Gaijin Yokozuna: A Biography of Chad Rowan

Loved following the life and expectations of a sumo wrestler!

I learned a lot about sumo with this book, as well as about Akebono, Konishiki and Takamiyama, all Hawaiian sumo "pioneers". I am amazed at what Chad Rowan had to go through as a gaijin in the sumo world, but he was able to learn the language and the culture, and adapt his strengths and personality to the demands and expectations of the sumo sport and traditions. As a reader with mid-level knowledge of the sport and Japanese culture I found the book very readable and interesting. I learned a lot about Hawaiian culture as well.

There are very few books on Sumo out there and I was excited to find this one. It gives you an interesting insight into Sumo and was worth reading for Sumo lovers. Most people outside Sumo think of it as overweight people bouncing against each other but the guys are excellent athletes who train very hard.

I was looking for some time for a Book about Akebono, the 1st non-Japanese Yokuzuna. The book takes you thru his journey from Hawaii to Japan, from his beginnings to his Glory in Sumo, even it covers his after Sumo life for a bit and his not so glorious venture into K-1. I really liked how the book also tells about Konishiki, another Hawaiian Giant, who came close to become Yokozuna himself, but stayed at Ozeki till the end of his career.Don’t miss this book if you like Sumo or Biographies about people who have achieved great things in life and overcome adversity at the same time.

Mark Panek's Gaijin Yokozuna is masterful biography and compelling storytelling. Three distinct voices run through the book. Using historical and biographical style, Panek narrates key events in Chad Rowen/Akebono's life, but in the process he also explains the arcane history and ritual of sumo, never shying away from the correct Japanese terminology or precisely painting sumo in Japan. Addditionally, he so accurately captures the speech of Chad Rowen and the other Hawaiian sumotori, that I assumed that Panek was a haole boys who grew up on Oahu and perhaps graduated from Kahuku High School. That is how truly he captures the local speech of Hawaii. Like me, he is a haole boy, but he grew up in New York state, lived in Japan and has lived in Hawaii for a decade or more.This is a hard book to put down, as Panek depicts the suffering that any apprentice sumo must survive, whether successful or not. He shows how at 6 feet 8 inches, Rowen was "too tall for sumo," but adapted his posture and style and bulked up to a lightning fast 500 pounds to become the first gaijin or foreigner to reach Sumo's highest rank, yokozuna. Along the way, the reader meets other sumotori from Hawaii and the experiences the complex and baffling world of sumo which is almost more a religion than a sport.This superb book fulfills the highest standards of literary and historical scholarship, yet is so accessible to the reader that anyone from a middle school student to an aging adult will enjoy it.

It helps to be from Hawaii to appreciate this book as the author uses many "pidgin english" phrases. Nonetheless, it is a captivating book. I could hardly put it down.

Superb book

A solid telling of Akebono's career and the events that led up to it. Gave me a greater appreciation for the struggles he faced and his rivalry with the Hanada bros. definitely worth a read for anyone interested in sumo.

This book was a joy to read from beginning to end, especially as I followed Sumo during this period. NHK used to broadcast on Sky and I subscribed so I could watch all the Basho's. I watched the amazing Chiyonofuji rise up the ranks, I saw Taka, Waka, Konishiki, Onokuni, Musashimaru, Mitoizumi and Akebono (among many others) and was enthralled by the whole Sumo ethic. Still am, but unfortunately NHK dropped out and I could only catch scraps of information after that. So, to come across this book purely by chance was wonderful! It's well written, informative without becoming boring, and really sheds a light on many aspects of rikishi life. Possibly aimed at someone who already knows a bit about Sumo, but hopefully still interesting to the newcomer.

For true sumo fans, particularly fans of the "Ake-Taka" era. It is great to read and brought back fond memories of a great sumo jidai