He Left Colorado to Become a Sumo Wrestler — Then WWII Began

Wrestling

Taon2026

Panoorin Ngayon

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Long before Americans Takamiyama, Konishiki, Akebono and Musashimaru became stars in Japan, there was Harley Ozaki. Born in rural Colorado to Japanese immigrant parents, Ozaki traveled to Japan as a teenager in hopes of becoming a professional sumo wrestler. Under the ring name Toyonishiki, he became the first Japanese-American to reach sumo’s top division. But just as his career was taking off, World War II changed everything. Caught between two nations at war, the Colorado native found himself under suspicion in Japan while anti-Japanese sentiment exploded back home in the United States. This is the story of the forgotten American pioneer of sumo. 🎵 Music: "Bad Snacks" by A Caring Friend 🎵 Music: "Starlight on the Water" by Chris Haugen 🎵 Music: "Alias" by Anno Domini Beats 🎵 Music: "Surrender" by Dan Lebowitz Sources: "Grand Sumo: The Living Sport and Tradition" by Lora Sharnoff, Pacific Citizen, BBM-Japan, Discover Nikkei. Special thanks to the Greeley History Museum. #sumo #japan #history #wwii #grandsumo