Akebono Tribute	Retirement Ceremony
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What's this? Photo essay on Yokozuna Akebono's retirement ceremony held on Sept. 29, 2001.
Last modified: May 15, 2004

Story and photos by Philbert Ono

After receiving the flowers, he bowed to everyone again.

No one right now can fill the vacuum left by Akebono. With no great rivals in sumo now, its popularity will continue to wane. This is not good.

Not only that, Akebono's departure is another step toward the total extinction of Hawai'i's high-profile presence in Japan's national sport. Currently with no promising sumo aspirants from Hawai'i following the trail blazed by Hawai'i's Big Three (Konishiki, Akebono, and Musashimaru), we shall have to face the prospect of sumo minus any Hawaiians. This is very difficult to imagine because there has always been a sumo wrestler from Hawai'i in the top Makunouchi Division ever since 33 years ago in 1968 when Takamiyama (aka Jesse Kuhaulua, currently Azumazeki) from Maui, Hawai'i was promoted.

In the year of his retirement in 1984, Takamiyama (now Azumazeki and Akebono's stablemaster) shares a laugh with then (and late) U.S. Ambassador to Japan Mike Mansfield and wife Maureen at a reception held in Takamiyama's honor in Tokyo.

Takamiyama's topknot was finally cut at his retirement ceremony on Feb. 3, 1985 at the spanking-new Kokugikan that had just opened a month before in Ryogoku. This is the late philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa doing the cutting.

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.

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. A foreigner had beaten the Japanese at their own game. (Of course, Akebono has never thought of it that way, and this is only my own rude/crude remark for the ultra-nationalists who disdain foreigners.)

But now I ask one more favor from Akebono since he now has more time: 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.

Perhaps more sumo clubs should be established in Hawai'i where local kids can work out or try out for sumo. It's not that hard to construct a decent sumo ring. It doesn't require much space either. And you don't need to buy much clothing or uniforms (if you know what I mean). But you do need a good sumo coach and recruiter. In any case, let's hope we see future sumo stars from Hawai'i real soon, at least before Musashimaru retires.

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