Akebono, a former grand champion and sumo wrestling legend born in Hawaii, has died. He was 54. He was the first foreign-born wrestler to achieve the status of “yokozuna,” or grand champion, in Japan.
“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 Taro family stated in a statement.
In an email to The Associated Press, his wife, Christine Rowan, stated that he died “within the past week” but declined to provide further information.
She continued, “I had personal matters to tend to before publicly announcing my husband’s death.”
Akebono, born Chad Rowan, grew up on the rural side of Honolulu’s Koolau Highlands.
He relocated to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his first Grand Championship in 1993.
At the height of his career, he weighed 500 pounds and stood 6 feet, 8 inches tall.
Rahm Emanuel, the United States ambassador to Japan, expressed his condolences on social media.
“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 said in a statement.
“Akebono became the first foreign-born grand champion, sumo’s highest rank, in 1993, paving the way for more international wrestlers to succeed in the sport. Throughout his 35 years in Japan, Akebono enhanced cultural bonds between the United States and his adopted country by bringing us together through sports.”
Akebono won 11 major tournaments. He retired in 2001.
According to the family’s statement, friends and relatives will gather for a “private celebration of his life.” His wife, daughter, and two children survive him.
“The family respectfully requests privacy during this time of mourning,” the statement read.
