KONISHIKI, who has inherited Japan’s samurai spirit through sumo and has the influence and network to communicate the appeal of Japan to the rest of the world, will become an ambassador for Edoverse as we aim to further expand Edoverse’s international reach.

Future plans include the establishment of a sumo gym at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Edoverse, with the goal of enabling Edoverse visitors to experience the charms of sumo.

■Profile

Konishiki Yasokichi (小錦八十吉, Konishiki Yasokichi, born Saleva’a Fuauli Atisano’e; December 31, 1963) is an American former sumo wrestler. He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach ōzeki, the second-highest possible rank in the sport. During his career he won the top division championship on three occasions and came very close to becoming the first foreign-born grand champion, or yokozuna, prompting a social debate in Japan as to whether a foreigner could have the necessary cultural understanding to be deemed acceptable in sumo’s ultimate rank. At a peak weight of 287 kg (633 lb) he was also at the time the heaviest wrestler ever in sumo, earning him the nicknames “Meat Bomb” and, most famously, “The Dump Truck.”