In 1987, American-Samoan Saleva’a Fuauli Atisano’e made history when he became sumo’s first foreign Ozeki. Now one of the sports most elite athletes, Atisano’e, better known as Konishiki Yashokichi, was the closest any gaijin had ever come to attaining one of Japans most hallowed titles: Yokozuna. But the road between Konishiki and the white rope would prove to be a long and difficult one.
Konishiki was on top of the world in July ’87. The Hawaiian born Ozeki had etched his name in sumo’s long storied history, and his supporters believed it wouldn’t be long until he took his place amongst the sports grandest of champions. Despite this optimism, Konishiki followed this achievement with one of the most mediocre periods of his career. With the exception of a fifth career Jun-Yusho, the American rikishi spent most of the next three years doing just enough to retain his spot at the top of the Banzuke. This mediocracy was primarily due to a vicious cycle of knee issues and weight gain that threatened to cut short Konishiki’s career just as it was taking off. Still feeling the lingering effects of a knee injury he suffered prior to his Ozeki run, the big man couldn’t train with the same intensity he had earlier in his career. As a result, the American rikishi had gained twenty-two kilograms and now tipped the scales at 252 kg (555 lb). In turn, this extra weight put even more stress on Konishiki’s ailing knees. Konishiki had begun the most important battle of his career, and if he couldn’t get his weight under control he would lose everything he had worked for. While the Ozeki’s success on the dohyo may have tapered off, so too had the criticism he faced from the Japanese public. Now wiser and more cognizant of his public reputation, the big man had learned to stick to the Kyokai’s script, for the time being at least. This new tune, coupled with the incredible gaman* he showed in battling back from his devastating knee injury, had earned Konishiki the respect of Japanese fans. But this was only the calm before the storm. The “Black Ship” was on a course towards turbulent waters.
Konishiki made headlines again at the 1989 Kyushu Basho when he captured the Yusho, making him the first gaijin to lift the Emperors Cup since Takamiyama in 1972. After getting his weight down, the Ozeki dominated his competition once more and finished one win ahead of fan favourite Yokozuna Chiyonofuji. Having won the Yusho, Konishiki was on the precipice of doing something many of the sports staunchest traditionalists thought was unthinkable and become sumo’s first foreign Yokozuna. His first chance at promotion came at the 1990 Hatsu Basho, but a five-day losing streak dashed any hopes of promotion. finishing with a 10-5 record, Konishiki had missed his chance at grasping that white rope, but the big man had bounced back from his shin-Ozeki slump and was about to enter the best years of his career. Talk of a Yokozuna run was reignited at the 1992 Kyushu Basho when Konishiki claimed his second Yusho. For the first time in sixty years, sumo was without a Yokozuna after Hokutoumi’s retirement in May, and many believed Konishiki’s accession to the top of the banzuke was more a matter of when than if. Just as before, Konishiki came up short at the following Hatsu Basho. However, this time he’d secured a much better 12-3 record, and while not a Jun-Yusho, just maybe he could salvage his chances of promotion as long as he took the championship in March. Konishiki did take the Yusho in March, and the many speculated if he had done enough to get the call that would see an American become the face of the sumo.
But the call never came. On paper, Konishiki’s record of two Yusho and thirty-eight wins over three tournaments was better than both Hokutoumi and Asahifuji prior to their Yokozuna promotions. However, sumo is about more than just numbers, and without that Jun-Yusho Konishiki did not receive the support of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council or the NSK. In addition to his unsatisfactory record, the NSK also sited Konishiki’s “ugly”, “undignified” sumo and his excessive weight, which had ballooned up to 264 kg, as reasons for not promoting him. furthermore, NSK Chairman Dewanoumi publically insinuated that based on his past, Konishiki lacked the hinkaku or noble character of a Yokozuna, and was not worthy of the rank. But perhaps the most severe criticism came from the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, specifically longtime member Noboru Kojima. In an article written by Kojima titled “We don’t need a Gaijin Yokozuna”, the author stated that “What makes sumo different is its own particular characteristics of civility, which is the basis of Japanese morals and values. I cannot agree with a school of thought that would make a gaijin Yokozuna.” In effect, Kojima had made a statement equivalent to sportswriters of the 40’s denying black baseball players a place in the majors because they lacked the character of white athletes. These sentimentss were not unheard of in a country as ethnocentric as Japan, and were made worse by the deteriorating Japanese-American relations at the time of Konishiki’s Yokozuna run. This political tension, the result of trade disputes, caused the Japanese to cast the United States and Americans as arrogant interlopers trying to dictate Japan’s culture and future. Once again, Konishiki was viewed as an invader. The criticism from the NSK, combined with Kojima’s racist statements and the ridicule of the Japanese public, had pushed Konishiki to his limit.
