TOKYO, Japan: Japan has a new top sumo wrestler — and he's Japanese. Onosato, who weighs 191 kilograms (421 pounds), has become a yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo.

He's the first Japanese wrestler to reach this level since 2017. For comparison, an NFL lineman weighs about 140 kilograms (just over 300 pounds).

In recent years, sumo has been dominated by Mongolian wrestlers. Six of the last seven yokozunas were Mongolian. Onosato's promotion marks a major moment for Japanese fans.

"I'll devote myself to training so that I will not disgrace the title of yokozuna," Onosato said last week. He was dressed in a formal kimono and bowed while speaking. "I will aim to become a one-and-only yokozuna."

Onosato's real name is Daiki Nakamura. He is just 24 years old and was officially promoted last week by the Japan Sumo Association after winning the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. He also won another major tournament in March.

He comes from Ishikawa prefecture, which was hit by a deadly earthquake and tsunami on January 1, 2024. Around 600 people died, and the Noto Peninsula area was heavily damaged.

"I will work hard as a yokozuna to encourage and cheer up the Ishikawa prefecture and the Noto region," he said.

Onosato added that becoming a yokozuna had been his goal since he started in sumo. "It's not easy to reach this level, and I'm very happy," he said.

Sumo is Japan's national sport. It is full of tradition and linked to Shinto, the country's ancient religion. The sport is more than 1,000 years old and is only played professionally in Japan. Wrestlers live in shared training centers, where their food, clothing, and routines follow strict traditions.

Now that Onosato is a yokozuna, he is expected to have a big rivalry with Hoshoryu, another current yokozuna who was born in Mongolia. The two are likely to face each other in July during a tournament in Nagoya, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency.