In May 2012, IYO SKY, then performing as Io Shirai and known privately as Masami Odate, stepped off a plane at Tokyo’s Narita Airport with two framed paintings in her luggage. At just 22, she was already considered one of the most promising names in Japanese wrestling, rapidly gaining attention through her meteoric rise in Stardom. But what should have been an uneventful return home took an alarming turn when customs officials discovered contraband hidden inside her bags.
Within hours, she and her then-boyfriend, veteran wrestler Kazushige Nosawa Rongai, were taken into custody, their names circulating through headlines before they could process what had just happened. For the young Shirai, whose career was just beginning to ascend, the arrest threatened to destroy everything before it had truly started. It would take more than legal vindication to clear their names.
Io Shirai’s journey from promising Stardom prospect (left, early career) to WWE’s decorated IYO SKY (right, modern era). Between these two eras lies the 2012 Narita Airport incident that nearly ended her career. Photo Credit: Stardom / WWE. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
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Io Shirai (IYO SKY in WWE)’s Prodigy Years: From Teenage Debut to Triple Tails with Asuka
Io Shirai (Masami Odate) pictured in 2007, two years after her professional wrestling debut at age 16. She later became known globally as IYO SKY in WWE. Photo Credit: Stardom.
Before she became WWE global icon IYO SKY, Masami Odate was a teenage prodigy entering the grueling world of Japanese wrestling. Born on May 8, 1990, in Kamakura, Kanagawa, she debuted in 2007 at the age of sixteen.
Her early training was overseen by veterans Takashi Sasaki and Tomohiko Hashimoto, who emphasized a foundation of technical proficiency and the “strong style” ethos that defines Japanese wrestling.
For much of her early career, she was inseparable from her older sister, Mio Shirai. Together, the Shirai sisters navigated the independent circuit, appearing for promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Zero1.
In 2009, they made history by defeating Moeka Haruhi and Tomoka Nakagawa to become the first TLW World Young Women’s Tag Team Champions.
By 2010, the sisters joined forces with Kana, who would later achieve global fame as Asuka in WWE, to form the stable known as Triple Tails. This alliance was a significant moment in the joshi puroresu scene, as Triple Tails operated with a level of independence and self-promotion that was rare for female wrestlers at the time.
Triple Tails was characterized by a hard-hitting style and rebellious attitudes. However, the group’s internal dynamics eventually shifted. In mid-2011, Shirai made the pivotal decision to leave Triple Tails to pursue a singles career, a move that would lead her to the fledgling promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom and, eventually, to Mexico.
This transition period was essential to her growth as a performer, as she began incorporating the intricate maneuvers of lucha libre into her repertoire, creating the hybrid style that would define her career. Yet, it was also during this period of exploration that she became romantically and professionally entangled with Kazushige Nosawa Rongai, a relationship that would place her in the center of a brewing storm.
Io Shirai (IYO SKY in WWE)’s Mexican Excursion: How AAA Led to the Narita Incident
Io Shirai (left) wrestling under the mask as Oyuki and her sister Mio Shirai (right) as Kaguya during their professional wrestling excursion in Mexico with AAA between 2010 and 2012. Photo Credit: AAA.
Between 2010 and 2012, Io Shirai and Kazushige Nosawa Rongai, best known by his ring names Nosawa and Nosawa Rongai, spent significant time in the country. The pair worked for AAA, one of the country’s major promotions, where Shirai wrestled under the name "Oyuki," while her sister Mio was dubbed "Kaguya."
Talent exchanges often relied on liaisons who managed bookings, travel, and housing for foreign talent. One such figure was Masahiro Hayashi, who served as a liaison between AAA in Mexico and the Japanese wrestling landscape. Hayashi’s position gave him immense influence over the careers of wrestlers far from home, essentially acting as the gatekeeper to their livelihoods.
The relationship between Hayashi and Nosawa Rongai was particularly toxic. While the specific origins of their animosity are not fully known, it is believed that Hayashi harbored a personal vendetta against Nosawa, allegedly related to professional contacts and bookings. Nosawa himself was a divisive figure in the business, possessing a reputation for being difficult to manage.
The power dynamic between a liaison and an independent wrestler is one of total dependence.
For Shirai, Mexico had been a proving ground for her talent, but it had also unknowingly placed her in the crosshairs of a man who intended to destroy her boyfriend and was willing to use her as collateral damage.
