meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
History of Japan

Episode 580 - The Kings of the Ring, Part 7

History of Japan

Isaac Meyer

Japan, History, Japanese

4.8744 Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week: we wrap up the miniseries with the end of Akebono's career, as the first gaijin yokozuna takes his post-dohyo trajectory in a very different direction from the other yokozuna before him (or at least, from most of the other yokozuna before him). Plus some final thoughts on sumo today.

Show notes here.

 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. So how do you find amazing candidates fast?

0:07.8

Simple. Just use Indeed. Stop wasting time with other job sites that aren't getting your post seen.

0:14.4

With Indeed's sponsored jobs, your post jumps to the top getting in front of the right candidates fast.

0:20.6

And it works. According to Indeed

0:22.8

data, sponsor jobs get 45% more applications than non-sponsored ones. Join the 3.5 million employers

0:31.0

worldwide who are hiring great talent with Indeed. Best part? No monthly subscriptions, no long-term contracts, and you only pay for results.

0:41.1

There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed, and listeners of the show will get a 100-pound

0:48.8

sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com slash show.

0:54.8

Just go to Indeed.com slash show right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.

1:02.4

Indeed.com slash show. Terms and conditions apply. Hello and welcome to the history of Japan podcast, episode 580, The Kings of the Ring,

1:29.6

Part 7.

1:31.7

The specter of a foreign Yokozuna had been looming over Sumo ever since Takamiama's top

1:37.2

division win in 1972 proved that it was possible in the first place.

1:41.7

The only question that remained was who would be the one to do it.

1:45.9

And Akebono proved to be a fortunate choice in many respects for the role. By his temperament,

1:51.0

by his personality, he was well suited to the expectations of the Okozuna, competitive and

1:56.5

determined, but respectful, an understanding of the value in a quiet, restrained dignity.

2:02.5

He was in many ways the perfect argument against the idea that an outsider can't really

2:07.7

understand the values of Japanese culture, as many commentators of the sport, noted at the time.

2:14.9

Shimoia Yoshihisa, who was the editor of the JSA-run Sumo magazine in 1993,

2:20.6

summed up the growing consensus on Akebono pretty succinctly, quote,

2:24.3

he makes me forget he is a foreigner because of his earnest attitude towards Sumo.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Isaac Meyer, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Isaac Meyer and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.