Sumo Showdown: The Hawaiian Challenge

Sumo, Japan's most traditional sport, has survived with its rites, rituals, and excitement virtually intact through centuries of popularity interspersed with periods of decline. As the end of the twentieth century draws near, sumo is once again, without a doubt, Japan's most popular sport, attracting sellout crowds each day of every tournament and millions of television viewers. This quite recent surge of popularity is due much to the strengths, successes, and personalities of a trio of Hawaiians-Konishiki, Akebono, and Musashimaru-and the almost pop-star level of renown of a pair of Japanese brothers, Takahanada and Wakahanada. Sumo Showdown: The Hawaiian Challenge is the first book to graphically chart the rise and rise of the Hawaiians, from the sumo debut of Takamiyama in 1964 to the current day. Lavishly illustrated with 110 full-color photographs, the book studies the lives and problems of Westerners in a quintessentially Japanese sport, looks at the resistance to Hawaiian dominance now being led by Takahanada, and ultimately questions the likelihood of sumo ever becoming a truly international sport.  This book is a photographic delight for both sumo fans worldwide and students of Japanese culture in general.