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Takamiyama Daigoro (Born 16 June,1944 as Jesse James Waluni Kahaulau in Hawaii, USA) was the first foreign born sumo wrestler to win the top division championship in 1972.
Takamiyama also had an exceptionally long active top divsion career, and still holds the record for having competed in the most tournaments as a Makuuchi wrestler, at 97. He also holds a number of other longevity related records. As an active rikishi he also had a good reputation against the top ranked wrestlers, winning twelve kinboshi (maegashira wins against a yokozuna). He also won eleven special prizes, or sansho for his performances in tournaments.
He retired from the ring just before his fortieth birthday, and became a member of the Sumo Association, with the name Azumazeki. To do so he also took Japanese Citizenship. He subsequently opened his own training stable, and produced the first foreign born yokozuna, Akebono.
One of his stated goals after training Akebono to the top rank of Sumo was to train a Japanese wrestler into the top Makuuchi division. This goal was realized when his wrestler, Takamisakari, a very popular figure in his own right, debuted in Makuuchi in July of 2000.
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