Fujinishiki Akira (born Akira Watanabe, also known as Akira Ichimiya, 18 March 1937 – 17 December 2003) was a

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

wrestler from Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. His highest rank was ''

komusubi , 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 on ...

,'' which he held on ten occasions. He won the top ''

makuuchi , 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 on ...

'' division tournament championship or '' yusho'' in 1964 and was runner-up in two other tournaments. He won seven special prizes and seven gold stars for defeating ''

yokozuna , 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 on ...

.'' After his retirement in 1968 he was an elder of the

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 ...

and was the head coach of

Takasago stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these ''kanji'' is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋". History The stable was establi ...

from 1988 until shortly before his retirement from the Sumo Association in 2002. He died of

liver disease Liver disease, or hepatic disease, is any of many diseases of the liver. If long-lasting it is termed chronic liver disease. Although the diseases differ in detail, liver diseases often have features in common. Signs and symptoms Some of the sig ...

in 2003.

Career

Making his debut in 1953, he wrestled for

, home of then ''yokozuna''

Azumafuji was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Taitō, Tokyo. He was the sport's 40th ''yokozuna'', and later a professional wrestler. Sumo career His real name was . He made professional debut in January 1936, joining Takasago stable. He w ...

to whom the "Fuji" part of his ''

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'' co ...

'' referred. He first entered the top ''

'' division in 1959 and was runner-up in two tournaments that year, winning a special prize for Fighting Spirit in each. His highest rank was ''

'', which he first reached in 1960. He spent a total of ten tournaments at that rank, the last coming in 1967, but never managed to earn promotion to ''

sekiwake , 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 on ...

''. He never managed to win more than eight bouts as a ''komusubi'' but was somewhat unlucky not be promoted after two consecutive 8–7 records at the rank in 1961, and he was regarded as certainly being of ''sekiwake'' level in ability. He holds the modern record for most tournaments at ''komusubi'' without reaching ''sekiwake''. The highlight of his career came in July 1964 when he took the top division championship or ''

yūshō is the term for a championship in Japanese. This article focuses on championships in the sport of professional sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual ''honbasho'' or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most bouts. ''Yūs ...

'' with a 14–1 record. He was ranked as a ''

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 on ...

'' at the time and did not meet any '' ōzeki'' or ''

'' during the tournament. He defeated ''sekiwake''

Kitanofuji is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō. He made his professional debut in 1957, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1964. He was the sport's 52nd ''yokozuna'', a rank he attained in 1970. He won ten tourn ...

on the final day, avoiding the need for a playoff with ''ōzeki'' Yutakayama. He was perhaps fortunate that ''yokozuna'' Taihō, who won four championships in that year alone, dropped out after five days. His ''tsukebito'' or personal attendant was

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

an born Takamiyama, later to become the first foreigner to win a championship, and Fujinishiki was one of the wrestlers who helped introduce him to sumo and Japanese culture. His mentorship of Takamiyama continued as a coach after his retirement from the ring.

Retirement from sumo

Following his retirement as an active wrestler in November 1968 he stayed at Takasago stable as a coach under the elder name of Nishiiwa. In 1988 he became head of the stable, following the death of former ''yokozuna''

Asashio Tarō III was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. He was the sport's 46th ''yokozuna''. He was also a sumo coach and head of Takasago stable. Career He was born on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. Due to the Am ...

. He coached

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- ...

Mitoizumi Mitoizumi Masayuki (born 2 September 1962 as Masato Koizumi) is a former sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. His professional career spanned 22 years, from 1978 until 2000. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake''. He won over 800 career ...

and amongst others. He also served on the

's board of directors. However, after his wrestler Toki was involved in a car accident that killed a pedestrian in December 2000, he was punished by a demotion and a reduction in salary. In February 2002, in failing health, he passed on ownership of the stable to former ''ōzeki''

Asashio Tarō IV Asashio Tarō IV (born 9 December 1955 as Suehiro Nagaoka) is a former sumo wrestler from Muroto, Kōchi, Japan. His highest rank was '' ōzeki''. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1978. He won one top division tournament ...

, who merged his Wakamatsu stable with Takasago's. He let his former wrestler Mitoizumi use the old Takasago premises to launch

Nishikido stable Nishikido stable (Japanese: 錦戸部屋, ''Nishikido-beya'') is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was founded in 2002 by Mitoizumi of the Takasago stable. It was home to the only Kazakh wrestler in professio ...

. He remained as a coach under the Wakamatsu name until his retirement the following month upon reaching 65, and continued to attend training sessions after that. He died of

in December 2003.

Fighting style

He specialized in pushing and thrusting

techniques Technique or techniques may refer to: Music * The Techniques, a Jamaican rocksteady vocal group of the 1960s *Technique (band), a British female synth pop band in the 1990s * ''Technique'' (album), by New Order, 1989 * ''Techniques'' (album), by M ...

(''tsuki/oshi'') and was known for his strong ''

tachi-ai The is the initial charge between two sumo wrestlers at the beginning of a bout. It is a combination of two Japanese words that mean “stand” and “meet”. There are several common techniques that wrestlers use at the tachi-ai, with the ai ...

'' or initial charge.

Personal life

His eldest son , born in 1969, is a

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

. His second eldest son Akihiro was once the personal manager of ''yokozuna'' Asashoryu (who was criticized for failing to attend Fujinishiki's funeral). It was Akihiro who was initially reported to have been punched by Asashoryu in a drunken brawl at a dance club in January 2010, although it soon emerged it was the manager of the club and this led to the ''yokozunas enforced retirement. He was seen in the 1967

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film '' You Only Live Twice'', fighting in a bout against

Kotozakura was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kurayoshi, Tottori. He was the sport's 53rd ''yokozuna''. He made his professional debut in 1959, reaching the top division in 1963. After several years at the second highest rank of '' ōzeki'', ...

Career record

*''The Kyushu tournament was first held in 1957, and the Nagoya tournament in 1958.''

References