Besieged on all sides and denied a promotion by all rights he felt he’d earned, things only got worse for Konishiki when the New York Times published an article about his struggles in April of 1992. The article featured an apparent interview with the American Sumotori, who accused the NSK of racism and stated that if he were Japanese he would be Yokozuna already. The article caused an uproar in the NSK, who demanded an apology. Konishiki publically apologized for the article and claimed that unbeknownst to him one of his tsubiko had impersonated him during the call. Whether or not Konishiki made the statement is still a matter of debate (Konishiki’s tsubiko Eric Gasper has reportedly claimed to have imitated his sempai during the call) the New Your Times article still had a tremendous impact on sumo. In an attempt to quell the accusations of racism, the NSK decided to put Konishiki’s fate in his own hands, and if the American could win the upcoming Natsu Basho he would be promoted. For the first time, concrete requirements for an automatic promotion to Yokozuna had been laid out: back to back Yusho would seal the deal. But much like before, Konishiki buckled under the pressure and failed to take the Emperors Cup, in what would be his final chance at earning the white rope.
Following the 1992 Natsu Basho, Konishiki’s career gradually wound down until the sports first foreign Ozeki, now at the bottom of the makuuchi division, announced his retirement in 1997. While Konishiki may have been the victim of a system that persecuted him because of ethnic origin, the enormous impact he left on Japan’s traditional sport was felt not even one year after his failed Yokozuna run. In 1993, following the path blazed by Konishiki, fellow Hawaiian Akebono Taro secured his second consecutive Yusho, meeting the requirements to become sumo’s first gaijin Yokozuna. There is a saying that goes: Takamiyama cleared the ground, Konishiki built the stairs, and Akebono climbed them. Konishiki Yasokichi fought the good fight and forced the NSK to create a system where merit outweighed ethnicity, ultimately paving the way for men like Akebono, Musashimaru, and every other gaijin to do what Konishiki could not, and reach sumo’s most prestigious title.
Chiyonofuji (left) vs. Konishiki (right), Kyushu Basho, 1989.
*Enduring hardship with dignity.
When you hear people speak in hushed tones about the hallowed opinions of the YDC, it’s useful to remember that they used to, and in some ways still do, represent the far right, nationalist fringes of Japanese society. When the Mongolians roll their eyes at the differing standards for their performance and behavior from what’s expected of Japanese rikishi, they often have very good reason to do so.
100%…can you imagine Hakuho getting 18 months slack if he’d been injured the same way as Kisenosato? They’d be forcing him into retirement after six months tops. It is without question that limiting foreigners and holding them to a different standard has been the norm forever. I honestly think that if they didn’t need the Mongolians they would ban them outright but fewer and fewer Japanese both want to go into Sumo or, frankly, exist as their population numbers crater since they have few children and are going off a demographic cliff.
Ah… I would like to point out that despite the population decline, there are still 127,000,000 Japanese, out of which there are 15.53 million children, whereas the population of Mongolia, including all ages, is merely 3,137,000.
So the argument that fewer Japanese want to go into Sumo may hold, but the one about there not existing enough Japanese is not based in facts.
The point isn’t that Japan does not have 700 kids each year rather it’s that only X% of those kids will be interested or available to Sumo….you need some critical mass of people to have 700 people annually entering a brutal sport that leaves the vast majority of it’s retirees broke and disabled…and Japan’s shrinking population combined with being a high GDP country (#3) means that few people are interested in a sport with a harsh lifestyle that pays 90% of it’s participants nothing.
The reason that Mongolia has lots of interest is because Mongolia is 130 countries lower on world GDP rankings combined with a history of their own wresting = opportunity to escape crushing poverty. In other words, Mongolians will put up with the harshness of the sport because it is preferable to being dirt poor, Japanese on the other hand would rather work in an office than die at 50 and be poor (on average).
Again, your argument about lack of interest is stronger than your argument about shrinking population because the numbers just don’t support it.
Also: you don’t have and you don’t need 700 people to join annually. You need the number of people joining to equal or exceed the number of people retiring.
Also, Sumo wrestler do not die 50 or lower. That’s a gross exaggeration. They die younger than the average Japanese, but not that young (and yes, there are outliers in every group).
Also, Mongolia’s economy has improved recently, and you see fewer recruits to sumo, or recruits joining later as they prefer to study first. Also, one of the reasons they join is simply cultural: it’s a wrestling country. You also see Mongolian judoka, free wrestlers etc. And joining sumo does not pay unless you become sekitori.
Did you ever take a look at Kakuryu’s 2017 record? If he got away with 4 straight tournaments of either very early kuyjo or sitting out. Hakuho is much more accomplished and would very likely get a longer grace period.
