A Culinary Tribute to Wrestling Legends
Naoya Ogawa, the 58-year-old Olympic judo silver medalist and professional wrestling icon, turned back the clock on November 4. At a media event marking the reopening of the Jumbo Oshidori Sushi restaurant in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, the man once known as the “Violent King” shared intimate stories of his mentor, the late Antonio Inoki, and his former tag-team partner, the late Shinya Hashimoto.
Hashimoto’s Unconventional Sushi Rituals
A visit to a high-end sushi establishment in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, remains etched in Ogawa’s memory, primarily due to his partner’s disregard for culinary etiquette.
Hashimoto would routinely order eight pieces of fatty tuna (otoro) at once. Despite the restaurant’s upscale atmosphere, he insisted on eating the fish two pieces at a time, claiming they were too large to consume otherwise. Ogawa, who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, watched the spectacle with a mixture of surprise and amusement, noting he had never seen anyone else eat in such a manner at that type of venue.
The Clash of Lifestyles
While Hashimoto indulged, Ogawa maintained a strict regimen to stay in peak wrestling condition, often limiting his intake to the garnish (tsuma) served with the sashimi. The disparity in their habits led to friction at the table. Hashimoto would often criticize the stoic approach, telling him, “Your life is boring,” before popping two pieces of fatty tuna into his mouth and shouting, “Two-piece eat!”
Ogawa recalled responding by telling his partner that he was simply focused on his job, though he admitted he often wished Hashimoto would just eat in silence.
A Peacock and the Influence of Inoki
The memories involving Antonio Inoki offered a different kind of intensity. Ogawa described a visit to the home of one of Inoki’s prominent supporters, where a sushi chef was brought directly to the residence to prepare the meal. The evening took a bizarre turn when Ogawa stepped away to use the restroom.
Upon entering, he heard chirping sounds and discovered a large peacock kept in the garden. The sight was so startling that Ogawa said he felt his “waist give out.” When he later mentioned the bird to the supporter, the man simply smiled and advised him to “get along with Hashimoto.”
From Rivalry to Partnership
Ogawa suggests these shared meals and the heavy influence of Inoki were instrumental in the formation of their tag team, marking a definitive shift from their earlier combat.
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