Abstract

When Japan had the chance in the 1998 Nagano Olympic Opening Ceremony to define “Japanese” for the rest of the world, sumo was a natural choice for a centerpiece. Rooted in Shinto creation myths, the sport is among the country's best examples of traditional icons, a ritualistic reminder of the past like no other in the world. But the man they chose to embody their culture was an American, Akebono Taro, formerly Chad Rowan of Hawai'i, a Japanese citizen for less than two years. In a country whose aversion for outsiders is well documented, and where foreign residents are fingerprinted annually, the Nagano organizers' choice raises the question “How?” How could they choose a former American as their primary cultural emblem? I answer the question in this biography by exploring how Rowan was prepared for his experience in Japan, how the system was able to accommodate him, and how he was able to perform in the role of Akebono to the point where he could find himself on center stage at Nagano.

Telling the story of Rowan's life is an act equally biographical, anthropological, autobiographical, and creative. While the overall sports celebrity story drives the main narrative, the cultural concerns regarding both a Hawaiian in Japan's National sport, and those of a haole biographer researching and conveying that story, are more important and arguably more interesting arguments for the value of this project as a contribution to the field of English Studies.