Sumo legend Taro Akebono dies aged 54
He was the first foreign-born wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan.
Sumo legend Taro Akebono is dead aged 54, it emerges on Thursday.
As reported, Akebono an 11-time grand tournament winner, who retired in 2001, died of heart failure.
The Hawaiian-born Japanese wrestler passed away in a Tokyo hospital earlier this month, his family said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Akebono moved to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his first grand championship in 1993.
“It is with sadness that we announce Akebono Taro died of heart failure earlier this month while receiving care at a hospital in the Tokyo area,” the family said in a statement.
“Friends and family will hold a private celebration of his life.”
“The family kindly asks for privacy during this time of mourning,” the statement added.
He is survived by his wife, Christine, daughter and two sons.
The United States ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, sent his condolences on social platform X.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Akebono, a giant in the world of sumo, a proud Hawaiian and a bridge between the United States and Japan,” Emanuel posted.
“When Akebono became the first-ever foreign-born grand champion, sumo’s highest rank, in 1993, he opened the door for other foreign wrestlers to find success in the sport. Throughout his 35 years in Japan, Akebono strengthened the cultural ties between the United States and his adopted homeland by uniting us all through sport.”
