<sod>Takanosato played [[soccer|football]] and [[judo]] before turning to sumo.  He was from the same area of Japan as [[Wakanohana Kanji II]] and the two entered professional sumo together in July 1968, joining [[Futagoyama stable]]. Takanosato reached the top ''[[makuuchi]]'' division in May 1975 but had some indifferent results and fell back to the ''[[jūryō]]'' division on several occasions. A late developer, he did not reach the ''[[san'yaku]]'' ranks until 1979, by which time Wakanohana was already a ''yokozuna''. In 1980 he was runner-up in two consecutive tournaments, but he did so from the ''[[maegashira]]'' ranks. Nicknamed "[[Popeye]]" because of his brawny physique,<ref name=taka>{{cite web|title=Amid probe, sumo elder Naruto, the ex-yokozuna Takanosato, dies at 59|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20111108a3.html|publisher=[[Japan Times]]|accessdate=7 November 2011|date=7 November 2011}}</ref> by 1981 he was a ''san'yaku'' regular, and in January 1982 he produced his third runner-up performance, this time at ''[[sekiwake]]'' rank, and earned promotion to ''[[ōzeki]].'' Following his promotion he announced that he had been suffering from [[diabetes]] for many years, and had devised a special diet to keep the illness under control.<ref name="Sharnoff">{{Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lora |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |isbn=0-8348-0283-X}}</ref> He won his first top division championship in September 1982 with a perfect 15-0 record. He was runner-up in the tournaments of March and May 1983, and then took his second championship in July. Following this tournament was promoted to ''yokozuna''.<eod>
<sod>Takanosato played [[soccer|football]] and [[judo]] before turning to sumo.  He was from the same area of Japan as [[Wakanohana Kanji II]] and the two entered professional sumo together in July 1968, joining [[Futagoyama stable]]. Takanosato reached the top ''[[makuuchi]]'' division in May 1975 but had some indifferent results and fell back to the ''[[jūryō]]'' division on several occasions. A late developer, he did not reach the ''[[san'yaku]]'' ranks until 1979, by which time Wakanohana was already a ''yokozuna''. In 1980 he was runner-up in two consecutive tournaments, but he did so from the ''[[maegashira]]'' ranks. Nicknamed "[[Popeye]]" because of his brawny physique,<ref name=taka>{{cite web|title=Amid probe, sumo elder Naruto, the ex-yokozuna Takanosato, dies at 59|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20111108a3.html|publisher=[[Japan Times]]|accessdate=7 November 2011|date=7 November 2011}}</ref> he was one of the few wrestlers in his day to use [[weight training]], which is now commonplace in sumo. By 1981 he was a ''san'yaku'' regular, and in January 1982 he produced his third runner-up performance, this time at ''[[sekiwake]]'' rank, and earned promotion to ''[[ōzeki]].'' Following his promotion he announced that he had been suffering from [[diabetes]] for many years, and had devised a special diet to keep the illness under control.<ref name="Sharnoff">{{Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lora |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |isbn=0-8348-0283-X}}</ref> He won his first top division championship in September 1982 with a perfect 15-0 record. He was runner-up in the tournaments of March and May 1983, and then took his second championship in July. Following this tournament was promoted to ''yokozuna''.<eod>