Yoshihiro Tajiri
After a four-year hiatus, StarBuck returned to ring action in Japan on September 24, 2018 for Asuka Project, a small promotion in Tokyo featuring former WNC wrestlers trained by Tajiri. It was there that StarBuck tagged up with Utamaro against Shinose Mitoshichi and Shota Nakagawa, proving victorious as StarBuck pinned Shinose after his famed jumping spike piledriver. On September 27 at Shinjuku Face Arena in Tokyo, StarBuck and Utamaro lost a tag team match against Yoshihiro Tajiri and Yusuke Kodama when Tajiri pinned Utamaro in the main event of the show for Tokyo Championship Wrestling.