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Episode 574 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 1
This week, we’re beginning a new miniseries on the legends of Japan’s most ancient sport: sumo. What can we learn about Japan and Japanese identity by looking at the lives of some of the most famous competitors in the national sport? We’ll begin investigating that question with a look at the life of one of the greatest ever to enter the ring: Taiho Koki.
Sources
Cuyler, P.L. Sumo: From Rite to Sport.
Graburn, Nelson, John Ertul, and R. Kenji Tierney. Multiculturalism in the New Japan: Crossing the Boundaries Within.
The Guardian’s obituary for Taiho.
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9823" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/YoungTaiho-214x300.webp" alt="" width="214" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/YoungTaiho-214x300.webp 214w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/YoungTaiho.webp 400w" sizes="(max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" />A young Taiho during his middle school years.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9821" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-218x300.jpg" alt="" width="218" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-218x300.jpg 218w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-744x1024.jpg 744w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-768x1057.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051.jpg 938w" sizes="(max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px" />Saganohana Katsumi as an Ozeki during his career. He would go on to be the elder of Nishonoseki stable and recruit the future Taiho into sumo.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9822" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-300x197.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-1024x671.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-768x503.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058.jpg 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A victory parade for a Nishonoseki stable wrestler (Wakanohana I) in 1956. This gives you an idea of how popular sumo was during this period!
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9820" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-300x230.png" alt="" width="300" height="230" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-300x230.png 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-1024x786.png 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-768x590.png 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-1536x1179.png 1536w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-1600x1228.png 1600w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />This 1910 photo of a match at the original Kokugikan in Tokyo both gives you an idea of how much smaller wrestlers used to be and of what the pillars that held the roof above the dohyo used to look like.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9819" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-300x222.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="222" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-300x222.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-1024x759.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-768x569.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-1536x1138.jpg 1536w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006.jpg 1555w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A shot from a 2006 tournament at the Kokugikan, the sumo arena in Tokyo. You can see the design of the roof and the cables holding it up clearly.
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This week, we’re beginning a new miniseries on the legends of Japan’s most ancient sport: sumo. What can we learn about Japan and Japanese identity by looking at the lives of some of the most famous competitors in the national sport? We’ll begin investigating that question with a look at the life of one of the greatest ever to enter the ring: Taiho Koki.
Sources
Cuyler, P.L. Sumo: From Rite to Sport.
Graburn, Nelson, John Ertul, and R. Kenji Tierney. Multiculturalism in the New Japan: Crossing the Boundaries Within.
The Guardian’s obituary for Taiho.
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9823" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/YoungTaiho-214x300.webp" alt="" width="214" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/YoungTaiho-214x300.webp 214w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/YoungTaiho.webp 400w" sizes="(max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" />A young Taiho during his middle school years.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9821" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-218x300.jpg" alt="" width="218" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-218x300.jpg 218w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-744x1024.jpg 744w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051-768x1057.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Saganohana_Scan10051.jpg 938w" sizes="(max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px" />Saganohana Katsumi as an Ozeki during his career. He would go on to be the elder of Nishonoseki stable and recruit the future Taiho into sumo.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9822" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-300x197.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-1024x671.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058-768x503.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wakanohana_I_1956_Scan10058.jpg 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A victory parade for a Nishonoseki stable wrestler (Wakanohana I) in 1956. This gives you an idea of how popular sumo was during this period!
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9820" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-300x230.png" alt="" width="300" height="230" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-300x230.png 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-1024x786.png 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-768x590.png 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-1536x1179.png 1536w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910-1600x1228.png 1600w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Former-Ryogoku-Kokugikan-Sumo-Hall-Interior-c1910.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />This 1910 photo of a match at the original Kokugikan in Tokyo both gives you an idea of how much smaller wrestlers used to be and of what the pillars that held the roof above the dohyo used to look like.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9819" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-300x222.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="222" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-300x222.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-1024x759.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-768x569.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006-1536x1138.jpg 1536w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryogoku_Kokugikan_Tsuriyane_05212006.jpg 1555w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A shot from a 2006 tournament at the Kokugikan, the sumo arena in Tokyo. You can see the design of the roof and the cables holding it up clearly.