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Kitanoumi Toshimitsu
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to ''yokozuna'' at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament championships during his career and was one of a series of truly great ''yokozuna'' who came from Hokkaido, the largest and northernmost prefecture of Japan. At the time of his death he still held the records for most tournaments at ''yokozuna'' (63) and most bouts won as a ''yokozuna'' (670), but they have since been surpassed. Following his retirement in 1985 he established the Kitanoumi stable. He was chairman of the Japan Sumo Association from 2002 until 2008, and again from 2012 until his death. Career Born in Sōbetsu, Hokkaido, Kitanoumi began his professional sumo career in January 1967 at the age of 13, whilst still in middle school. He joined Mihogaseki stable, and was promoted to sumo's second highest ''jūryō'' division in Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shikona
A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Edo period, where they were used as a means to attract customers and hide the identities of the ''rikishi''. Like standard Japanese names, a ''shikona'' consists of a surname and a personal, or given name, and the full name is written surname first. However, the personal name is rarely used outside formal or ceremonial occasions. Thus, the former ''yokozuna'' is usually referred to as simply ''Asashōryū''. When addressing a sumo wrestler of the ''makuuchi'' or ''jūryō'' divisions, the suffix is used instead of the usual . The given name is often, but not always, the wrestler's original name, and may be changed at the whim of the individual wrestler. Foreign wrestlers always adopt a new, Japanese given name. Often, on first joining professional sumo, a wrestler's ''shikona'' is the same as his family name. As a wrestler rises through the ranks of sumo, he is expected to change his ''shi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takanohana Kenshi
Takanohana Kenshi 貴ノ花 健士 (born Hanada Mitsuru; February 19, 1950 – May 30, 2005) was a sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan. His highest rank was '' ōzeki'', which he held for fifty tournaments. As an active ''rikishi'' he was extremely popular and was nicknamed the "Prince of Sumo" due to his good looks and relatively slim build. He was the father of Wakanohana Masaru and Takanohana Kōji, and as head of the Futagoyama stable coached both of them to the ''yokozuna'' rank. Career He had been a champion swimmer while at school, but did not think he could make a living out of it. He was determined to join professional sumo, in spite of some opposition from his family, who had wanted him to continue swimming (he was considered a possibility to make the team for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City). He began his career in the spring of 1965, joining Futagoyama stable which had been set up his elder brother, former ''yokozuna'' Wakanohana Kanji I, three years pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ganyū Kenji
Ganyū Kenji (born 6 August 1970 as Kenji Hirano) is a former sumo wrestler from Himeji, Hyōgo, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1986, and reached the top division in March 1996. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 1. He retired in 2000 and became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association. In 2015 he became the head coach of Yamahibiki stable following the death of his old stablemaster, Kitanoumi. Career In junior high school he liked basketball and shot put, but began taking sumo seriously from his third year when he attended a Nippon Steel sumo class in his home town. He began his professional career in March 1986 at the age of 15, joining Kitanoumi stable which had been founded the previous year by former ''yokozuna'' Kitanoumi. He picked up a tournament championship or ''yūshō'' in the ''jonidan'' division in September 1989 with an undefeated record, and in November 1991 another 7–0 record in the ''makushita'' division saw him promoted to ''jūryō'' in Janu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maegashira
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ''makuuchi'' broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ''Makuuchi'' literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses (''kachi-koshi'') results in a promotion, and the reverse (''make-koshi'') results in demotion. There are stricter criteria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rikishi
A , or, more colloquially, , is a professional sumo wrestler. follow and live by the centuries-old rules of the sumo profession, with most coming from Japan, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally. Participation in official tournaments () is the only means of marking achievement in sumo, with the rank of an individual based solely on official wins. The number of active peaked at 943 in May 1994, at the height of the "Waka-Taka boom," but had declined to 665 by January 2022. Terminology In popular use, the term can mean any sumo wrestler and be an alternative term to (sumo practitioner) or the more colloquial . The two kanji characters that make up the word are "strength/power" and "gentleman/samurai"; consequently, and more idiomatically, the term can be defined as "a gentleman of strength". Within the world of professional sumo, is used as a catch-all term for wrestlers who are in the lower, un-salaried divisions of , , and . The more prestigious t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toshiyori
A is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). Also known as , former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible. The benefits are considerable, as only ''toshiyori'' are allowed to run and coach in sumo stables, known as ''heya,'' and they are also the only former wrestlers given retirement pay. Process To become an elder, a retiring wrestler must be a Japanese citizen. This regulation dates from September 1976 and was widely thought to be a result of the success of the Hawaiian Takamiyama Daigorō, who had become the first foreign wrestler to win a championship in 1972, and had expressed interest in becoming an elder. Takamiyama ultimately became a Japanese citizen in June 1980 and did become the first foreign-born elder upon his retirement in 1984. Elders must also have fought at least one tournament in the ''san'yaku'' ranks (''komusubi'' and above), or else twenty tournaments in the top ''makuuchi'' division or thirty as a ''sek ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kitanoumi And Takanohana In Sumiyoshi Taisha IMG 1433-2 20130302
