Takeru Kobayashi (?? ?, Kobayashi Takeru, born March 15, 1978) is a Japanese competitive eater.
He holds many records, including fifteen Guinness World Records, for eating hot dogs, meatballs, Twinkies, tacos, hamburgers, pizza, ice cream, and pasta.Described as "the godfather of competitive eating", Kobayashi is a six-time champion of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and is widely credited with popularizing the sport of competitive eating.