Future of Joshi: Chie Koishikawa (Gatoh Move)

The Future of Joshi series is an effort to highlight the best, young talent in Joshi pro wrestling for fans to keep an eye on in 2023 and beyond. Led by Scott Edwards, a number of Joshi podcasters, writers, and fans took part in hyping up the best young talent from the scene as 15 wrestlers will be highlighted as well as honorable mentions. The next wrestler to be featured is Gatoh Move’s energetic star, Chie Koishikawa.

Chie Koishikawa

The exciting, energetic, unbelievable Chie Koishikawa makes it as the lone representative for Gatoh Move on the list of 15 in the Future of Joshi series and as you’ll see from the responses of multiple people, she was as much of a lock as anyone on the list.

What Koishikawa does in her matches is showcase her silly, crazy side while also showing she’s much like previous Gatoh Move trainees in terms of being absolutely fantastic inside the ring.

Somewhere right now in the world’s most violent daycare center is a young woman clad in orange, armed with a fencing blade. She bows to the thousands of people watching live at home and demands they scream “Hello” at their screen as loud as their voices will carry. This young woman possessed of endless energy is the 24 years of age Chie Koishikawa. Part of Gatoh Move’s Fourth Generation, trained by Emi Sakura and Hagane Shinnou. In her mind, she is the main protagonist in all of Joshi puroresu and over the course of her match she will do everything in her power to convince you of that fact as well. Even if that means standing up to her arch-rival Mei Suruga with her trademark fencing chops. When Chie laughs, we laugh. When she cries, we cry. And when she wins big, we won’t be surprised at all. – Jamie Goulding (@Void_Of_Opinion)

For someone like myself who has seen Koishikawa in the Ichigaya Chocolate Square of ChocoPro and inside a normal pro wrestling ring, she’s herself at all times which makes her all the more likable. I personally think it’s impressive for any performer to be as creative as they are on the brown mat in the middle of Tokyo as opposed to the ring because it’s there that you see wrestlers learn things you can’t learn anywhere else. Mei Suruga has exemplified that better than anyone else and as we’ve seen since Gatoh Move has returned to in-ring wrestling along with ChocoPro, Koishikawa is right there with her.

As Snoedo writes, it’s that energy she brings which isn’t “too much” that lets her shine.

When you look at Chie Koishikawa, the first phrase that usually comes to mind is “too much energy.” In reality, that description is just a bit unfair.
Chie does indeed have a lot of energy — and causes a lot of chaos — but there is a method to her madness. She is a gifted entertainer and puts everything she has into her craft. An Emi Sakura trainee, she quit her day job several years ago to wrestle full-time, and her skills have steadily grown since then. She is a solid all-around wrestler who is threatening to break through to a wider audience very soon. Her biggest asset is her emotion. She never hides her feelings in the ring and it’s impossible not to love how passionate she is. Her stated goal is to make sure everyone watching enjoys the show, whether in attendance or online — they are why she does what she does. – Snoedo Tai (@snoedo_tai)

The more opportunities that Koishikawa gets, the better chance she has at showing what she’s all about. Working through Gatoh Move is great but there should be a day down the line she pops up on AEW Dark. In 2022, she had the chance to compete in STARDOM’s NEW BLOOD which was a big spot for her. She also competed as part of Ganbare Pro and soon she will compete in DDT to oppose Saki Akai. The opportunities are coming for good reason and it does feel like the beginning of her liftoff.

Super energetic, funny, and technically adept. Chie Koishikawa first appeared for Gatoh Move in 2019, even claiming that she quit her job for pro wrestling (according to one of her t-shirts). While Chie may have not always been on the winning side (keep in mind she is still an up-and-comer), her matches remain memorable due to her crazy antics. From loud shouting and jumping out of windows, to breaking walls and dressing up as a cat, Chie is a perfect fit for the zany world of the Gatoh Move promotion and their ChocoPro shows. Now, Chie has also scored some valuable alliances with wrestlers such as Kaori Yoneyama, Mei Suruga, and Sayaka. Recently, she has been getting more experience by appearing for other promotions and shows as well, including STARDOM’s NEW BLOOD.
Regardless of the promotion, always expect to have a good time while watching this real-life Looney Tunes character perform. – Dr. Aris Emmanouloudis (@ArgyEmm)

As Trent writes below, calling her a future Gatoh Move ace to follow the likes of Suruga, Riho, and others should be enough proof as to why Koishikawa is worth keeping an eye on in the future. That’s a prime spot that leads to success.

The walls of Ichigaya may struggle to contain her Endless Energy, but Chie Koishikawa was the perfect type of student to hone her craft on the chocolate mat under the guidance of the legendary Emi Sakura. Three years into her career and now the full breadth of what Chie can be is starting to be realized: a Gatoh Move ace and someone who can own the role of underdog babyface wherever doors open for her.
As a wrestler, she’s been blessed to learn under a Gatoh Move system that will demand creativity and ingenuity, while honing her more technical skills as she continues to gain experience both inside rings and Ichigaya. Nobody wrestles like Chie – every strike and hold has been tweaked to feel uniquely hers, from flying arm drags and ‘fencing chops’.
However it’s as a character where Chie really shines, and it bleeds into her in-ring work. For all of her excitable energy and enthusiasm, at the heart of Chie is someone fighting and struggling to overcome challenges and prove herself. She commands your attention and is immediately endearing as she leaps into frame, and her stellar character work makes her succeed in both exhibition matches and long-term storytelling spots. Say Heeeellllloooooo to the future of Joshi! – Trent Breward (@1UpCulture)

If you’re reading this and want to see the best of Chie Koishikawa, then check out this match to kick you off. All of the hard work she did throughout the pandemic is recognized inside the ring against Mei Suruga. She’s a star who was able to show that against someone who has reached the level she aims to reach soon enough.

Koishikawa is the next Gatoh Move name to breakout so jump in on the bandwagon now before it’s too late!