I surely wouldn’t know what goes on in the heads of the YDC, but i guess part of the long grace period for Kisenosato was also the realisation that the pressure put on Kisenosato to return early after his injury has been one of the main reasons for the prolonged time he had to take off.
I don’t know what to tell you…my opinion is the opposite…this is the country that walked guys for entire games to protect their precious Japanese home run record…I think they would dance themselves silly if they could get rid of Hakuho.
Not sure why the previous version was deleted, but here is my comment again, more or less.
Although Konishiki (and his fans) may think he deserved the rope, in fact, several Yokozuna before him – with the exception of Futahaguro – were promoted having consecutive Yusho and Jun-Yusho (and even Futahaguro had consecutive Jun-Yusho, including a doten). In Onokuni’s case, he had to follow his Yusho with two Jun-Yusho before they gave him the rope.
And when they gave Futahaguro the rope without a Yusho, they came to regret it, which I believe is the reason why they were careful with Onokuni (who is very Japanese), and the reason they didn’t give Konishiki the rope. Unlike Ozeki, Yokozuna promotion was not about the total of wins. You have to go back to 1970 for someone without consecutive yusho or jun-yusho who got the rope.
So it’s undeniable that there was racism, but Konishiki didn’t really have a case to begin with.
True, that level of performance as Ozeki has hardly meant automatic promotion: http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&n_basho=3&sum_wins=38&show_sum=on&form1_rank=o&form2_rank=o&form3_rank=o&columns=4&sort_by=sum_wins
And I re-respond that I agree with you…given that after 1992’s (excellent three tournament run) he never again even won 11 shows he’d had been a terrible Yokozuna. He was a solid Ozeki who had a good career.
You assume he wouldn’t be a good Yokozuna based on his record without knowing all the details. No one has risen faster to the top tier ranks of sumo than Konishiki. 18 months. most take 5-6 years and that’s considered quick. 18 months and he was 20, mind you, a foreigner and still learning culture and language. There was an entire movement to stop him. people made chants, called him horrible names, nailed “voodoo” Konishiki dolls outside his stable, sent him hundreds of death threats to the point where he was constantly looking behind him in public for fear someone would knife him. The counsel denied him Yokozuna when he had better records than Hokutoumi and Asahifuji when they ascended. The sumo kyokai called him in and lambasted him yelling ands creaming and accusing him of things he did not say and was forced to apologize for things he didnt sah or do in public view. When they denied him he had also just lost his first stable master who he was close to and had his back when no one else did. So after that his record shows he stopped caring and just wanted to have fun. he qas making a lot of money, he built his family a new house in Hawaii and he was a superstar. He fought four more years without any motivation to ascend knowing they would always find an exclusive to hinder him. the problem was when they said win 2 in a row Chad Rowan aka Akebono did so that following year and ascended to Yokozuna BECAUSE of Konishiki. The literal gates of hell were against him. he was wronged, pure and simple. He will always be a Yokozuna in my eyes.
I felt it was prudent to take your constructive criticism and go back to the drawing board on this one.
Ah, it was not meant as a criticism to you. More to point out that Konishiki’s own opinion of this may not be entirely unbiased.
Another great post; would be nice to have captions for all the photos.
Just to point out that the person who was most royally screwed when it came to yokozuna promotion was our old friend Takanohana. He had 7 yusho and 3 jun-yusho before he got the rope. The elders just never liked the guy… “hmmm looks like a troublemaker”.
Takanohana got promoted to Yokozuna after his first 2 consecutive victories. Before there had only been one occastion were he had consecutive performances maybe worth promotion and that was Nagoya 93, where he was runner up after winning the previous tournament, however his two losses were against maegashira. Don’t think there was a bias against him. He followed his promotion with 8 wins and 3 jun-yusho in the next 11 tournaments. Looks to me like he got promoted exactly at the right time ;)
264kgs?! That makes Ichinojo look slimline!
Thanks for an interesting post, as a relative newcomer to the sport it’s fascinating to find out about these tales from sumo history
And that wasn’t even his heaviest! He tipped the scales at 285 kg near the end of his career in 1996, a record that held until Russian rikishi Orora broke it in 2017. Orora, by the way, weighed in at 294 kg last April, and recently retired.
“he NSK also sited Konishiki’s “ugly”, “undignified” sumo and his excessive weight, which had ballooned up to 264 kg, as reasons for not promoting him. ”
Fat shaming a sumo wrestler. Now I’ve heard everything.
Great post. Thanks!
philipenese , japanese , hawainese , taiwanese and new zealandese had been spiritual sister islands in the past before western civilization was stormed in
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