happy to have gotten an opportunity like this to challenge for the tag belts.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to translate the end of this: “しかも“アネキ”がいなくなったと思ったら“アニキ”とベルトに挑めるということで、このチャンスを確実にものにして、正式にみんなのアニキから私のアニキにするために、私は力づくでも何がなんでもベルトを獲りにいきます！”
“Just when I thought ‘aneki’ was gone, I get to challenge for the belts with ‘aniki’. I’m going to take this chance, and in order to officially make her go from ‘everyone’s aniki’ to ‘my aniki’, I’m going to recover my spirit and do whatever it takes to win the belts!”
(Omg this was so cute though 
. It’ll need a translator’s note, haha)
Mizunami: “First of all, Happy New Year 2024!”
Everyone: “Happy New Year!”
Mizunami: “This year is the Year of the Dragon. I was born in the Year of the Dragon, so it’s my year.”
The start of this and the “今この場にいるんですけど” chunk of the second sentence were a bit confusing to me: “そんな中で今回カード変更になったとは言え、この東京女子プロレスのタッグのベルトを巻くチャンス。これは私が辰年の年女というのもあるのかなと思いながら、今この場にいるんですけど、自分と愛野のタッグはでじもんや白昼夢と組んでいる回数を比べれば、まだまだ数回しか経ってないけど、そこは熱さと情熱でカバーして今回この東京女子プロレスのタッグのベルトを巻いて、私と愛野のタッグチームがチャンピオンとして東京女子プロレスに名を刻みたいと思っております.”
“In the midst of this, the card was changed, and it became a chance for me to win the TJPW tag belts. I was thinking, as I’m here now, that maybe this happened because it’s the Year of the Dragon, my year, but if you compare the number of times Yuki and I have teamed up to that of Daisy Monkey and Daydream, it’s still only been a few times, but I’m going to compensate for that with passion and enthusiasm and win the TJPW tag belts, and our tag team will etch our names in the history of TJPW as champions. We’re going to burst out with passion this year, too! That’s all!”
――Aino, what are your thoughts on your tag team with Mizunami?
Yuki: “I faced Mizunami-san for the first time in May and lost, which was really frustrating, but it felt like she was pounding on the door to my heart, telling me to bust it down myself and come out. Since then, we’ve teamed up twice, but Mizunami-san was even more amazing to see from close by, and I wanted to fight together with her even more. Mizunami-san has appeared in TJPW so many times, but she’s not always here because she’s not a member of TJPW. But if we become tag champions here, surely we’ll get more opportunities to fight together. So that’s why I absolutely have to take advantage of this amazing opportunity, and I want the two of us to win the tag belts together.”
――Mizunami, what do you think about Aino’s “from ‘everyone’s aniki’ to ‘my aniki’” comment?
This answer was a bit tricky: “そんなふうに思ってくれていたのを今この場で初めて知ったので正直恥ずかしいというのが一番の感想です。でもそんだけ思いがあるということで、それもこのベルトを争う闘いで出していければ、それも一つの強さになると思うので、必ず勝ちたいと思います.”
Mizunami: “I just now found out that she thinks of me like that, so to be honest, my main thought is that I’m embarrassed. But if that’s how she feels about it, if she can show those feelings while competing to win the belts, I think that’ll be one of our strengths, so we’re definitely going to win.”
――For Daisy Monkey, what do the two of you think about the match format and your opponents getting changed on New Year’s Eve?
I got tripped up a bit when initially trying to read this, but maybe I figured it out? “もちろん対戦相手はメチャメチャ変わっているし、それこそ歴代チャンピオンの白昼夢や、ユキさんもタッグベルトを持っていたことがあるし、水波さんの強さを私はシングルマッチで嫌というほど感じていたので、すごいことになったなみたいな気持ちは正直あったんですけど、でもベルトが欲しい気持ちは変わらないし、有栖もそうだなというのはわかっていたので、気持ちを切り替えるというよりは、ベルトに真っすぐというのはそのままです.”
Suzume: “Of course, our opponents are totally different, especially because Daydream are former champions, and Yuki-san has also held the tag belts before, and I’ve keenly felt Mizunami-san’s strength in our singles match, so I honestly felt like this had turned into a whole big thing, but my desire to win the belts hasn’t changed, and I know that Arisu feels the same, so rather than changing my mindset, I’m still just looking straight ahead at the belts.”
Arisu: “Obviously I was surprised, but I think the two of us can do it, so it’s alright.”
――Tatsumi and Endo, you’ll be facing Mizunami for the first time.
Arisu: “Watching Suzume-san’s singles match with her from up close, I thought ‘that’s someone amazing,’ and I was floored. She was incredible.”
