was a Japanese professional
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
Mito
Mito may refer to:
Places
*Mito, Ibaraki, capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
*Mito, Aichi, a Japanese town
*Mito, Shimane, a Japanese town
* Mitō, Yamaguchi, a Japanese town
* Mito District, a district in the province of Concepción, Per ...
,
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
. He was the sport's 19th ''
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 ...
'' from 1903 till 1914. His great rivalry with
Umegatani Tōtarō II
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 20th ''yokozuna''. Umegatani had a great rivalry with fellow ''yokozuna'' Hitachiyama Taniemon. Their era was known as the Ume-Hitachi Era and it ...
created the "Ume-Hitachi Era" and did much to popularise sumo. He is remembered as much for his exploits in promoting the sport as for his strength on the ''
dohyō
A ''dohyō'' (, ) is the space in which a sumo wrestling bout occurs. A typical ''dohyō'' is a circle made of partially buried rice- straw bales 4.55 meters in diameter. In official professional tournaments (''honbasho''), it is mounted on a squ ...
.'' In his later years as head coach of
Dewanoumi stable
is a heya (sumo), stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ''Glossary of sumo terms#ichimon, ichimon'' or group of stables. It has a long, prestigious history. Its current head coach is former ''maegashira'' Oginohana Akikazu, Oginohana. A ...
he trained hundreds of wrestlers, including three ''yokozuna''. Many consider him the most honorable ''yokozuna'' in sumo history, which earned him the nickname , or "sumo saint".
Early career
![Young Hitachiyama](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Young_Hitachiyama.jpg)
Hitachiyama was born as , on January 19, 1874, to a
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
family which belonged to the
Mito Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Hitachi Province in modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture.[Meiji restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...](_blank)
authorities and was ruined financially. He moved to Tokyo and became dependent on his uncle. He attempted to enter
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902.
The university has numerou ...
where his uncle was employed. At around this time, however, his uncle observed that he was able to lift a rock weighing 58 ''kan'', or . His uncle advised him to become a sumo wrestler. At that time, sumo was not seen as a sport of much regard, so his father opposed the idea.
Despite his father's protestation, he joined
Dewanoumi stable
is a heya (sumo), stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ''Glossary of sumo terms#ichimon, ichimon'' or group of stables. It has a long, prestigious history. Its current head coach is former ''maegashira'' Oginohana Akikazu, Oginohana. A ...
in 1890.
He made his professional debut in June 1892. However, he fell in love with his head coach's niece; and when he was refused permission to wed her, he ran away from Tokyo sumo in the summer of 1894.
He moved to Nagoya sumo and then Osaka sumo. He returned to Tokyo sumo in the spring of 1896. He had become much stronger during his absence and won 32 consecutive bouts upon his return.
In January 1899, he won a championship at his first tournament in 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. In January 1901 he was promoted to ''
ōzeki.'' He fought against fellow ''ōzeki''
Umegatani Tōtarō II
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 20th ''yokozuna''. Umegatani had a great rivalry with fellow ''yokozuna'' Hitachiyama Taniemon. Their era was known as the Ume-Hitachi Era and it ...
on the final day of May 1903 tournament. He defeated Umegatani and his own promotion to ''yokozuna'' was confirmed. Hitachiyama, however, insisted that his rival be promoted as well. Hitachiyama got his wish and he and Umegatani were promoted to ''yokozuna'' together in June 1903. With
Ōzutsu Man'emon
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Shiroishi, Miyagi Prefecture. He was the sport's 18th ''yokozuna''.
Career
His real name was , before changing his given name to . In sumo, he began using the ''shikona'' name in May 1884 in hono ...
also holding the rank, it was the first occasion that three ''yokozuna'' were active at the same time.
Yokozuna
![Hitachiyama Chicago 1907](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Hitachiyama_Chicago_1907.jpg)
Hitachiyama once won 27 bouts in a row, lost one to
Araiwa Kamenosuke
Araiwa Kamenosuke (荒岩 亀之助, March 1, 1871 – September 3, 1920) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Tottori Prefecture. His highest rank was '' ōzeki.''
Career
He made his debut in January 1894. He was promoted to the top makuuchi divisi ...
in his first tournament as ''yokozuna'', then went on another winning streak of 32 bouts.
However, he was determined to see sumo held in higher regard within Japanese society, a task he saw as more important than merely winning bouts.
