Growing up in Ashiya, Hyōgo,[1] Satō competed in full-contact karate in early primary school, and was runner up for the championship in a national competition.

In his third year there he won a national championship and took the title of junior high school yokozuna, or grand champion.

In his third year, he was also champion in the free weight category of the World Junior Sumo Tournament held in Taiwan.

Because of his strong desire to join the professional ranks as quickly as possible, he participated in maezumo (preliminary sumo tryouts) in September 2014 while still a high school student, a very rare occurrence.

Satō officially entered the sumo ring as a professional rikishi in November 2014, and in his debut won the lowest division, or jonokuchi, championship with a perfect 7–0 record.

In the following May 2015 tournament, in the makushita division, he had a perfect 6–0 record up until his last bout, but he lost this one to the future Takaryū [ja], who took the championship.

This culminated in his fourth tournament in jūryō where he chalked up a 12–3 record in the ultra-competitive upper ranks of this division and earned his first championship as a salaried wrestler.

In November he again recorded eleven wins, earning two further kinboshi with victories over Harumafuji and Kisenosato and receiving a second consecutive prize for Outstanding Performance.

But instead Takakeishō watched as the same wrestler who handed him his first loss, Mitakeumi, guaranteed him his first top division championship by defeating Takayasu in the final bout.

With just 26 career tournaments under his belt this victory tied him with yokozuna Akebono for fourth fastest all time from debut to winning a top division championship.

[12] In March he entered the penultimate day with a record of 9-4, including wins over Kakuryū and Takayasu, but was quickly defeated by Ichinojō.

[15] The Sumo Association made the ōzeki promotion official on 27 March 2019, and delivered the news to Takakeishō at a press conference in Osaka.

"[16] After his promotion ceremony, Takakeishō thanked his parents Kazuya and Junko Sato for supporting him, and promised to repay them through sumo.

"[17] He made ōzeki in 28 tournaments after his professional debut, which is the sixth fastest rise since the six-tournament a year system was established in 1958.

[20] On 4 July it was announced that Takakeisho's injury had not fully healed and that he would not compete in that month's upcoming Nagoya tournament, meaning that he would drop back to sekiwake in September.

Hakuhō commented that Takakeishō was "just the harbinger of strong young wrestlers yet to come who will represent the sumo world well.

Although he lost that match, the two faced off again in a playoff, which Takakeishō won to earn his second top division championship, his first as an ōzeki.

[39] Although Takakeisho won the tournament - his third in the top makuuchi division - head judge Sadogatake-oyakata indicated that he would not be recommended for promotion given his 12-3 final score.

[40] After his victory Takakeishō spoke of the expectations on him as the only ōzeki and top competitor in the absence of Terunofuji but said "I've channeled that pressure into energy and inspiration.

"[44] With Terunofuji having withdrawn prior to the opening day, Takakeishō's departure left the grand sumo tournament with no competing yokozuna or ōzeki for the first time since the start of the Shōwa era in 1926.

Despite being plagued by injuries to both knees and in a battered state, he secured his eighth win and his Ozeki status after defeating Meisei on Day 13 by sidestepping at the tachiai.

His former coach from the Saitama Sakae High School Sumo Club commented, "I could feel his mental strength and determination.

[49] At the end of August, it was reported that Takakeishō intended to take part in the September tournament, giving himself a chance to emerge from kadoban status.

[50] On the eleventh day of the September tournament, he recorded an eighth victory over sekiwake Wakamotoharu, thus saving his rank for the seventh time in total.

[60] Later that same month, he withdrew from regional tours, giving details of his injuries and revealing that he hadn't recovered from his pinched nerve.

[61] Takakeishō withdrew from the May 2024 tournament after dropping his opening day match to Hiradoumi, with doctors diagnosing him with a herniated disc.

[62] Entering kadoban status again for the July 2024 tournament, Takakeishō was unable to secure a winning record, losing his eighth match on Day 13 to then-tournament leader Terunofuji.

[65] At a press conference held on September 21, he said that although his ambition since childhood was to become a yokozuna, his depleted strength and energy made further pursuit of this goal impossible.

His tendency to avoid yotsu grappling techniques and throws has been attributed by some sumo commentators to his relatively short arms.

[68] Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Takakeishō Takanobu's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage