Most Emperor's Cup wins - sumo wrestling (yokozuma)

Yokozuna Koki Naya (b. 1940), alias Taiho (`Great Bird'), won the Emperor's Cup 32 times up to his retirement in 1971. Japanese legend says that the very origin of the Japanese people depended on the result of a sumo match. But legend aside, the ancient art of Sumo wrestling goes back approximately 1,500 years. The first sumo contests were religious and dedicated to the gods in order to receive a good harvest. In the 8th century jsumo was introduced into the ceremonies of the Imperial Court where it slowly evolved into what it is today. In the 12th century sumo was used to improve men's fighting abilities and later the samurai developed jujitsu from it. From the 1600's onwards professional groups were organized and sumo emerged as Japan's national sport.  Yokozuna denotes the highest ranking sumo wrestler.