is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in 2005 and reached the top makuuchi division in 2011, the first wrestler born in the Heisei era to do so. His highest rank has been ōzeki. He has been runner-up in a tournament seven times and has earned twelve special prizes: six for Fighting Spirit, four for Outstanding Performance and two for Technique. He has won five gold stars for defeating yokozuna. After achieving 34 wins in the three tournaments from January to May 2017, he was officially promoted to ōzeki on May 31, 2017. He maintained the rank for a total of 15 tournaments. Early life and sumo background Takayasu was born in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki to Eiji Takayasu and Bebelita Bernadas. His father is from Ibaraki Prefecture and his mother is from the island of Bohol in the Philippines. He has a brother, Hiroyuki, who is five years senior. He was a catcher on his junior high school baseball team and expected to play for his high school club as well, but his father encouraged him to take up sumo, having noticed his physical resemblance to fellow Ibaraki native and sumo wrestler Kisenosato. Through his father's recommendation he joined Kisenosato's Naruto stable (now Tagonoura stable) upon graduating from junior high school. Takayasu ran away from the stable several times due to the severe training, but on each occasion his father persuaded him to return. Career Early career On his entry to Naruto stable, he was already 180 centimeters tall and weighed 120 kilograms, and consequently had much expectation pinned on him from the start. His first tournament was in March, 2005. He made steady progress through the lower divisions, with only a few losing record or make-koshi tournaments. He won the yūshō or championship in the third makushita division in September, 2010 with a perfect 7–0 record. This propelled him into jūryō division, where along with Masunoyama became one of the first two sekitori to be born in the Heisei era. He decided against adopting a traditional shikona despite reaching the elite and has continued to use his birth name. In his first jūryō tournament in November he almost pulled off a second consecutive championship, losing to Toyohibiki in a playoff after both finished with 11–4 records. Makuuchi career After two more strong performances at jūryō Takayasu was promoted to the top makuuchi division in July, 2011.