It was originally held from 1993 to 1995 and again from 2000 to 2001 in Fukuoka at the Fukuoka Dome. The event was revived in 2009 and has since been held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center on Constitution Memorial Day, a national holiday in Japan on May 3, and aired as a pay-per-view (PPV). From 2013 to 2014, the event also aired outside Japan as an internet pay-per-view (iPPV). Since 2015, the event has aired worldwide on NJPW's internet streaming site, NJPW World. In 2018 and 2019, Wrestling Dontaku took place over two back-to-back shows.[1] The event was originally scheduled to take place in 2020 on May 3 and May 4, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] "Dontaku" is an obsolete Japanese word for holiday, derived from the Dutch word for Sunday, "Zondag",[3] used in reference to Hakata Dontaku, a Fukuoka-based festival held in early May, the same time as the event. In 2022, the event took place on May 1 at Fukuoka PayPay Dome, formerly known as the Fukuoka Dome. This was the first time that Wrestling Dontaku was held in the domed venue since 2001.
^ a b c濵かつ Presents レスリングどんたく 2017. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved May 3, 2017.
^"NJPW events cancelled until May 4". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
^"Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri". Asianbeat. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Wrestling Dontaku 1993". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
^"Wrestling Dontaku 1994". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
^"Wrestling Dontaku 1995". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
^Keller, Wade (May 3, 2015). "NJPW Flashback - Ric Flair headlines New Japan's "Wrestling Dontaku" 20 yrs. ago today, plus Great Muta in main event, Sabu, Benoit, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
^ a b c d e f g h i j"Wrestling Dontaku 2000". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
^ a b c d e f g h i j"Wrestling Dontaku 2001". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
^新日本プロレス「レスリングどんたく2013」. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. May 3, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
^"Show results - 5/3 NJPW Dontaku PPV: U.S. stars lose titles or title matches, Okada's first IWGP Title defense, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. May 4, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
^新日本プロレス「レスリングどんたく 2014」. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
^"Show results - 5/3 New Japan "Wrestling Dontaku" PPV: A.J. Styles captures IWGP World Title, plus NWA & more title matches". Pro Wrestling Torch. May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
^"新日本プロレスレ「レスリングどんたく 2015」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. May 3, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
^Meltzer, Dave (May 3, 2015). "New Japan Dontaku live coverage 5-3 Fukuoka - RPG Vice vs. Bucks vs ReDRagon, Nakamura vs. Goto, Omega vs. Shelley and Maria teases Karl Anderson". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
^Rose, Bryan (May 3, 2016). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku results: Super Juniors lineups; IWGP champ Naito vs. Ishii". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
^"5/3 NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Results – big title changes, big stars from New Japan, ROH, Bullet Club, Naito's faction". Pro Wrestling Torch. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.