Review: ‘Purodyssey’ by John Lister
This Tokyo Wrestling Diary is a must-read for first-time visitors to Japan.
What makes you the ultimate pro wrestling fan?
Have you been to WrestleMania? Stood in line for 90 minutes waiting to meet one of your idols? Taken a chop from the Nature Boy?
Well, John Lister has been a fan for decades, writing for wrestling publications since 1990. He has traveled across the pond and witnessed action from nearly every major promotion. But one voyage had remained on his bucket list: going to Japan.
The Fighting Spirit Magazine contributor decided to make the trip last year, seeing 14 shows from 11 promotions in just eight days. He documented his journey in Purodyssey (A Tokyo Wrestling Diary), which not only chronicles his visiting venues from the Tokyo Dome to a converted pharmacy, but also describes daily life in Japan. From navigating through the city to surviving the language barrier, Lister shares his experience as a lonely stranger in a foreign land, guided by the allure of strong style and death matches.
As someone who has never been to Japan (let alone left the U.S.), I enjoyed reading about the culture from someone experiencing it for the first time. Although Lister is from England and made many references that flew over my head, I got the gist of his anecdotes and warmed up to his sense of humor. It felt like I was sitting next to him at the pub, cracking up about Bikkuri Donkey Pocket, young men racing in mini Mario Karts and Piss Alley (my kind of place).
Also, as a novice to the Japanese wrestling scene, this was an eye-opening education on the vast array of minor promotions and traditions. From Chris Jericho battling Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom to seeing a 14 year old compete for all-women’s group Ice Ribbon, Lister brings you along for the myriad of explosive action, colorful characters and hilarious moments. In vivid detail, he describes the infrastructure of arenas I’ve only heard about, breaking down the logistics of transporting to Korakuen Hall and beyond.
Lister’s observations about the locals, cuisine, architecture, merchandise shops and more are entertaining as well as informative, leaving first-time visitors with an essential guide of how to get the most of their trip. It’s also interesting that most of the places he attempted to go to were closed because of the New Year holiday, perhaps the most popular time of the year for wrestling fans to travel there. I’d be extremely disappointed to finally arrive at the original Ribera Steakhouse only to find out its closed most of the week over New Year.
At the end of the diary, Lister information on what the trip is going to cost, how to get event tickets, how to handle money, technology and jetlag, and much more. He also shares the full results and attendance figures from the shows he attended.
Unlike his previous journals, he hasn’t gone into extensive detail about every match he saw in Japan. In an effort to reduce the price, he also excluded photos from the book, instead showing them in an online gallery at his website.
At 72 pages, Purodyssey is a fun escape into the rich Japanese culture and a must-read for any wrestling newcomer to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Purodyssey is available on Amazon.
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