Posted on: Friday, September 28, 2001

There's no turning back for Akebono

By Mina Hall
Special to The Advertiser

TOKYO — Unlike other athletes such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Mario Lemieux and Michael Jordan, there are no comebacks in sumo.

Retirement is final.

Today, Waimanalo's Chad Rowan, otherwise known as sumo wrestler Akebono, will have his official danpatsu-shiki, or retirement ceremony at the Kekugikan arena in Ryogoku, Tokyo.

"It's all coming to an end," he said as he tried to relax at his training stable, Azumazeki-beya.

To see Akebono not wearing a kimono or a yukata, is unusual.

But since the sport's first foreign-born grand champion, or yokozuna, is no longer an active wrestler (he announced his retirement in January), he made his way to the door in a sumo-sized dark blue aloha shirt.

"Thirteen years ..." he sighed.

Today (Saturday in Tokyo) it will all be over.

There is a frenzy surrounding his stable in Sumida-ward. Reporters and well-wishers frantically try to get close to the man who will be the talk of this town in less than 24 hours. His face will be on every Japanese newspaper and his retirement will be televised live.

Thirteen years have taken a toll on his body.

"Before I could put up with the pain," he said. "But now, my knees hurt so much, even when I'm not wrestling. My body will no longer move the way that I want."

Today, the last day that he will wear his topknot, Akebono is worried and anxious.

He has worked hard putting together his retirement ceremony with a planned sellout crowd of 13,000 and dozens of celebrities and dignitaries expected to attend.

At the retirement ceremony, his topknot, or chonmage, will be cut off.

The chonmage, similar to how ancient samurai wore their hair, is the most recognizable symbol of a sumo wrestler.

Consequently, the moment that it is cut off, Akebono will be forced to face the sudden reality that he is no longer, and never will be again, a rikishi.

Thirteen years and his life as a sumo wrestler will all come to an abrupt end with one final snip of the scissors.

"I'm going to miss having this on my head," he said as he lightly touched his topknot.

Thirteen years ago — back in 1988, 18-year-old Rowan, who had never rode a plane before, made his debut in the strict and disciplined world of sumo.

He thought the trip would be a free plane ride and a couple months of vacation.

He never intended to stay 13 years.

"I didn't think I could stay away that long," he said.

He thought he could go back to Hawai'i and get a job at a hotel after learning a little Japanese.

Instead, that trip changed his life. Other than short vacations, 13 years later and he still hasn't returned home.

You wonder how a teenager from Waimanalo carrying one suitcase and having no knowledge of the language could have had such an impact on a sport so deeply tied with Japanese history and culture.

Like a tornado changing the land in its path, Akebono's impact was huge.

Although he struggled his first year and oftentimes thought of quitting, he persevered.

"Sumo is a vertical society," he said. "When I first joined, I was at the bottom and had to do all the scrub work — all of the chores, the cooking and cleaning.

"When you start to win and move up the ranks, people start to treat you differently. Sumo is all about gaining respect."

With his devastating pushing techniques, he steadily climbed the ranks and four years later became the second foreign-born ozeki, after fellow Hawai'i wrestler Saleva'a Atisanoe, or Konishiki.

Less than a year later, in March of 1993, he became the first foreign-born yokozuna, the highest rank in the sport.

He held the rank for eight years.

He was constantly plagued by injuries, but when he was healthy, he was almost unstoppable. He won a total of 11 Emperor's Cups, putting him seventh on the all-time list.

But even more important than his sumo record was that he understood the importance and responsibility of holding the title.

There have been only 67 men in the 2,000-year history of sumo that have attained the prestigious rank.

Since being exalted with the rank, Akebono's No. 1 priority was not to disgrace it.

He possessed the most important quality, called hinkaku, or dignity. He understood that he had to carry himself with pride at all times, so as not to embarrass his stable or the Japan Sumo Association.

He had to prove that he was worthy of wearing the white tsuna — reserved only for those who have attained the top rank.

When he was promoted to yokozuna, his accepting words were, "I humbly accept, and will devote myself in practice and promise not to defile the status of grand champion."

He knew that as the first non-Japanese yokozuna, critics would be watching his every move, ready to pounce on any slight mistake.

But Akebono never let them have the chance.

He was everything one could ask for in a yokozuna. He was humble, yet fierce in the ring. He was gentle and courteous to fans. He became a hero in his home state and won the hearts of his adopted homeland.

He mastered the Japanese language — even the difficult "keigo," or honorific Japanese.

He showed respect to all.

Akebono knew what it meant to be a yokozuna. He never let anyone down.

Mina Hall is author of the book, The Big Book of Sumo. She played tennis for the University of Hawai'i from 1987-92.