Konishiki arrives in Japan during the height of the Japanese economic boom. He doesn’t have a dollar or yen to his name and has no understanding of the Japanese culture or language. Fortunately, he’s brought to Japan by Takamiyama who provides him with the mentorship needed for a foreigner in sumo wrestling. Just two years into his sumo career, his star is on the rise as he faces the greatest sumo wrestlers of the time.
Konishiki has become the most dominant sumo wrestler of the time. In fear of his stardom, the institutions step in the way to deter his path to Yokozuna. However, a new crop of Hawaiian sumo wrestlers have arrived following the path provided by Takamiyama and Konishiki. As Konishiki is impeded, we meet Akebono and Musashimaru who show there is nothing that is going to stop the Hawaiian sumo giants.
Despite the effort to limit foreign influence in Japan’s national sport, there is no denying the excitement around the Hawaiian sumo stars. Japanese and global sumo fans begin embracing the Hawaiian sumo wrestlers and encourage them to become “diplomats” for the Japanese culture. Their influence on the global stage becomes clear and their legacy is set. Sumo will never be the same.