Known For
Acting
Born
Oct 26, 1973
Place of Birth
Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Credits
207 titles
Takao Yoshida
Biography
Takao Yoshida, better known by his ring name TAKA Michinoku, is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, former mixed martial artist, and the founder of Just Tap Out (JTO). Trained by The Great Sasuke, he debuted in 1992 and became one of the most influential junior heavyweights of his generation, finding international fame during his time in the WWF (now WWE), where he became the inaugural WWF Light Heavyweight Champion. He has also enjoyed championship success across Japan, Mexico, Europe, and North America, including lengthy reigns as the FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Champion and WEW Six-Man Tag Team Champion, while simultaneously holding the World Junior Heavyweight Championship, Michinoku Pro Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship, and Kaientai Dojo Strongest-K Championship for nearly ten months. He founded Kaientai Dojo in 2002 before launching JTO in 2019, received the Tokyo Sports Technique Award in 2005, and was ranked No. 22 in the 1998 PWI 500. Since 2007, Michinoku has been a regular competitor for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship while also spending more than a decade as a member of Suzuki-gun before joining Just 5 Guys. Widely respected as both a wrestler and trainer, his influence extends far beyond his own accomplishments, helping shape generations of wrestlers through Kaientai Dojo and JTO while remaining an active competitor well into his 50s.
Known For
Filmography
Mystery Wrestling #23
Taka Michinoku
NJPW Superhuman Taiji Ishimori Gets Ridiculous One More Time
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Road in Ishikari 2025
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Superhuman Taiji Ishimori Gets Even More Ridiculous
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Yuji Nagata Produce Blue Justice XVI
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2025 - Night 2
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2025 - Night 1
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2025 - Day 9 (Final)
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2025 - Day 8
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2025 - Day 7
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2025 - Day 5
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2025 - Day 4
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2025 - Day 3
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2025 - Day 2
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW 53rd Anniversary Event
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Blue Justice XV - Wrestling Life 40th Anniversary Yuji Nagata
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Year Dash!! 2025
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Power Struggle ~ Super Junior Tag League 2024
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Royal Quest IV
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2024
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Road to Destruction 2024: Day 5
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Road to Destruction 2024: Day 4
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Road to Destruction 2024: Day 3
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Road to Destruction 2024: Day 2
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Shingo Takagi's 20th Debut Anniversary Event
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 19 (Final)
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 18
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 17
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 16
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 13
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 12
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 11
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 10
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 9
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 8
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 7
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 6
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 5
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW G1 Climax 34: Day 4
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Soul 2024: Day 7
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Soul 2024: Day 6
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Soul 2024: Day 5
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Soul 2024: Day 4
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Soul 2024: Day 3
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Soul 2024: Day 2
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Soul 2024: Day 1
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2024 - Night 2
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2024 - Night 1
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW New Japan Cup 2024 - Day 2
TAKA Michinoku
NJPW The New Beginning In Sapporo 2024 - Day 2
TAKA Michinoku