Takasago stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these kanji is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋".
A nobori (right) supporting Takasago stable
Image: Takasago sumo stable building
Image: Takasago sumo stable sign 2024
Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e, better known by his stage name, Konishiki Yasokichi , is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler. He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach ōzeki, the second-highest possible rank in the sport. During his career he won the top division championship on three occasions and came very close to becoming the first foreign-born grand champion, or yokozuna, prompting a social debate in Japan as to whether a foreigner could have the necessary cultural understanding to be deemed acceptable in sumo's ultimate rank. At a peak weight of 287 kg (633 lb) he was also at the time the heaviest wrestler ever in sumo, earning him the nicknames "Meat Bomb" and, most famously, "The Dump Truck".
Konishiki in 2015
Original tegata (handprint and signature ) of sumo wrestler Konishiki
Konishiki and his entourage, May 1996