Fans Will No Longer Be Required To Wear Masks To NJPW Shows Starting In May

Compared to other wrestling promotions around the world, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has taken a more cautious stance when it comes to COVID-19-era restrictions, in part due to the regulations of the Japanese government. Following the news from earlier this year that fans in attendance are allowed to vocalize once again, the company announced today that starting May 1, masks will be optional for anyone attending NJPW live events.

With this development, the promotion has taken another step toward its pre-pandemic status quo. Along with this latest announcement, the company said it would soon offer an update on contact between fans and wrestlers at meet-and-greet events — one of the last pandemic restrictions still in place. Today's NJPW announcement also noted that masks are still required through the rest of April and that the optional mask policy could change going forward, depending on shifting circumstances.

NJPW has been in the headlines a number of times in recent days. Not only did the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship change hands from Kazuchika Okada to SANADA last week at Sakura Genesis, but the company has also announced the return of the G1 Climax tournament as well as a supershow bringing together NJPW, AJPW, and Pro Wrestling NOAH, scheduled for June 9 at Ryōgoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The event is called All Together Again, and it marks the first joint show between the three companies since the 2012 event known as All Together. As for the G1 Climax, the tournament will begin on July 15 and run through August 13.