Akashi Shiganosuke

[1] He was described as being of gigantic size, at 2.58 m (8 ft 6 in) tall and weighing 340 kg (750 lb).

He is said to have been born in Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture in central Japan, the son of Yamanouchi Shuzen, a samurai who served Sumaura Rinemon.

[1] He is said to have been given the title of Hinoshita Kaisan (a Buddhist term signifying a man of exceptional power) by the third Tokugawa shōgun, Iemitsu.

[1] By 1800, his legendary reputation as a huge and powerful rikishi had been solidified, and his exploits were retold and embellished through the years.

He became so legendary that when the 12th yokozuna Jinmaku Kyugoro came to compile the first list of yokozuna in 1900, Akashi was placed at the beginning,[1] followed by two dominant champions from the Edo period, Ayagawa Goroji and Maruyama Gondazaemon.