Yup, the article here confirms it:

https://t.co/nddbZeunxU?amp=1

Doesn't seem to confirm if he's retiring or not though.

My guess(more of a personal wishful thinking) is that either he is:

a. Taking a break
b. Gonna go the same route as Niibori or Fukuzawa and start directing stunt choreo for future tokusatsu shows
c. Prep for Reiwa Super Sentai #1 perhaps?

Honestly I was both expecting and kinda hoping this would happen. I love Seiji and stuff he's done for the past 20 years, but a new era is a great excuse to call it a day for Suit Acting. Dude is 50 and you can really tell whenever there's a backup suit actor in one of his suits. I think now is a great time to call it quits and leave being the Main Rider to some fresh blood. Though in this case it's somebody who's already done the work before.

Zero-One's suit did already look more made for practical stunts so, colour me excited!

Waittaminute, but in Televi-kun's magazine Zero-One did the same finger pose that Takaiwa usually did!

Double post sorry, but honestly Taikaiwa had more than 30 years of service. He played Riderman, as well as Dragon Ranger (although as a sub IIRC) and properly gets the main role as NinjaRed and then playing a few Metal Hero, before getting back to Sentai with MegaBlue till TimeRed. But he definitely had more tenure as Riders.

So even us who grew up with Power Rangers already indirectlt experienced Takaiwa's performance!

Yep. And to add to your post Takaiwa seems to have been the Red Ranger for additional MMPR footage filmed in Japan. It is dated 1994 so pretty much he was the suit actor for Rocky. Also he was Mega Blue, Ginga Red, Go Red, Time Red, Magi Red, and was actor + suit actor for B-Fighter Kabuto as Julio Rivera and B-Fighter Genji.

So it looks like Takaiwa is joining the Okamoto club for now, hope he gets to do start doing action choreo soon.

Zyu2? If so then he's the suit actor for Jason since by the time Rocky becomes Red they no longer used Zyu2 footage.

Also it's rather surprising that Nawata gets the main role. I thought it would be Eitoku since he playa secondary Riders.

Like most fans, I love Takaiwa but it really is time for someone new. On the other hand, I feel like I’m going to watch Zero-One and just stare disapprovingly at the new guy’s butt and shake my head, muttering about how it isn’t the same.

Level up or downgrade , but a lot of toku hero alumni like blade, decade, and many more actors treated as he's retiring. His age is up there and has been hinting it. It's like actors and bts stunt became action choreographer and director themselves while passing the torch. Very stamina endurance and thrifty job to constant suit up in the heat and cold with limited vision. At least nowadays, they're recognized more than the true secret heroes.

In other news, similar to Build Hazard, the Driver leaked some sounds
https://youtu.be/kmKuwZmmRf4

At 8:40 a button is shown, the standby jingle changes and the finisher says "Big Bang"