As Shirai and Nosawa prepared to return to Japan, they were presented with two paintings by an acquaintance of Hayashi. Unbeknownst to the couple, these items were used to conceal approximately 75 grams of marijuana. By orchestrating a high-profile legal crisis, Hayashi reportedly sought to remove Nosawa from the Japanese wrestling circuit entirely, effectively blacklisting him through a criminal record.
May 23, 2012: The Narita Airport Incident That Changed Everything
Io Shirai and her then-boyfriend, Kazushige Nosawa Rongai, pictured together holding the two framed paintings. It would be paintings that would change their lives forever after being placed at the center of a conspiracy neither had orchestrated. Photo Credit: IYO SKY.
Their arrival at Narita International Airport on May 23, 2012, was expected to be just another uneventful step in a busy travel schedule. Instead, it was the start of a three-week ordeal for Io Shirai and Kazushige Nosawa Rongai in a detention center. When customs officials inspected the two portraits the couple was carrying, they discovered the 75 grams hidden inside.
The impact on their careers was immediate. Nosawa, who was scheduled for a prominent role in New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Best of the Super Junior tournament, was immediately pulled from the roster. Promotions began to distance themselves, and the wrestling community, which is built on a foundation of respect and discipline, felt betrayed.
The future IYO Sky, Io Shirai, remained in custody for nearly three weeks, undergoing interrogation while authorities sought to determine whether she was a participant in the smuggling operation or an unwitting victim.
For three weeks, Shirai sat in a detention cell, facing the very real possibility of a prison sentence and the absolute certainty that her dreams of wrestling at the highest level were over.
She denied the charges from the outset, insisting she had no knowledge of the hidden package. But in a legal system with a conviction rate over 99 percent, the situation quickly felt dire.
Shirai was released on June 12, 2012, after nearly 20 days in detention, but with her reputation hanging in the balance, her return came under intense scrutiny.
20 Days in Custody: Io Shirai (IYO SKY in WWE)’s Fight to Prove Innocence
Io Shirai (WWE’s IYO SKY) pictured in 2016 as the World of Stardom Champion, proudly holding the prestigious Red Belt, the top Japanese women’s title in professional wrestling. By this moment, she had rebuilt her career from the wreckage of the 2012 Narita Airport incident that nearly ended everything. This image captures not just a championship reign, but a triumph over conspiracy, false accusation, and the resilience it took to reclaim her place among wrestling’s elite. Photo Credit: Stardom.
The release from detention did not mark the end of Io Shirai’s ordeal. It marked the beginning of a long and public effort to clear her name.
On June 21, 2012, she appeared before the press, dressed in black, to address the charges that had upended her life. In front of a room full of reporters, she issued a formal apology while maintaining her innocence, vowing to continue her wrestling career despite the cloud hanging over her name.
At the same press conference, she thanked colleagues, friends, and family for their support throughout the investigation and announced the end of her relationship with Nosawa Rongai. The move was widely seen as a necessary step toward professional rehabilitation. While Nosawa had been the primary target of the alleged framing, his history in the industry made it easier for the public to believe he had been involved. For Shirai, separating herself from the controversy was the only path forward.
A week later, on June 28, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office declined to press charges, citing a lack of evidence. The decision freed her from legal jeopardy, but not from public suspicion.
What she needed now was the truth, and it would come from a most unexpected source.
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Takuya Sugi’s Confession: The Truth About the Frame-Up
Takuya Sugi (Yoshitsune) pictured at a February 2018 event, years after his July 9, 2012, public confession that he planted the contraband in Io Shirai (IYO SKY in WWE)’s luggage on Masahiro Hayashi’s orders. Photo Credit: FUKUMEN-MANIA.
On July 9, 2012, the media was summoned once again, this time not for an apology or legal update, but for a confession. The man at the podium was Takuya Sugi, a wrestler known for his high-flying performances under the name Yoshitsune.
At a packed press conference in early July, Sugi made a stunning admission: he was the one who had planted the marijuana in the couple’s paintings. He confessed to acting under orders from Masahiro Hayashi, describing himself as a pawn in a larger conspiracy.
Sugi revealed that Hayashi had approached him with a bribe: a contract extension and more consistent bookings with the AAA promotion in Mexico in exchange for framing Nosawa. The motivation was purely personal; Hayashi held a long-standing grudge against Nosawa and wanted him permanently removed from the wrestling industry.
