[4] Having learned English during his time with the GHQ, Higuchi returned to the JWA as the interpreter and point of contact for gaijin (foreign) wrestlers.
An AJPW original from its inception in 1972, Higuchi gained fame as the senior referee of the promotion, a position he held from 1972 to 1990.
His last officiated match was the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship bout between Mitsuharu Misawa and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on March 1, 1997.
Following Giant Baba's passing in 1999, many of the AJPW talent departed the company to form Pro Wrestling Noah.
With his history in the business, Higuchi was brought into Noah by executive and former AJPW ring announcer Nakada Ryu as a member of the board of directors[9] He became the statutory auditor in the promotion and was also the on-air chairman of the GHC Heavyweight Championship committee in 2001.