I struggled with translating “腰抜かしました”, but I think maybe “I was floored” is an appropriate replacement?
Rika: “Since she first appeared in TJPW, she has a tremendous ability to draw us into Aniki’s world starting from the moment she enters, and I’ve always wanted to fight her, so I’m very excited and thrilled to have this opportunity to fight with the belts on the line.”
――Miu, two days after Ittenyon, you’ll be facing Tatsumi in a match to determine the number one contender. Does that affect anything?
Miu: “I haven’t really thought about it. A match with a lot of people entering? I don’t remember the word…”
Rika: “Battle royal.”
(Laughed at Miu forgetting the word, haha). Her answer was a bit confusing, though: “それだ。バトルロイヤルなので気にしてなかったですし、白昼夢って昨日のベストバウトニーサンのやつ（←#tjpwBB23 のこと）で闘ったやつがランクインしていたように、普段から割と闘ったり組んだりが何の抵抗もなくできたりするので、そういう意味では闘っているからこそ、お互いを定期的に知って、ずっと最強でいると思っています.”
Miu: “Ah, that’s it. Since it’s a battle royal, I’m not concerned. And for Daydream, the match where we fought each other ranked in yesterday’s Best Bout 23 (#tjpwBB23), and we regularly fight and team up with each other like that without feeling any reluctance, so in that sense, specifically because we’re fighting, we periodically familiarize ourselves with each other, and I think we’ll always be the strongest.”
And that’s it for that one!
Next up: Miyu vs Masha (transcript). Masha’s parts were in English, which made this a bit less work.
Masha: (in English) “My comment is very simple. Everybody in the world saw what I’m capable of in 2023. You saw me rank on the PWI, you saw me become world champion, and I’m sure everybody saw what I did to Rina Yamashita. And everybody saw what I did to you, at Combat Princess, when I drove Miyu here headfirst into the ground and came out victorious. So what makes you think that this belt isn’t going to be around my waist tomorrow? I hope you’re all ready for a new reign of a new champion. Welcome to my world.”
Yamashita: “First of all, Happy New Year! I’m really looking forward to fighting Masha in Japan with the TJPW belt on the line on January 4, our first show of the year. When I went abroad for that long stretch after March this year, I had the opportunity to visit a lot of states in the U.S., and Masha was there every time. Within the U.S., Masha’s presence as a wrestler looms large. During that time, I had two singles matches with Masha in the U.S., and with a score of 1-1, I’ve won and I’ve lost. When I came back home to Japan, I wanted to have a match with Masha here in Japan. I was constantly telling Koda-san that I wanted to do it, but Masha is a very popular wrestler in the U.S., and our schedules didn’t line up. But we’re finally getting a singles match this year, and I have the belt, so I’m really looking forward to fighting her in the best condition. I lost previously at Combat (Princess), and at the TJPW L.A. show, so I want to properly make up for those losses. Also, by defeating someone who has a big name in the U.S. in Japan, my presence in America and in Japan will become even bigger. I want to get a firm victory here.”
――If you win tomorrow in the match, what are your plans for the belt back in America?
Masha: (in English) “My plan is very simple. I’m gonna take this belt around the world, and I’m gonna defend it and become the longest reigning champion that the history of this belt has ever seen.”
――You said that you were constantly asking representative Koda for a singles match with Masha. You are confident that you can give a match that is such high quality?
Yamashita: “Yes, I am. Because she’s a very exciting opponent.”
This was tricky: “アメリカでもシングルは2回やってますけど、ホントに2つともマーシャの奥深さというか…選手としてここはこうだなって思ってたら2回目に闘うと全然違う技を出してきたりとか、リズムも違うので。日本で3回目になりますけど、新たなマーシャの強さが見れるんじゃないかなと思うので。そこで生まれてくる私の強さもたぶんあると思うので、そこは私が上回って勝ちたいと思っています.”
“So I wanted us to have a match in Japan as well. We’ve had two singles matches in the U.S., but in just those two matches, I saw the depth she has… Just when I thought ‘this is what she can do as a wrestler,’ the second time we fought, she brought out totally different moves, and her rhythm was also different. In Japan, this will be our third match, but I think you’ll get to see Masha bring entirely new strengths to the table. I think my own strength will probably come out there, so I want to surpass her and get the win.”
――You are once again defending against a foreign wrestler. Do you feel any pressure due to the risk of the belt slipping away overseas?
Yamashita: “There is some pressure, but it’s one that I enjoy.”
