Takako Akasaka
Encyclopedia
Takako Akasaka is a Japan
ese competitive eater
from Osaka
, Japan
. She is considered the most successful female competitive eater in Japan.
Akasaka is known as an excellent long-distance eater, specializing in sweet food, which earned her the nickname "The Sweet Queen" or "The Queen" among her admirers. She started competitive eating in 1989 and became famous when she won an annual TV Champion's eating contest in 1994. She won again in 1996 by beating Hirofumi Nakajima and Kazutoyo Arai, who were both soon to be Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
champions. One of her records is eating 90 ostrich
egg
omelette
s in Australia
. Takako Akasaka is the first person, male or female, to eat 2 #13 sandwiches (weighing 7 pounds total) at the Carnegie Deli
in New York City.
In 2000, she, along with fellow Japanese eaters Arai and Misao Fujita, entered an annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, where she become the first woman to do the "The Deuce", eating more than 20 hot dogs with buns in 12 minutes. She finished at third place by eating 22 hot dogs, while Arai won the contest at 25, breaking the previous world record, and Fujita finished second at 24.
Her women's world record for hot dog eating was bested by Sonya Thomas
, a Korean-born American. Ms. Akasaka remains one of three women to have eaten more than 20 hot dogs at Nathan's (Carlene LeFevre
is the other).
Takako Akasaka has decreased the frequency of her contests and has worked as a commentator on Japanese competitive eating programs such as the "Gluttonous Queen" contest broadcast on TV Tokyo in the spring of 2006 on TV Tokyo.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese competitive eater
Competitive eating
Competitive eating, or speed eating, is a sport in which participants compete against each other to consume large quantities of food in a short time period. Contests are typically less than 15 minutes in length, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner...
from Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She is considered the most successful female competitive eater in Japan.
Akasaka is known as an excellent long-distance eater, specializing in sweet food, which earned her the nickname "The Sweet Queen" or "The Queen" among her admirers. She started competitive eating in 1989 and became famous when she won an annual TV Champion's eating contest in 1994. She won again in 1996 by beating Hirofumi Nakajima and Kazutoyo Arai, who were both soon to be Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American competitive-eating competition, which is run as a publicity gathering event by Shea Communications. It is held each July 4 at Nathan's Famous Corporation's original, and best-known restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in...
champions. One of her records is eating 90 ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
omelette
Omelette
In cuisine, an omelette or omelet is a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan, sometimes folded around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat , or some combination of the above...
s in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Takako Akasaka is the first person, male or female, to eat 2 #13 sandwiches (weighing 7 pounds total) at the Carnegie Deli
Carnegie Deli
The Carnegie Deli is a restaurant located in midtown Manhattan on 7th Avenue between 54th and 55th Streets and was opened in 1937 adjacent to Carnegie Hall. Now in the third generation of owners, the Parker family's delicatessen is among the most visited restaurants of its type in the city,...
in New York City.
In 2000, she, along with fellow Japanese eaters Arai and Misao Fujita, entered an annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, where she become the first woman to do the "The Deuce", eating more than 20 hot dogs with buns in 12 minutes. She finished at third place by eating 22 hot dogs, while Arai won the contest at 25, breaking the previous world record, and Fujita finished second at 24.
Her women's world record for hot dog eating was bested by Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas , also known by her nickname The Black Widow, is a top-ranked Korean-born American competitive eater from Alexandria, Virginia. Thomas joined the International Federation of Competitive Eating in 2003 and quickly rose to the top of the ranks, beating competitive eaters such as Ed...
, a Korean-born American. Ms. Akasaka remains one of three women to have eaten more than 20 hot dogs at Nathan's (Carlene LeFevre
Carlene LeFevre
Carlene LeFevre is a competitive eater from Henderson, Nevada . She and her husband, Rich LeFevre, are said to form the "First Family of Competitive Eating" in spite of having normal weights and ages around 60, and are both top ranked members of the International Federation of Competitive Eating...
is the other).
Takako Akasaka has decreased the frequency of her contests and has worked as a commentator on Japanese competitive eating programs such as the "Gluttonous Queen" contest broadcast on TV Tokyo in the spring of 2006 on TV Tokyo.