Akebono was born to Randy, a taxi driver of Irish and Native Hawaiian descent and Janice, an office worker of Cuban and Native Hawaiian descent. He became a Japanese citizen in 1996, giving up his American citizenship and changing his legal name from Chad Rowan to Akebono Tarō, as required by Japanese law. In regards to the change of citizenship he stated "Changing my nationality has nothing to do with who I am, just like I am still my mother's son even after I became a Japanese (citizen)."