From DiscoverNikkei.org
Hiroaki Rocky Aoki
Olympic wrestler, businessman
Born and raised in post-WWII Japan, a former Olympic athlete in wrestling, Hiroaki "Rocky" Aoki, arrived in the United States in 1960. He popularized "Japanese" food in the United States by starting a steak restaurant named Benihana. He invented American-style teppanyaki (grilled meat served sizzling hot), combining Japanese motifs and stylized performance in preparing and serving food. His restaurant, first started in New York City in 1964, has grown to be a large franchise representing Japanese steakhouses which have since multiplied and spread throughout the U.S.