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Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest winner, said he is retiring. Kobayashi, 46, revealed the news in the recent Netflix documentary "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut" as he embarked on a journey to address health concerns. "I hear people say they’re hungry, and they look very happy after they’ve eaten," he said. "I’m jealous of those people because I no longer feel hunger." Kobayashi's wife, Maggie James, said in the film that he can go days without eating food.

Tokyo Olympics organizers have fired the opening ceremony director on the eve of the event after reports emerged of a past joke he had made about the Holocaust, while media said former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a strong advocate of the Games, would also not attend. The latest in a series of embarrassments for the Tokyo organizers comes just days after a well-known musician was forced to step down as composer for the ceremony after old reports of his bullying and abusive behavior surfaced. […] Tokyo Games organizers fired Kentaro Kobayashi on Thursday over a joke he made about the...

Sonna no uso da! Fuzakeruna yo! Were those the words of ex-champ Takeru Kobayahsi as he brazenly stormed the stage at the ninety-fifth annual Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest yesterday? Poor Takeru! Joey “Jaws” Chestnut had just crammed 54 franks down his gullet in 10 minutes and was being awarded his fourth consecutive Mustard-Yellow Belt, when the crazed Kobayashi ran up the dais and went all anime. By which I mean, he stood rock still and expostulated and expostulated and expostulated. The only thing that was missing were his tentacles. But New York’s Finest were there—thank you, boys!—and, after a...

Joey CHestnut wins the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt with a World Record 66 Hotdogs bring the belt home to the USAfor the first time in 6 years!

PHOENIX — A California man smashed the world record for hot dog eating at a contest Saturday, gobbling up more than 59 franks in 12 minutes. Joe Chestnut, 22, of San Jose, shattered the record held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan by downing 59 1/2 "HBDs" — hot dogs and buns — during the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship at the Arizona Mills Mall in suburban Tempe. Kobayashi's old record of 53 3/4 was set last year at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, held at Coney Island in New York, said George Costos, who helps...

NEW YORK - The defending champ has won again at the international hot-dog eating contest at New York's Coney Island. Takeru Kobayashi of Japan downed 44 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes, good enough to win, but still six dogs short of his own record last year. It was the 88th annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. The winner takes home the "Coveted International Mustard Yellow Belt" and a year's supply of hot dogs. Last year, Kobayashi consumed a record 50 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes to win. At one...