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Kotofuji Takaya
is a former sumo wrestler from Chiba City, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake''. In 1991 he won a top division ''yūshō'' or tournament championship from the ''maegashira'' ranks. Career Kotofuji made his professional debut in March 1980. He had a long apprenticeship in the junior ranks, not breaking through to the ''jūryō'' division until November 1986. He had an awkward build for sumo, as his long legs meant his hips were high and therefore his centre of gravity was much higher than the ideal. During the short stay of Canadian wrestler Kototenzan at Sadogatake stable, Kotofuji was one of the few wrestlers who attempted to communicate with him in English. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 1988, scoring 11 wins in his top division debut and receiving a share of the Fighting Spirit prize. He made his ''san'yaku'' debut at ''sekiwake'' in July 1990 but held the rank for only one tournament. He earned his first gold star in January 1991 with a win o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ōnokuni Yasushi
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō. Making his professional debut in 1978, he reached the top division in 1983. In 1987 he won his first ''yūshō'' or tournament championship with a perfect record and became the sport's 62nd ''yokozuna''. However, he was only able to win one more championship before his retirement in 1991. He has remained in sumo as a coach and in 1999 became the head of Shibatayama stable. He was elected to the Japan Sumo Association's board of directors in 2018. Early life Aoki was born in Memuro, Hokkaidō. At school he did judo, but after a sumo tournament in the area, he was recruited to Hanakago stable by Kaiketsu Masateru and fought his first bout in March 1978, aged 15. He took on the ''shikona'', or ring name, of in the following tournament. When Kaiketsu set up his Hanaregoma stable in 1981, he took Ōnokuni with him. ''Makuuchi'' Ōnokuni reached the second ''jūryō'' division in March 1982, and the top ''makuuchi'' d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kotoinazuma
Kotoinazuma Yoshihiro (born 26 April 1962 as Masahiro Tamura) is a former sumo wrestler from Niiharu, Gunma, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1978, and reached the top division in 1987. His highest rank was ''komusubi'' and he earned two special prizes. After retirement he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association and as of 2016 he is a coach at Sadogatake stable under the name Kumegawa. Career He was recruited by the former ''yokozuna'' Kotozakura of the Sadogatake stable. For his first appearance on the ''banzuke'' ranking sheets he was given the ''shikona'' of Kotoinazuma, with the prefix of Koto, the Japanese stringed instrument, used by all members of his stable, and the suffix "Inazuma" meaning "lightning." Kotoinazuma was a late-blooming wrestler. It took him over nine years from his professional debut in March 1978 to reach the top ''makuuchi'' division, in November 1987. He was one of the few wrestlers to reach the top division despite twice going 0–7 ... [...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] |
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active wrestlers), ''gyōji'' (referees), ''tokoyama'' (hairdressers), and ''yobidashi'' (ushers/handymen), are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run entirely by ''toshiyori'' (elders). The organization has its headquarters in Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo. History The precursor to a full-fledged organization began in the Edo period with sumo bouts that were often held to raise funds for new construction or repair of bridges, temples, shrines and other public buildings. ''Shōgun'' Tokugawa Ieyasu specifically, wanted "street" sumo prohibited and determined sumo should only be held for charitable purposes, and it was known as ''kanjin'' sumo. The wrestlers were also paid with extra revenue from these events. This is when the fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in the United Kingdom. At the time, the only other channels were the television licence, licence-funded BBC One and BBC Two, and a single commercial broadcasting network ITV (TV network), ITV. The network's headquarters are based in London and Leeds, with creative hubs in Glasgow and Bristol. It is publicly owned and advertising-funded; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), the station is now owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation, a public corporation of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which was established in 1990 and came into operation in 1993. Until 2010, Channel 4 did not broadcast in Wales, but many of its programmes were re-broadcast ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hokutoumi
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō. He was the sport's 61st ''yokozuna'' and won eight top division championships. He wrestled for Kokonoe stable, as did Chiyonofuji, and the two were the first ''yokozuna'' stablemates to take part in a play-off for the championship, in 1989. After a number of injury problems he retired in 1992, and is now the head coach of Hakkaku stable. In November 2015 he was appointed chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, following the death of Kitanoumi, initially to serve until the end of March 2016. He was then elected as head for a full term by his fellow board members in a vote held in March 2016, and was re-elected in 2018, 2020 and 2022. Early life Hoshi was born in Hiroo, Hokkaidō. An uncle was an acquaintance of former ''yokozuna'' Kitanofuji, who by then had retired from competition and was running Kokonoe stable, and at his invitation Hoshi moved to Tokyo. Upon leaving school, his first appearance in the ring was M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akebono Taro
Akebono is a Japanese word meaning ''dawn'' or the color of the sky at dawn. It may refer to: Science * ''Akebono'' (fly), a fly genus in the family Sciomyzidae or Phaeomyiidae * Akebono (satellite), a magnetosphere observation satellite Ships * ''Akebono Maru'', several ships * Japanese destroyer ''Akebono'', several ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Other uses * ''Akebono'' (train), a sleeping-car train in Japan * Akebono Brake Industry, a Japanese manufacturer * Akebono scale, a common scale used in Japanese music * Akebono Tarō is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining sumo in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reach ... (born 1969), retired sumo and professional wrestler * Kimura Akebono (1872-1890), Japanese novelist {{Disambiguation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Konishiki
Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), professionally known as is an American former sumo wrestler.Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach '' ōzeki'', the second-highest possible rank in the sport. During his career he won the top division championship on three occasions and came very close to becoming the first foreign-born grand champion, or ''yokozuna'', prompting a social debate in Japan as to whether a foreigner could have the necessary cultural understanding to be deemed acceptable in sumo's ultimate rank. At a peak weight of he was also at the time the heaviest wrestler ever in sumo, earning him the nicknames "Meat Bomb" and, most famously, "The Dump Truck".Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' Early career Playing truant from school one day, Atisanoe, already 170kg at the age of 18, was spotted on the beach in Hawaii by a sumo talent scout and was offered the chance to go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yokozuna (sumo)
, 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 crit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
