Yoshikuni Kimura, better known as Gran Naniwa, was a masked, junior heavyweight wrestlers who competed across Japan for several high-profile promotions. Most known for his comedic timing and over-the-top look, Gran Naniwa is still remembered fondly by fans around the world.
At a young age, Kimura was fascinated by sumo and amateur wrestling, so much so, that he attended sumo classes through his early teens. After trying out and entering the Universal Pro-Wrestling Dojo at only fifteen, Kimura would train under the legendary Gran Hamada. Though, his time under Hamada would be brief. Soon, a new company would emerge as a branch-off from UPW, headed up by some of UPW's most popular junior heavyweight wrestlers, with a special focus on the 'lucharesu' hybrid style that Kimura found most exciting.
Michinoku Pro Wrestling began in late 1992, with Kimura rounding out and finishing his professional training under company founders and friends, The Great Sasuke, and Super Delfin. By the time he was sixteen, Kimura would make his debut. Months later, he would reemerge as Gran Naniwa, the masked character that would go on to define his professional career moving forward.
The name would come from a place of wrestling comedy. Blending Gran, (or Guran, a Japanese phrase for silly, foolish) with Naniwa (or Naniwa-ku, a light-hearted ward in the center of Osaka, Japan, known for its colorful characters, iconic signage, and fresh street food), Kimura's new moniker would help define his personality in the ring.
Then where does the crab mask and theming come in?
Well, amongst other things, Osaka's famous Dōtonbori district was home to the famous Kani Doraku set of restaurants! Alongside its fresh crab and seafood offerings, Kani Doraku is known for giant, mechanical crab landmarks on the fronts of their buildings. Kimura, Sasuke, and Delfin were inspired to use this as inspiration for Gran Naniwa's look! His silly and unique crab-shaped mask would be immediately recognizable for fans right from the start, which was also a huge plus.
As Gran Naniwa, thanks to his new alias and the talent of his trainers, fans of Michinoku Pro Wrestling knew they could count on Kimura to deliver laughs just as well as delivered dazzling moves. For the next fifteen years, Naniwa would be a mainstay of M-Pro's lineup and a beloved member of the roster, both by fans and peers.
During his active career, Gran Naniwa made appearances for just about all the top promotions in Japan, and even made several sporadic appearances for the USA-based, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion! At eighteen, Naniwa made a high-profile appearance in the 1995 Super J-Cup tournament as Michinoku Pro's selected competitor. In 1996, alongside several of his greatest friends and foes, Naniwa was a pivotal part of some of the most highly rated, multi-man tag team matches of all time.
By 1999, Naniwa would suffer his first injury, a broken left arm during a match against his trainer, The Great Sasuke. After some recovery time and some time spent in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Naniwa would again break his left arm in 2003. This would lead to extended time away from the ring and would ultimately force Naniwa to begin winding down his professional wrestling career.
Returning in 2006, Naniwa was faced with the strength in his arm never be the same. After bouncing around a bit, he'd spend his last few years in wrestling between Kaientai Dojo (owned and operated by his best friend, TAKA Michinoku), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Dramatic Dream Team Pro Wrestling (DDT Pro), and his home promotion, Michinoku Pro.
Gran Naniwa's last match would take place on October 3, 2009, in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, against none other than The Great Sasuke. Due to lagging injuries, and the rapidly changing puroresu business in the late 2000s, Gran Naniwa was done.
Almost exactly a year later, Yoshikuni Kimura would be gone, too.
On October 6, 2010, Yoshikuni Kimura, the beloved wrestler behind the mask of Gran Naniwa, passed away due to a myocardial blockage. He was only thirty-three years old.
News of his passing would be well delayed in respect of the family's privacy. Being of a Buddhist upbringing, the Kimura family observed the religion's forty-nine-day practice of mourning. During this time, it is believed that the soul of the departed needs these transitional days before being able to make a new rebirth. Our hope is that the Legendary Crab himself has experienced that fruitful peace through rebirth... somewhere, somehow.
In the meantime, we remain here, committed to keeping his legacy and spirit alive the best we can:
By providing a singular spot online to celebrate, enjoy, and remember all he was able to accomplish during his time as the silly and seriously talented, late Gran Naniwa.
DEDICATED TO
THE SPIRIT AND LEGACY
OF YOSHIKUNI KIMURA
"GRAN NANIWA"
1977 - 2010