In the six decades since Hawaiian Takamiyama embarked on a trailblazing journey in Japan’s national sport, only two foreign countries have produced yokozuna.
The United States led the way, with Takamiyama’s protege Akebono being first to break sumo’s glass ceiling in 1993, and his compatriot Musashimaru followed suit six years later.
Since the turn of the millennium, though, it’s been a case of Mongolian domination, with Hoshoryu’s recent promotion bringing to six the total number of grand champions hailing from the Land of the Blue Sky.
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