Hasegawa Katsutoshi (born 20 July 1944) is a former
sumo wrestler from
Kurisawa, Hokkaido,
Japan (now a part of
Iwamizawa
is a city in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sorachi Subprefecture.
As of September 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 84,127 and the density of 170 persons per km². The total area is .
On March 27, ...
city). He began his professional career in 1960, reaching the top division in 1965. He won eight
special prizes for his achievements in tournaments and earned nine
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 ...
''. He won a tournament 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. ''Y ...
'' in 1972 and was a runner-up in two other tournaments. His highest rank was ''
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 o ...
.'' He retired in 1976 and became 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 ...
, working as a coach at
Sadogatake stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its modern form, it dates from September 1955, when it was set up by former '' komusubi'' Kotonishiki Noboru. Former '' yokozuna'' Kotozakura took over the running of t ...
until his retirement in 2009.
Career
Hasegawa joined professional sumo in March 1960 at the age of 15, recruited by the former ''sekiwake''
Kotonishiki
Kotonishiki Katsuhiro (born June 8, 1968 as Hideyuki Matsuzawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in 1984, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1989. He won two top division tournament tit ...
. Unusually, he fought under his own surname for his entire career (he is the only top division wrestler from
Sadogatake stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its modern form, it dates from September 1955, when it was set up by former '' komusubi'' Kotonishiki Noboru. Former '' yokozuna'' Kotozakura took over the running of t ...
not to have adopted a ''
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'' ...
'' or fighting name with the prefix "Koto"). He made the ''
jūryō
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
'' division in January 1963 and was promoted to 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 o ...
'' division two years later in January 1965.
Hasegawa quickly rose up the ranks, defeating his first ''
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 ...
'' (
Tochinoumi
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aomori. He was the sport's 49th '' yokozuna'', earning promotion in 1964. He was somewhat overshadowed by his ''yokozuna'' contemporaries Taihō and Kashiwado, but he was a noted technician and ear ...
) in September 1965 and earning his first special prize, for Technique. In the following tournament in November he made his debut in the titled ''
san'yaku
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
'' ranks at ''
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 o ...
''. He was runner-up to ''yokozuna''
Taihō in the May 1967 tournament. He reached ''sekiwake'' for the first time in January 1969 and held the rank for eight straight tournaments.
He won the top division ''
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. ''Y ...
'' or tournament championship at ''sekiwake'' rank in March 1972, defeating
Kaiketsu in a
playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
. However, the Sumo Association decided not to promote him, as there were already four ''
ōzeki'' at that time, who were generally felt to be performing at a mediocre level. Managing only eight wins in the following tournament in May, he never became an ''ōzeki''. He was a ''sekiwake'' for 21 tournaments, a record for the modern era which stood until 2007 when it was broken by
Kotomitsuki
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Okazaki City. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in November 2000 and won one ''yūshō'' or tournament championship, in Septem ...
. His last appearance at ''sekiwake'' was in January 1974. After this tournament he changed the second part of his ''shikona'' from Katsutoshi to Katsuhiro but it did not bring a change of luck and he remained largely in the ''
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 o ...
'' ranks.
Retirement from sumo
Hasegawa retired in May 1976, but remained in the sumo world as an
elder, with the name Hidenoyama Oyakata. Until 2008 he was a Director 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 ...
, responsible for the running of the annual ''
honbasho
A is an official professional sumo tournament. The number of ''honbasho'' every year has varied along the years; since 1958 there are six tournaments every year. Only ''honbasho'' results matter in determining promotion and relegation for ''riki ...
'' held in Nagoya. He then worked at Special Executive level. Unusually for a senior member of the Association, he did not take charge of a stable, instead working as a coach at Sadogatake stable, firstly under former ''yokozuna''
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'', ...
, and from 2005 under former ''sekiwake''
Kotonowaka. He reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 in July 2009.
Fighting style
Hasegawa's favoured
techniques were ''hidari-yotsu'' (a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on the opponent's ''
mawashi
In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or .
For top ranked professional , it is made of silk and comes in a v ...
''), ''sukuinage'' (scoop throw), and ''yorikiri'' (force out).
Career record
See also
*
List of sumo record holders
This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo. Only performances in official tournaments or ''honbasho'' are included here. Since 1958 six ''honbasho'' have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more opportu ...
*
List of sumo tournament top division champions
This is a list of wrestlers who have won the top division (''makuuchi'') championship in professional sumo since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan.
1958 to prese ...
*
List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
The table below lists the runners up ('' jun-yusho'') in the top '' makuuchi'' division at official sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a '' rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring ...
*
List of sumo tournament second division champions
This is a list of wrestlers who have won the sumo second division ''jūryō'' championship since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan.
The wrestler who has won the ...
*
*
List of past sumo wrestlers
This is a list of prominent past wrestlers (either retired or deceased) in the sport of professional sumo. They are listed in order of the year and tournament month that they made their professional debuts. The information listed below was gleaned ...
*
List of sekiwake
This is a list of all sumo wrestlers whose pinnacle in the sport has been the third highest rank of ''sekiwake'' and who held the rank in the modern era of sumo since the 1927 merger of the Tokyo and Osaka organizations. There are usually two act ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hasegawa, Katsutoshi
1944 births
Living people
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Hokkaido
Sekiwake
Sumo wrestlers who use their birth name
People from Iwamizawa, Hokkaido
Sadogatake stable sumo wrestlers