The first sentence here in particular was hard: “このベルトを取るのが4回目なので、ある程度のリスクを背負うくらいやらないと、いままで自分が初代で取ってから色んなチャンピオンが生まれてきて。どんどんこのベルトが上に分厚くなって、存在も濃ゆくなっているので。これくらいしないと自分のチャンピオンとしての存在も、お客さんもワクワクさせられないので.”
“This is my fourth time winning this belt, so I have to be willing to take on a certain amount of risk. There have been lots of champions since I was the first person to win it. Because this belt has been getting heavier and heavier, its presence is also becoming stronger. If I don’t do this, I can’t get excited about being the champion, and I won’t be able to excite the audience, either. The risks that come along with it… I feel the pressure, yes, but I want to have fun and overcome it.”
――It’s a yearly tradition for TJPW to have a show on the morning of January 4, and you’ll be in the main event this time. What do you feel going into this main event for such a very important show of the year?
Masha: (in English) “I think that Korakuen Hall has a special energy, and especially being in the main event of such a big show in such a historic location has an incredible energy. So I think that there’s nothing that’s going to stop me, and there’s nothing that I’m not willing to do to get that belt tomorrow.”
And that’s it for that one! Lastly, Max The Impaler vs Yuki Arai (transcript).
On January 3, the contract signings for the three major title matches at the January 4 Korakuen Hall show was held in Suidobashi, Tokyo. As usual, the contract signing for the International Princess Championship was held without the champion, Max The Impaler. The challenger Yuki Arai was the only one present, and with ring announcer Sayuri Namba presiding over the signing, she signed the contract and expressed her determination.
“This will be my second time challenging for the International Princess belt, and my first time challenging in two years. Last time I challenged (Maki) Itoh, but this time I’ll be challenging Max. This will be my first singles match with a foreign wrestler, and since my opponent is Max, I have a lot of fear… Just one year ago, at Ittenyon Korakuen, they’re the person who took the tag belts from AA Cannon, and since I wasn’t able to fight Max after that, I wasn’t able to get my revenge.”
I didn’t really have trouble with the meaning for this, but it was a bit tricky to come up with a good translation: “AA砲の2人の気持ちを私が背負ってリベンジしたいと思いますし、2024年チャンピオンになっていいスタートを切って、プロレスラーとしても輝ける1年にしたいと思うので。荒井がベルトを取りたいと思います.”
“I want to get my revenge while carrying the feelings of both members of AA Cannon with me, and I want to start off 2024 with a bang by becoming champion, and make this a year in which I shine as a pro wrestler. I want to win that belt.”
As soon as Arai finished her comment, the Impaler appeared at the press conference with a roar.
This was another tricky to translate part, as I had to do some sentence rearranging haha: “そして昨年の1・4後楽園ホール大会にてプリンセスタッグ王座とともに荒井から奪ってコスチュームの一部にしていた髪飾りを机に叩きつけて何やら挑発.”
Then, as a form of provocation, they slammed Arai’s hair ornament onto the table. It had come from her gear, and they had taken it from her along with the Princess Tag Titles at the Korakuen Hall show on January 4 last year. When ring announcer Namba nervously requested their signature, they rubbed a fingerprint on the sheet to complete the signing. They then took the hair ornament, showed it to Arai, then grabbed the belt and left.
The 仕組み的 part of this was tricky: “あれ（髪飾り）は1年前、ベルトを獲られた時に取られた私の衣装なんですよ。だから…その仕組み的にいうと負けてしまって取られたので、勝てば取り返せるみたいな感じですか？”
Arai: “That (hair ornament), they took it from me last year when they won the belts. It’s part of my costume. So… the setup is that I lost and had it taken from me, so does that mean I can get it back if I win? I haven’t been able to use that hairpin for a long time, and the fans have been sad, so I’ll do my best to win it back.”
I also wasn’t quite sure about this: “今の一連の流れを見ても気持ちは揺るがない？”
――Despite the current series of events, do you feel unshaken?
Arai: “I was quite surprised just now, but… I’m sure that I’ll be alright once I step into the ring, and I’m going to strongly believe in myself tomorrow.”
――Are you worried about being able to defeat them?
Arai: “In all of Max’s matches that I’ve seen, they’ve never lost, and their incredible power… I’ve seen a lot of matches where they show that power in different ways. I felt a fresh sense of just how scary of a wrestler they are, but since no one has beaten them, I think it would be awesome if I won. I’m sure there’s a way to win somewhere, and I want to find it.”
――You talked about carrying AA Cannon with you. If you win the belt, are you going to report back to Akai?
Arai: “Yes. I want her to shower me with praise.”
And that’s it for that one!
Next up: the actual Ittenyon translation! …Which will probably take me several days, haha, because it’s long …