One of the most gut-wrenching experiences Asashoryu has had to bear in his 22-year life didn't happen anywhere close to the sumo ring. It had nothing to do with adjusting to the hierarchical life of a sumo beya either.
AsashoryuListening to the humble-yet-ever-smiling Mongolian ozeki speak, one would never guess Japanese is his second language. But he says he's gone through rough times in Japan because of the language barrier.