The Hero Who Struck: Rikidozan and the Desire for "Power" in Postwar Japan (1950s-1960s)

The Hero Who Struck: Rikidozan and the Desire for "Power" in Postwar Japan (1950s-1960s)

Amidst postwar confusion and a sense of defeat, the Japanese sought a new symbol of "strength. It was during this time that the professional wrestler Rikidozan appeared on the scene. A former sumo wrestler, Rikidozan faced off against American wrestlers in the early days of television, and his appearance was viewed enthusiastically on street television. His violence as a "punching Japanese" was, for many, a surrogate means of redressing the humiliation of defeat and symbolized the restoration of national self-confidence. His violence also provoked an ethical debate about whether it should be tolerated in the name of justice. The real-life film scripted by Ikki Kajiwara depicted the tension between violence and morality and presented a prototype for the postwar hero. The fusion of television and professional wrestling also shaped media culture by democratizing entertainment and creating shared family time. The death of Rikidozan also became part of the mythology, and his spiri
t became the foundation of Showa wrestling.