The Nagoya Basho in July marks 50 years since Takamiyama, as a rank-and-file sumo wrestler from Hawaii, became the first non-Japanese to win the top-division tournament in the city.
1972 was a pivotal year, as it was when Okinawa was returned to Japan and when Japan and China normalized diplomatic ties.
Takamiyama, who was promoted to sumo's third-highest rank of sekiwake after the victory, later took Japanese citizenship and adopted the Japanese name Daigoro Watanabe.
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