TOKYO – It had only half the fights of the originally planned event, was in a smaller venue, was sparsely attended and carried a somber mood, but MMA finally restarted in Tokyo on Friday night with Shooto: Shootor’s Legacy 02 at Shinjuku FACE.
Shooto’s second major event for the year was originally scheduled for March 12, the day after the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami battered North East Japan, taking the lives of over 10,000 people with many more still missing and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
With fears of a nuclear meltdown still looming, MMA returning to Tokyo was a welcome distraction and a testament to Japan’s ability to rally and continue on with life despite significant hardship.
In response to the crisis in Japan following the March 11 Sendai earthquake, FEG President 
Given the circumstances in Japan, it’s not really possible for me to write. The power is going to be switched off periodically in Tokyo I’m told, Internet is sketchy, there are reports now of trace amounts of radiation in Tokyo and I am ready to get out on a moment’s notice.
Three months into the year and still, not one major event has been planned for Japan yet. Not surprisingly, Japanese fighters and staff are growing restless.
The Japanese fight sport industry is in dire straits. The two leading event promoters,