In August 1907, he went on a tour of the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. He met
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
and performed the ''
yokozuna dohyō-iri'' (the ''yokozuna'' ring-entering ceremony) in the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
. Although absent from the January 1908 tournament due to the journey, nobody criticized Hitachiyama as he was seen as a visionary and a pioneer for sumo.
After his return from the long journey he was not quite as dominant as he had been before, although he still managed to win a title in the first
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 Ry ...
, which opened in 1909 and which he had helped to build.
![Hitachiyama vs Umegatani and Oikaze](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Hitachiyama_vs_Umegatani_and_Oikaze.jpg)
In 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, he won 150 bouts and lost only 15 bouts, achieving a winning percentage of 90.9.
He is the last ''yokozuna'' to have a winning percentage over .900 in the top division. He started his powerful techniques only after his opponents' attack. His fighting style is now seen as a model of ''yokozuna''. He also introduced ''
bushidō
is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ...
'' into sumo, and raised the status of sumo wrestlers in society. He also performed the ''yokozuna dohyō-iri'' in an innovative way. Unlike ''yokozuna'' before him, he would at first hold out both arms after he made a clap, and after he did the sumo-style leg stomps, he would raise only his right arm. In the course of his career, he would have the best record in 8 tournaments, but only his last one is counted as an actual championship after the system was established in 1909
Later years
![Keiunkan13s3200](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Keiunkan13s3200.jpg)
After his retirement in May 1914, he became the stablemaster of Dewanoumi stable. It had been a minor ''
heya
Heya or Hey Ya may refer to:
*Heya (sumo) from the Japanese word for "room" (部屋), also in compounds -beya, or Sumo-beya, an organization of sumo wrestlers (pronounced ''beya'' when in compound form)
* Heya TV, from the Arabic word for "Hers", ...
'' when he had first joined it, but even while still an active wrestler Hitachiyama had trained many wrestlers, such as later ''yokozuna''
Tachiyama Mineemon
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 22nd '' yokozuna''. He was well known for his extreme strength and skill. He won 99 out of 100 matches from 1909 to 1916 (not counting draws), and ...
, even though they were not members of his stable. He was a masterful recruiter and coach. He had such charisma and personality that he was able to tempt many wrestlers away from the less successful
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
and
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
based sumo associations, which caused friction between the rival organisations. As head coach he produced many top division wrestlers, including no fewer than three ''yokozuna'':
Ōnishiki Uichirō
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 26th ''yokozuna''. On November 2, 1922, he became the first ''yokozuna'' to perform the '' yokozuna dohyō-iri'' at the Meiji Shrine.
Biography
He was born , in Osaka on November 2 ...
,
Tochigiyama Moriya
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 27th ''yokozuna'' from 1918 until 1925. Generally he is considered one of the pioneers of modern sumo. He remains the lightest ''yokozuna'' in the history of the sport with a weight ...
and
Tsunenohana Kan'ichi
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Okayama. He was the sport's 31st ''yokozuna''.
Career
He was born . He made his professional debut in January 1910 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 1917. He won his first top divis ...
. At the stable's peak he was in charge of two hundred wrestlers. To feed them, he devised the ''
chankonabe
is a Japanese stew (a type of nabemono or one-pot dish) commonly eaten in vast quantity by sumo wrestlers as part of a weight-gain diet.
Ingredients and consumption
The dish contains a ''dashi'' or chicken broth soup base with sake or ''m ...
'' style of food preparation which still prevails in sumo today.
He died suddenly in 1922 at the age of 48. As a much respected figure in the sumo world, he was the first ''yokozuna'' for whom 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 ...
organised a formal funeral.
His
funeral procession
A funeral procession is a procession, usually in motor vehicles or by foot, from a funeral home or place of worship to the cemetery or crematorium. In earlier times the deceased was typically carried by male family members on a bier or in a cof ...
was reportedly 6 kilometres long.
Top Division Record
''*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above championships that are labelled "unofficial" are historically conferred. For more information see
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 ...
.''
See also
*
*
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 sumo tournament top division champions
This is a list of rikishi, wrestlers who have won the Makuuchi, top division (''makuuchi'') yusho, championship in professional sumo since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These honbasho, official tournaments are held ex ...
*
List of yokozuna
This is a list of all sumo wrestlers who have reached the sport's highest rank of '' yokozuna''. It was not recorded on the ''banzuke'' until 1890 and was not officially recognised as sumo's highest rank until 1909. Until then, ''yokozuna'' was me ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hitachiyama Taniemon
1874 births
1922 deaths
Japanese sumo wrestlers
People from Mito, Ibaraki
Sumo people from Ibaraki Prefecture
Yokozuna