Sumo makes its yearly stop in steamy Nagoya starting Sunday, with Kakuryu aiming for a third straight title at the only venue where he has yet to raise the Emperor's Cup.
If the yokozuna emerges victorious at the end of the two weeks, he'll have stretched Mongolian dominance of the Nagoya tournament to a 15th straight year.
Since 2004, only three men — Asashoryu, Hakuho and Harumafuji — have won championships in Japan's third-largest metropolis.