BRAND
HISTORY
In the story of “FUEGO,” there are two main protagonists.
Twenty-five years ago, a boy who admired Jushin Thunder Liger after seeing him in a magazine began making wrestling masks by trial and error. His partner was an industrial sewing machine he bought with money from a newspaper delivery job.
"I just wanted people to wear them."
With that passion, he tried to sell to Japanese wrestlers, but at 14 his feelings went unrecognized. At 15 he traveled alone to Mexico, the sacred land of Lucha Libre. Through many trials he earned trust and support, which later spread to Japanese wrestlers as well, and eventually expanded into kickboxing and boxing.
Meanwhile, a key part of the brand was his reliable partner. A hardcore gamer since childhood, she was greatly influenced by game creator Kazuma Kaneko. She became fascinated with character design and the process of turning concepts into visuals. The sleek lines and sharply cinched silhouettes in FUEGO’s designs clearly reflect her influence.
"I’m creating heroes."
With a focus on each athlete’s character, they infused FUEGO’s unique style into the pro wrestling and combat sports worlds once dominated by rough lines.
Though they shared the same dream, their personalities were polar opposites—an idealist and a realist. Their clashes created sparks that became essential fuel for the brand’s growth.
FUEGO’s strength lies in balancing entertainment with functionality, drawing on years of know-how to produce with flair while upholding the spirit of Never Surrender.
Creating costumes that tell stories and respect each athlete’s individuality. On their 25th anniversary, they expanded into sports gear overall, and with unstoppable passion continue striving higher to become a brand loved by athletes everywhere.
Home workshop era
He approached Japanese wrestlers directly, but was repeatedly turned away. Undeterred, at age 15 he traveled alone to Lucha Libre’s mecca in Mexico and began pitching his brand to Mexican wrestlers.
As his creations gained popularity in Mexico, he expanded beyond masks to full costumes. His reputation grew, and he secured commissions from many luchadores.
Eri Saitō
While enrolled in a prestigious economics department at a Kansai university, she discovered pro wrestling. Drawn to its flashy costumes and presentation, she began supporting student wrestling with character production and costume design—purely driven by passion, not formal training.
When the renowned Mexican wrestling promotion AAA toured Japan, he designed costumes for their wrestlers. His Mexico-earned reputation quickly spread among Japanese wrestlers as well.
After graduating, she joined a major trading firm as a salesperson, while freelancing in pro wrestling costume design. As demand grew, balancing the two became difficult.
A baseball glove fanatic, he worked at a glove factory while continuing mask-making. As pro wrestling orders increased, he met his partner, Saitō, and officially decided to build FUEGO together.
Eri Saitō
Planning to quit costume design, she visited Lucha Libre’s mecca in Mexico as a final memento. But witnessing live fights reignited her passion. She resigned after returning to Japan and launched her freelance career fully. As her ambitions grew, she met Tanno while seeking further skill development.
Nara Heights era
Moved to East Osaka
Moved to Osaka Chūō-ku
At 14, inspired by Liger’s wrestling mask in a magazine, he taught himself to sew in a small room at home. He saved up from a newspaper delivery job and bought an industrial sewing machine. The brand name “FUEGO” is Spanish for “fire,” inspired both by his name “Tanno” and by Mexico’s masked wrestlers.
Eri Saitō
A dedicated gamer since childhood, she fell in love with the worldview of games like Shin Megami Tensei. She studied character design by poring over artbooks.