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)

In the 1950s, when Japan was finally on its way to economic recovery after the chaotic period following the defeat in World War II, the people were in great need of a "new hero. Burned-out cities, food shortages, the presence of occupying forces, and a loss of national self-confidence. Suddenly, the professional wrestler Rikidozan appeared on the scene, knocking out his enemies with a single flash of his karate chop.
With his background as a former sumo wrestler, Rikidozan took to the airwaves in the early days of television and turned his confrontation with an American wrestler into a "national event. At a time when television was beginning to spread to every household, Rikidozan's live wrestling broadcasts boasted high ratings, and crowds gathered in front of street-level TVs. The image of Rikidozan as a "punching bag" in the ring functioned for many people as a "vicarious violence" to relieve their depression over their defeat in the war.
At the same time, this violence was always accompanied by ethical questions, and it became a source of debate about the extent to which "righteous violence" is acceptable. This point was symbolically depicted in the true-life Rikidozan movie scripted by Kajiwara Ikki, which positioned Rikidozan as the prototype of the "postwar hero" in which the aesthetics of violence and moral conflicts are intertwined.
The media industry of the time also grew through the popularity of Rikidozan. Television and professional wrestling were integrated, and concepts such as "democratization of entertainment" and "shared family time" were promoted. In other words, Rikidozan was a symbol of postwar media history and a cultural device that combined the three elements of violence, heroism, and images.
Although his death (1963) was sudden and unexpected, stabbed by an assailant, his dramatic end was also an act that completed the myth of Rikidozan. His lineage was later passed down to Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba, who formed the basis of the Showa era's pro wrestling culture.