Takamiyama Daigorō

Takamiyama Daigoro, Japanese髙 见 山 大 五郎, prop Jesse James Waluni Kuhaulua ( born June 16, 1944 in Happy Valley on Maui ) was the first foreigner to win a sumo tournament Japanese.

Takamiyama came to Japan in 1964 and began a career Ringer, which lasted almost twenty years and in the course of which he at 97 tournaments consecutively alone in the Makuuchi division took. His record of 1,430 encounters that he played in this league 1968-1984, existed until 2011. Only Kaio has more fights denied ( 1459 ). Even for a sumo wrestler Takamiyama had a powerful physique with up to 205 kg combat weight and a height of 1.92 m. Already maegashira he was able to score against higher rated opponents and defeated twelve times a yokozuna. The highest rank he ever attained, was the one sekiwake.

1972 was Takamiyama at the height of his career when he won the tournament Nagoya basho in July and therefore the first non-Japanese ever decided a basho for themselves. The then U.S. President Richard Nixon sent his congratulations on the award. These were the first English words that were ever spoken in a Japanese sumo ring - for many Japanese, the reading of the message of greeting in the language of the former war enemy was a scandal. Since then, such Congratulations to foreign competition winners will be always presented in Japanese language.

Only in June 1984, when he reached the age of forty, Takamiyama retired from the active sumo and took over the management as Azumazeki Oyakata about his own stables. His most famous protégé was his compatriot Akebono, who was raised in 1993 as the first foreigner to yokozuna. The Makuuchi wrestlers Takamisakari also comes from the Azumazeki - Beya.

Takamiyama took the end of his career under the name Watanabe Daigoro Japanese citizenship.