Asuka took a break from wrestling to visit one of Japan's biggest game companies. SEGA shared yesterday that the former WWE Women's Champion, also known as Kana, paid a surprise visit to its headquarters in Osaki, Tokyo, where she went on an office tour and spent time in both the SEGA and Atlus offices. Check out the official post down below:
The photos show Asuka in a black SEGA hoodie and jeans, posing with a statue of Sonic the Hedgehog and a statue of Jack Frost, the snowman-like demon from the Megami Tensei series who serves as Atlus' mascot. A second photo shows her in a studio packed with speakers and audio equipment, standing next to a SEGA staffer in red glasses.
Asuka's Own Account Of The Trip
SEGA's Japanese account broke the news first last week with a post that opened, "No explanation is needed for anyone who loves pro wrestling!" It added that she enjoyed SEGA and Atlus content on top of the office tour. Asuka posted her own photo from the visit, standing beside the Sonic statue and showing that her guide for the day was Kenji Arai, the producer of the arcade racer Initial D THE ARCADE:
The post translates to "To SEGA headquarters, escorted by Initial D THE ARCADE producer Mr. Arai!" The visit also led to an exchange with Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, the SEGA composer and singer known for the Daytona USA theme and for voicing Kage-Maru in Virtua Fighter. Mitsuyoshi wrote that he had not noticed her SEGA hoodie when they met, said he should have greeted her in his own SEGA jacket, and invited her to the company's staff cafeteria next time. Asuka replied that word had already leaked about her saying she wanted to eat at the SEGA cafeteria, adding that she wants to share a drink there.
A Gamer Long Before WWE
Gaming has been part of Kanako Urai's career from the start. Before she became a wrestler, she worked as a freelance graphic designer and a video game journalist, writing for Xbox Magazine and designing graphics for Nintendo DS titles and mobile apps. Through her work with Microsoft, she was sponsored by the company and wore an Xbox 360 logo on her ring gear.
In September 2019, she launched KanaChanTV, a YouTube channel built around gameplay videos with her own bilingual English and Japanese commentary, along with cooking and lifestyle content. In July 2023, she started building her own arcade in Japan. She has also appeared in every WWE 2K game since her debut in WWE 2K17, through WWE 2K26, and she has shown up as a crossover character in Brawlhalla and Fall Guys.
Where Asuka Stands With WWE
The SEGA trip comes during a long stretch away from WWE television. The Kabuki Warriors split on April 24 when Kairi Sane was released, a few days after the pair lost to Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky on the Raw after WrestleMania 42 in what was Sane's final match with the company. Asuka then lost to Sky at Backlash on May 9, and the two shared a show of respect after the bell.
After Backlash, Asuka confirmed on KanaChanTV that she was taking time off for personal reasons but remains signed with WWE, while warning that her appearances may be less frequent from here on, as covered in Asuka Breaks Her Silence On WWE Future And Whether She's Retired From In-Ring Competition.
Since signing with WWE in 2015, she has held the NXT Women's Championship for 510 days, the longest reign in the title's history, and won the first women's Royal Rumble match in 2018. She is a former SmackDown Women's Champion, a 3-time Raw Women's Champion, with the title renamed the WWE Women's Championship during her 3rd reign, a 5-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, the 2020 Women's Money in the Bank winner, and the first woman in WWE to win the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank and Elimination Chamber matches. She looked back on that run in Former WWE RAW Women's Champion Asuka Reflects On Being In The WWE For Ten Years.
Would you want to see Asuka return in time for the Royal Rumble, or would a SEGA or Atlus collaboration on KanaChanTV be the next best thing?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.