Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi is a Japanese competitive eater.
Takeru Kobayashi at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2009
Kobayashi at the Johnsonville World Bratwurst Eating Championship in 2006
Kobayashi with two Guinness World Record certificates (March 2010)
Kobayashi at the Krystal Square Off in 2009
Competitive eating, or speed eating, is a sport in which participants compete against each other to eat large quantities of food, usually in a short time period. Contests are typically eight to ten minutes long, although some competitions can last up to thirty minutes, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner. Competitive eating is most popular in the United States, Canada, and Japan, where organized professional eating contests often offer prizes, including cash.
Sonya Thomas and Tim Janus at the 2005 Midway Slots Crabcake Eating Competition
Nicholas Wood, 1630
Pie-eating contest at the Jefferson School in Washington, D.C., August 2, 1923
Joey Chestnut after his victory at the 2010 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island