Hikaru Shida hasn’t been seen in AEW since the November 20 episode of AEW Dynamite, but has stayed active in Japan. As it turns out, there’s a good reason why she hasn’t been back in the states.
During his latest Twitch stream (via Fightful), Kenny Omega revealed that Shida hasn’t been around because she’s in the process of getting her visa renewed.
Kenny Omega: “Shida, it’s unfortunate, every couple of years, everyone has to go back to their home country and re-up their visa. I would’ve hated for her cats to have been alone for who knows how long because you never really know how long the process is going to take. In this case, it’s taking quite a while. Her cats get separation anxiety and don’t like being alone. Dobby [Kenny’s cat] is generally very gentle. They do get along. It’s nice and it’s fun. I would do it anytime. It’s not a chore.“