Mr. Fuji

 ( 1934 Births ) 

Fuji managed Demolition to the Tag Team Championship at Wrestlemania IV. At Survivor Series '88, he turned on Demolition and began managing Demolition's rival tag team, The Powers of Pain (Warlord and Barbarian). Interviewed after the contest, Fuji claimed that he had turned on Demolition because, since winning the championship, they had become insubordinate and disrespectful to him, whereas the Powers would be utterly obedient and loyal apprentices.Post-match interview with Mr Fuji, Survivor Series 1988 Pay per view broadcast, Titan Sports transmitted November 24, 1988 For their part, Demolition denounced their former manager as a parasite, labelling him "Fuj the Stooge"."Mr Fuj the Stooge! How's that, stooge?" In-ring comments by Ax, Demolition vs Powers Of Pain match segment, The Main Event, NBC transmitted February 3, 1989Pre-match interview with Demolition, WrestleMania V Pay per view broadcast, Titan Sports transmitted April 2, 1989

At WrestleMania V, Fuji teamed with the Powers of Pain in a 3-on-2 handicap match against Demolition for their Tag Team Championship. Fuji and Powers were defeated after Ax pinned Fuji following a Demolition Decapitation. Fuji sold the individual contracts of Powers of Pain to managers Slick and Bobby "the Brain" Heenan and brought The Orient Express (Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato) to the WWF. Orient Express got involved in a feud with The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty), whom The Orient Express defeated by count out (thanks to Sato throwing the salt in Janetty's eyes) at WrestleMania VI. Orient Express got involved in Demolition's feud with the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal). Fuji reunited with Demolition (who by this time had a third member, Crush) at that point. Demolition was phased out while the Orient Express took on Legion of Doom in matches. Fuji then managed John Nord in late 1991 until early 1993. His last match in WWF was teaming with Kamala as they lost to The Undertaker in a handicap match on July 26, 1992, at a house show.

Fuji's greatest success and popularity as a manager came in November 1992 when he introduced the mammoth Yokozuna to the WWF. Under Fuji's tutelage, Yokozuna won the 1993 Royal Rumble match and two WWE Championship, first from Bret Hart at WrestleMania IX, and again from Hulk Hogan at King of the Ring. Later that year, Fuji was joined by "spokesman" Jim Cornette. In late 1993, Fuji once again began managing Crush after he turned on Randy Savage. During this time he again changed his appearance, shaving his head and abandoning the tuxedo and bowler hat in favor of a traditional Japanese kimono and carrying the Japanese flag.

In 1995, when Yokozuna returned to the WWF following Survivor Series at WrestleMania XI, Fuji was brought back as his manager along with Cornette and Yoko began teaming with Owen Hart in which they won the WWF Tag Team Championship. Around this time, Fuji was slowly being phased into the background (in reality his legs were starting to bother him and he wasn't able to get into the ring) and by early 1996 after Yokozuna turned babyface, Fuji only made two more appearances as a babyface manager and carrying the American flag and Fuji was not in the best of health and was released from the WWF in May 1996.

Fujiwara operated a training dojo out of Jefferson City, Tennessee, and Dandridge, Tennessee, until 2001. He was a part-time usher at Knoxville Center's (formerly East Town Mall) movie theater.

Fujiwara was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31, 2007, by his former charge and Fuji Vice co-star Don Muraco. Fujiwara was in a wheelchair at the time of the induction due to nine knee operations.