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to ''yokozuna'' at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament championships during his career and was one of a series of truly great ''yokozuna'' who came from Hokkaido, the largest and northernmost prefecture of Japan. At the time of his death he still held the records for most tournaments at ''yokozuna'' (63) and most bouts won as a ''yokozuna'' (670), but they have since been surpassed. Following his retirement in 1985 he established the Kitanoumi stable. He was chairman of the Japan Sumo Association from 2002 until 2008, and again from 2012 until his death. Career Born in Sōbetsu, Hokkaido, Kitanoumi began his professional sumo career in January 1967 at the age of 13, whilst still in middle school. He joined Mihogaseki stable, and was promoted to sumo's second highest ''jūryō'' division in Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kitanoumi Tegata
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to ''yokozuna'' at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament championships during his career and was one of a series of truly great ''yokozuna'' who came from Hokkaido, the largest and northernmost prefecture of Japan. At the time of his death he still held the records for most tournaments at ''yokozuna'' (63) and most bouts won as a ''yokozuna'' (670), but they have since been surpassed. Following his retirement in 1985 he established the Kitanoumi stable. He was chairman of the Japan Sumo Association from 2002 until 2008, and again from 2012 until his death. Career Born in Sōbetsu, Hokkaido, Kitanoumi began his professional sumo career in January 1967 at the age of 13, whilst still in middle school. He joined Mihogaseki stable, and was promoted to sumo's second highest ''jūryō'' division in Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ōshio Kenji
Ōshio Kenji (born 4 January 1948 as Kenji Hatano) is a former sumo wrestler from Kitakyushu, Japan. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. His career lasted twenty six years, from 1962 until 1988, and he holds the record for the most bouts contested in professional sumo. After his retirement at the age of 40 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and set up Shikihide stable in 1992. He left the Sumo Association upon turning 65 in 2013. Career He was born in Yahata Higashi ward. He made his professional debut in January 1962 at the age of just 14, joining Tokitsukaze stable. During his first year he also attended Ryogoku Junir High school to complete his compulsory education. His first stablemaster was the former ''yokozuna'' Futabayama. He initially fought under his own surname, Hatano, before adopting the ''shikona'' of Ōshio in 1969. He reached the second highest ''jūryō'' division in November 1969 and was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division for the first time ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Banzuke
A , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament (''honbasho''). The term can also refer to the rankings themselves. The document is normally released about two weeks before the tournament begins. On the ''banzuke'', wrestlers are divided into East, which is printed on the right, and West, which is printed on the left. Each wrestler's full ''shikona'' (ring name), hometown and rank is also listed. The top of the page starts with the highest ranked ''makuuchi'' wrestlers printed in the largest characters, down to the wrestlers in the lowest divisions which are written in much smaller characters. The names of ''gyōji'' (sumo referees), ''yobidashi'' (ushers/handymen), '' shimpan'' (judges), ''oyakata'' (elders of the Japan Sumo Association), and occasionally ''tokoyama'' (hairdressers) are also listed. While not as old as sumo itself, the form and production of this document can be traced as fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ryōgoku Kokugikan
, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different indoor sporting arenas located in Tokyo. The fist ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the lands of the Ekōin temple in Ryōgoku, Tokyo. Although no sumo bouts were held after 1945, following the capitulation of Japan and the requisition of the building by the occupying forces, the building itself remained active until 1983, being notably used by the Nihon University. The second ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' is currently located in the Yokoami neighborhood of Sumida next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It opened in 1985, following the closure of the Kuramae Kokugikan, and is still in use today. The first Kokugikan History The growing popularity of Sumo during the Meiji period led to the building of the original Kokugikan in Ryōgoku. Until then, Sumo bouts were performed in temples precincts and depended on the weather. In March 1906, the 22nd Imperial Diet decided to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chiyonofuji
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th ''yokozuna'' of the sport. Following his retirement as a wrestler, he was the stable master of Kokonoe stable until the time of his death. Chiyonofuji was considered one of the greatest ''yokozuna'' of recent times, winning 31 ''yūshō'' or tournament championships, second at the time only to Taihō. He was particularly remarkable for his longevity in sumo's top rank, which he held for a period of ten years from 1981 to 1991. Promoted at the age of twenty-six after winning his second championship, his performance improved with age, winning more tournaments in his thirties than any other wrestler and dominating the sport in the second half of the 1980s. He finally retired in May 1991, just short of his thirty-sixth birthday. This is in contrast to more recent ''yokozuna'' who have tended to retire around 30. During his 21-year professional career, Chiyonofuji set records for most career victories (1045) and most w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_IMG_1452_20130302.JPG "Click for more on -> Shikona")
