Asahiyo Tarô

Asahiyo Tarô stowed away on a cargo ship to compete in his first sumo match in Amami in 1948 at age 19. He rose to become the 46th Yokozuna in 1959. The Three Treasures (1959) was his only film appearance.

He was distinctive for his stature, thick eyebrows, and chest hair, which were unusual for sumo wrestlers. In 1959, he boasted a winning record of 13-2 at an Osaka wrestling championship, breaking a longstanding "jinx" that wrestlers with chest hair could not win tournaments.

Asahiyo suffered from lumbar separation disease, which affected his later wrestling performance and hastened his retirement in 1962. After retiring, he became the head coach of the Takasago stable, where he mentored future stars like Konishiki.

He died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1988. A statue in his likeness was erected at his birthplace in 1995.