WWE’s IYO Sky (Io Shirai), while not the primary target of Hayashi’s hatred, was an "unfortunate casualty" of the plot, as she was traveling with Nosawa and carrying the tainted portraits. Sugi claimed that he "couldn’t live with the guilt" of potentially destroying the lives of two colleagues for his own professional gain.
The confession sent shockwaves through the industry. Sugi had essentially ended his own career to save those he had helped to ruin. As a result of the confession, the industry turned its ire toward Hayashi, whose reputation was permanently tarnished.
Sugi, too, faced immediate consequences. Despite his honesty, he was largely blacklisted from major promotions in Japan for several years, losing his prime wrestling years between 2012 and 2016.
For Shirai, the confession was the total exoneration she had prayed for. It was the proof that she was not just legally innocent, but morally and professionally clean.
The "Genius of the Sky" had been vindicated, but the road back to the top would still require her to outwork the memory of the scandal. She had been given a second chance, and she intended to use it to become one of the greatest female wrestlers in Japanese history.
Reclaiming the Ring: From Stardom to WWE, IYO SKY’s Championship Ascent
IYO SKY (Io Shirai) defeats Bianca Belair at WWE SummerSlam 2023, capturing the WWE Women’s World Championship after cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase. The victory capped her ascent from the 2012 Narita incident to becoming one of WWE’s most decorated female champions. Photo Credit: WWE.
After the case was dropped, Io Shirai recommitted to Stardom. She returned to full-time competition in late 2012 and quickly began building momentum.
Her new style was marked by a shift in her character and intensity. While still known for her aerial ability, she developed into a more well-rounded wrestler with sharper strikes and a stronger in-ring presence.
By early 2013, she was once again one of the promotion’s top names, consistently delivering standout performances.
The breakthrough came on April 29, 2013, at Stardom’s Ryogoku Cinderella event. In the main event, Shirai defeated Alpha Female to win the World of Stardom Championship, also known as the Red Belt. It marked the start of a 468-day reign and established her as the Ace of Stardom.
Over the next several years, Shirai became the most decorated wrestler in Stardom’s history. She won every major title in the company, was named MVP multiple times, and played a leading role in training younger talent.
In 2016, she formed Queen’s Quest, a faction that helped define the next era of the promotion.
In 2018, after nearly a decade at the heart of Japanese wrestling, Io Shirai signed with WWE. Introduced to American audiences through the Mae Young Classic, she reached the finals of the tournament and immediately became a fan favorite in NXT.
Her time on the brand was marked by standout matches and a reign as NXT Women’s Champion that solidified her as one of the top performers in the company. She earned NXT’s Female Competitor of the Year and Overall Competitor of the Year awards in 2020, the same year she won the title in a triple-threat match against Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley.
Her move to WWE’s main roster came in 2022, rebranded under the name IYO SKY. After moving to the main roster, she added more accolades to her résumé, including multiple tag team title wins, the Money in the Bank briefcase, and eventually the Women’s World Championship.
The frame-up at Narita Airport was designed to destroy two careers. It nearly succeeded with one. But Io Shirai (WWE’s IYO Sky) refused to let a conspiracy orchestrated by a spiteful liaison define her legacy. Instead, she became the blueprint for resilience in professional wrestling, a woman who turned vindication into fuel, who built an unassailable career across two continents, and who rose to become one of wrestling’s most complete and decorated athletes.
Today, when IYO SKY steps into a WWE ring as a Grand Slam Champion, few remember the 22-year-old detained in a Japanese cell who feared her dreams were over. She made certain they would remember instead the wrestler who overcame the impossible and became unstoppable.
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"Evan Ginzburg’s stories are a love letter to wrestling, filled with heart, humor, and history. A must-read for any true fan."— Keith Elliot Greenberg
Rutvik Keche is a seasoned author with a sharp eye for the untold stories behind the spectacle of professional wrestling. While once captivated by pyros and promos, he soon found his true passion in uncovering the complex backstage politics and power plays that shape the wrestling world. Drawing from years of research and an instinct for narrative nuance, Rutvik specializes in dissecting the messy, unscripted moments that spark locker room tensions and shift industry dynamics. If it’s controversial, underreported, or buried in shoot interviews, chances are he’s already three rabbit holes deep and documenting every twist.
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