Raiden Tameemon: Japan's Legendary Sumo Wrestler And Strong Man
Even if you’re not a manga/anime fan, there’s this crazy-awesome one called Record of Ragnarok that you should check out about historical figures fighting deities and demigods from ancient religions, in order to stop them from triggering Armageddon. And while that sounds like a rad premise you couldn’t possibly screw up, some of the story’s choices for representatives on the human side of things were definitely ... choices, like when Jack the Ripper fought Hercules. But when Raiden Tameemon entered the ring, anybody familiar with sumo probably thought, “Yep, that makes sense.”
Just so we’re clear: Raiden is a real historical figure, despite sharing a name with the Mortal Kombat character. Both received their monikers from the Japanese god of thunder and lightning, only Tameemon actually earned his. Born Seki Tarōkichi (1767 – 1825), the man they called “thunderstorm,” “thunder and lightning,” or “thunderbolt” (the literal meanings of “raiden”), was one of the most physically powerful men in all of Japanese history.
Raiden Tameemon reportedly measured 6’6” (1.97m) in height and weighed 373lbs (169kg). That is massive even by today’s standards, but 250 years ago in Japan, it was probably enough to legally classify him as a kaiju. If it wasn’t for the fact that sumo wrestlers fought half-naked, they probably would have routinely patted Raiden down to make sure he wasn’t two regular-sized sumo wrestlers in a trench coat. He was so huge, in fact, that it kind of broke people’s brains, with there being crackpot theories out there to this day claiming that he was actually a biblical Nephilim giant. I say “crackpot” because the “proof” typically provided is this exact video, which actually comes from the 2007 fictional movie Big Man Japan.
I really hate the fact that I have to specify that it’s fictional, but these are the stupid, stupid times we live in.
Despite his size, Raiden was reportedly also incredibly fast, really earning that “thunderbolt” sumo name. This combination of massive force and speed allowed him to attain an astounding 254 wins and only 10 losses, and he never lost more than once in the same tournament. His record was 44 consecutive victories, giving him a winning percentage of 96.2%, the highest in recorded sumo history. Unfortunately, his insane domination of the sport is what makes researching the real story of Raiden Tameemon so difficult, because power like that revs up people’s imagination, so there is a lot of folklore surrounding the man that might not be 100% true. But much of it is technically plausible and totally badass, so let’s learn about it anyway.
One time, he is said to have come across a feudal lord’s procession on a narrow mountain road while pulling a cart and, not being able to turn back, he lifted the cart above his head to let the other party through. Another story says that he was able to lift a wooden or iron tub that his mother was taking a bath in, but thankfully, this appears to be one of very few training methods utilized by Raiden that involved parental nudity.
Being born a farmer, young Raiden (then still known as Tarōkichi) didn’t really have access to gym equipment, so he apparently hung a 200 lbs boulder from a plow and used that for strength training. That very boulder, in fact (probably?), can still be found in the field outside Raiden’s preserved home, which he is said to have rebuilt for his parents single-handedly. And oh yeah, speaking of single hands, one rumor about Raiden Tameemon is that during a sumo match he executed the “single overhook” move by pushing his opponent to the ground while holding his arm and ... well, he wound up ripping the guy’s limb right off.
Hopefully that didn’t actually happen, but sumo officials of the time did temporarily ban the single overhook, along with some other moves like the tsuppari (rapid open-hand strikes) or the sabaori forward force down, used to bring wrestling opponents to their knees. Of course, this had very little to do with wrestlers losing appendages, and everything to do with those moves being Raiden’s favorites and people complaining that his fights ended too quickly. He was quite literally too good at sumo; yet even with fewer moves at his disposal, he still dominated the sport for well over 20 years.
Which makes it weird that he never attained sumo’s highest rank: yokozuna. There are several theories as to why, with the most likely being that the clan handing out the yokozuna titles had beef with a clan that Raiden’s sponsor was affiliated with. The more interesting explanation, though, is that to become a yokozuna, you must be both strong and lead a virtuous life. And that ... wasn’t exactly Raiden’s speed. The guy liked to party, one time getting into a drinking contest where he supposedly gulped down 9.5 gallons of sake without getting drunk.
Still, when a yokozuna monument went up at the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine, Raiden’s name was included with all the officially recognized champions. Still not as a yokozuna, though -- his name was listed with the description “peerless sumo wrestler.”
But Raiden himself was never really that bothered by the apparent snub, which we know because, despite being known for his imposing size and brute strength, he was literate and kept a diary for most of his professional career. It was later released to great acclaim (sadly, never in English), and included not just his wrestling accomplishments, but also his observations on culture, nature, and society. Because this man contained multitudes, and he definitely had enough room for them in that Kingpin-sized body of his.
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