Anecdotes

Became the first foreign Sumo wrestler to attain the rank of Yokozuna or "Grand Champion" in 1993.

Since his Sumo debut in 1988 until his retirement in 2001, he won 11 division titles and one of the few Sumo to retire as a champion.

Since becoming a fighter in K-1, Akebono has suffered a long losing streak and has only won one fight over the course of almost 3 years. This has given him the dubious nickname among Japanese fight fans of "Makebono". "Make" means "to lose" in Japanese.

Currently a fighter in K-1, a Kickboxing/Mixed Martial Arts organization. His fight record is 1 win, 11 losses. (août 2006)

Although still unable to walk, he attended a memorial service for his former tsukebito Ushiomaru at Azumazeki stable in December 2019.

News regarding Akebono's health was scarce. A news article on 2 January 2019 reported that he had lost the use of his legs, and suffered from partial memory loss, unable to remember his pro-wrestling days. He was for a short period unable to speak without the aid of his wife.

While an oyakata (former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank), Akebono also appeared in TV commercials and opened a restaurant called ZUNA.

He went to Hawaii Pacific University on a basketball scholarship, but sat out his freshman season.

He attended Kaiser High School, where he played basketball and became an all-star center.

Akebono became a Japanese citizen in 1996, and after retiring in 2001 he worked as a coach at Azumazeki stable before leaving the Sumo Association in 2003.