Trained in traditional Japanese style and lucha libre, he debuted in the early 1990's in Japan wrestling mainly for the Japanese office of Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). In 1997, he left for the hardcore wrestling promotion Big Japan based in Tokyo.
In late 1998, while in Mexico, he caught the eye of Extreme Championship Wrestling owner Paul Heyman and was invited to the states to wrestle for ECW. He became extremely popular with the fans, despite being brought in as a heel.
He stayed in ECW until it closed in 2001, and was almost immediately signed by WWE, where he has been ever since.
When given the opportunity, Yoshihiro Tajiri can be one of the best performers in WWE. He has great charisma and is a fantastic wrestler.