<figure id="attachment_409712" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4032px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-409712"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cca1a886"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/fd9637e51a77143c22e845bb90ec718d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-409712" class="wp-caption-text">Takanohana reflects on memories with his late close friend.</figcaption></figure>
The first Grand Sumo tournament of the year concluded with Ozeki Hoshoryu&#8217;s victory. Additionally, Tochinoshima has secured his promotion to Yokozuna with this result.
Going back 32 years, after the 1993 New Year&#8217;s tournament, a new Yokozuna was born. It was the 64th Yokozuna, Taro Akebono, who passed away on April 6 of last year due to heart failure at a hospital in Tokyo. Akebono continued to lead the sumo world as a Yokozuna until his retirement in January 2001.
Akebono&#8217;s greatest rival was the 65th Yokozuna, Kōji Takanohana. Takanohana, who fought fierce battles against Akebono from the 1990s to the early 2000s, has shared his thoughts and some little-known episodes about Akebono. (The following are all Takanohana&#8217;s statements.)
<h2>Enduring even the Spartan-like training</h2>
In 1988, we entered together, and at the time, I was 15 years old, while Akebono-san was four years older. During our time at the sumo training school, we called each other &#8220;Chad&#8221; and &#8220;Koji.&#8221; My Dōki, Akebono-san, my older brother Katsu-san (former Wakanohana), and I all became yokozuna, while Kaio became an ozeki, and we, &#8220;Hana no 63-gumi,&#8221; who produced 11 wrestlers in the juryo division, helped elevate the sumo scene during the Heisei era.
Back in the training school days, Akebono-san’s Japanese was still broken, and he wasn’t used to sumo stew, making a face at the smell of natto. However, within six months, he was able to handle daily conversations with ease, and although it took some time, he also became able to eat natto.
At that time, Spartan-style training was the norm, and getting hit with bamboo swords or bats was a common occurrence. The 130 of us in the same class had been reduced to less than half after five years—this was a harsh world. Akebono-san, coming from a southern island with a completely different language and culture, must have endured all of this desperately.
<figure id="attachment_409713" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2048px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-409713"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c3acc642"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/08ac8627b2287363d9b4084501b1797c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-409713" class="wp-caption-text">In January 2001, Akebono performed a ceremonial sumo ring entrance at Meiji Shrine.</figcaption></figure>
During his time in Hawaii, Akebono was a basketball player with excellent physical attributes and high athletic ability, which caught the attention of NBA scouts. However, at that time, he was still unaccustomed to sumo, and there were areas where he could be exploited.
The Tokozeki stable, where Akebono belonged, was known for its intense training, and Akebono himself was very diligent in his studies. He made remarkable progress. With his height over 2 meters and his weight exceeding 200 kg, Akebono’s massive frame made it difficult to find an angle or position to counter his attacks. When he applied his favorite thrusting push technique, I was blown off the ring.
If I could get inside and grapple, it would be sumo, but over time, Akebono became better at grappling as well. Facing him at the tachiai felt like rushing toward a big Hawaiian wave, and if I misjudged even the smallest detail, I would be quickly thrown down.
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<h2>I also watched that match live</h2>
<figure id="attachment_409714" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 3543px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-409714"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="95fc364d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/b0a9f1278dc5097656458abbdffcdca8.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-409714" class="wp-caption-text">At the 1998 Nagano Olympics, they both played the important role of leading the athlete delegation during the opening ceremony.</figcaption></figure>
From around 1993, when Akebono became the 64th Yokozuna, he was in an unbeatable state for about three years. He was physically large, with well-developed lower body strength, calm and composed. Among all the past Yokozuna, he was perhaps the strongest.
However, after that, Akebono injured his knee. Larger wrestlers tend to suffer from more severe injuries due to their weight, and from then on, Akebono had to fight against knee issues. In January 2001, his knee reached its limit, leading to his retirement. He became the first foreign-born wrestler to reach the top of the sumo world, undoubtedly creating a legacy. Having fought countless serious matches, his career record was 25 wins and 25 losses. Being able to match Akebono&#8217;s record is something I&#8217;m proud of.
After that, Akebono entered the K-1 ring at the age of 34. On December 31, 2003, he fought Bob Sapp, and the match achieved a 43% peak viewership rating, surpassing even NHK&#8217;s Red and White Singing Contest. However, Akebono lost by a first-round knockout. I was at the commentary booth but couldn&#8217;t find the right words, and I left the venue without saying anything.
During my active career, I focused solely on sumo, hardly speaking to other wrestlers, including those in the same stable or those in my douki (peer group). However, after retiring in 2003, I began attending douki meetings. Whenever we gathered, Akebono&#8217;s strength was always the topic of discussion. The story of being blasted off the ring by his powerful two-handed thrust is still talked about to this day. I believe that we shared a true friendship that only those who battled on the ring could understand.
In 2017, Akebono collapsed while on a professional wrestling tour and was rushed to a hospital in Fukuoka. At that time, I was in Fukuoka for the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament as a stablemaster. I rushed to the hospital, but by the time I arrived, he was already in the intensive care unit, and I couldn&#8217;t see him. I handed flowers to his wife, Christine Reiko Karina, at the hospital entrance and only prayed for his safety. The last time I spoke to Akebono was a few months earlier at a douki gathering.
Akebono was like a superhero from the manga &#8220;Kinnikuman,&#8221; loved not only by sumo fans but also by many people. I often think back to his cheerful and kind smile from our training days.
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 Daisuke Iwasaki

 Afro (2nd and 3rd pictures)

 The 64th yokozuna, Taro Akebono, passed away last April. The 65th yokozuna, Koji Takanohana, and Akebono were new apprentices at the same time. Takanohana recalled their relationship of "special friendship.

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