“Kyōen”: Pro Wrestler Kasai Jun Remains the Maestro of Deathmatch

A young Kasai Jun in his elementary school uniform. His love of professional wrestling started when he was a child. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)

A scene from director Kawaguchi Jun’s documentary Kyōen. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)

Kasai hoists newcomer Sakuda Toshiyuki onto his back in a match at Tokyo’s Kōrakuen Hall on July 28, 2020, the first organized by Freedoms at the storied venue since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)

Kasai on the MRI table. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)

Trips to the park with his daughter were part of Kasai’s daily routine while recuperating. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)

While taking time off to rest, Kasai found that his will to wrestle had waned. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)

Kasai returns to the ring. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)

Kasai, covered in shards of glass, holds a shattered fluorescent light. He says that after a match, he simply washes all the pieces off. (© 2021 Jun Kasai Movie Project)