Yokozuna Akebono Retirement Ceremony: Makunouchi top division wrestlers
After Akebono’s topknot was cut off, the day’s program continued with the appearance of the top division Makunouchi wrestlers.
After the Makunouchi exhibition matches were over, the yumitori-shiki or bow-twirling ceremony was performed. And that was the end of the day’s program.
I had expected Akebono to reappear to show off his new hairstyle, but apparently he had left the building. He probably had to rush to the private cocktail party held afterward at a large hotel. The same evening, he also appeared in a TV program showing his retirement ceremony and recent trip to Hawai’i.
Next to the Kokugikan entrance, this is where Akebono and his wife stood to greet visitors before the retirement ceremony started. The sign at the center reads, “Akebono Intai Hirou Ozumo” which means “Akebono Retirement Exhibition Sumo.”
After the ceremony was over, many people stood in line to pose in front of this sign for a photograph. I had to wait about 30 min. before I could take this shot with no people in it.
In his later years as an active wrestler, Takamiyama had the foresight to realize that there was a need for his “successor” or “a changing of the guard” and recruited Konishiki from Oah’u, Hawai’i. It was in the nick of time because Konishiki was promoted to the top division in July 1984, only one tournament after Takamiyama retired after the May 1984 tournament.
Konishiki, of course, proved to be even more successful with his ultimate promotion to ozeki (champion). His ascendancy marked the beginning of Hawai’i’s Golden Age in sumo.
It was when a whole bunch of fellows from Hawai’i came to Japan to try their hand at sumo. Later, two of them, Akebono and Musashimaru, met spectacular success (going all the way to yokozuna) and Konishiki thus had no problems finding any successor.
For those of us from Hawai’i, it was truly a wonderful time when we had not one, but three top-class sumo wrestlers from Hawai’i. And we had not one, but two yokozuna from Hawai’i at the same time.
After Wakanohana retired, there were more foreign yokozuna than Japanese. This was beyond anyone’s imagination when Takamiyama got promoted to the top division. It will take a long, long time before we ever see that again, if it ever happens again. (It actually happened soon enough with many Mongolian sumo wrestlers joining sumo.)
We have to thank Akebono for all the excitement he gave us. The tournaments leading up to his ozeki and yokozuna promotions were especially unforgettable. And seeing him being the only yokozuna in sumo for almost two years before Takanohana’s belated promotion was another thing to relish.
Hopefully Akebono or Musashimaru will be able to find and recruit promising sumo aspirants in Hawai’i and bring them over to Japan. It is imperative to maintain the Hawai’i presence in sumo. It’s good for Japan-America relations, good for Japan-Hawai’i relations, and good for sumo in Japan. Hawai’i sumo wrestlers have always served as outstanding goodwill ambassadors to Japan.
And Japan and Hawai’i have such close ties historically, culturally, and economically. They simply can’t live without each other. Japan has made Hawai’i its No. 1 overseas tourist destination, and more Japanese are taking hula dancing and ukelele lessons. Summertime Hawaiian concerts are also popular. And Hawai’i has countless reminders of Japan, whether it’s the Japanese-American population, a group of Japanese tourists in Waikiki, zori slippers, or teriyaki chicken. Having a famous sumo wrestler from Hawai’i helps reaffirm this close relationship and promote better understanding between both Japan and Hawai’i.
Let’s hope we see future sumo stars from Hawai’i real soon, at least before Musashimaru retires.
Update: After Musashimaru retired in 2003, there has been no sumo wrestlers from Hawaii who made it to the top Makunouchi Division. He later opened his own sumo stable, Musashigawa stable. After retiring, Akebono worked as an oyakata sumo elder at Azumazeki Stable for a while before leaving the sumo world in Nov. 2003. He became a K-1 fighter and then a pro wrestler and was active until April 2017 when he was sidelined with serious health problems. His heart stopped for 37 min., but he was revived. This has caused partial memory loss. He was reportedly wheelchair-bound as of Sept. 2018.
Akebono Retirement Ceremony: Greetings | Merch | Makushita/Juryo | Rope belt | Final Dohyo-iri | Demos | Topknot cutting | Final cut | Makunouchi
Akebono Tribute Contents
Further reading about Akebono
- Akebono Taro at English Wikipedia
- Akebono’s sumo record in Japanese
- Akebono’s Twitter account (Active until 2017)
- Facebook Akebono Fan page (Currently inactive)
