is a former

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

Chiba City is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It sits about east of the centre of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. The city became a government-designated city in 1992. In June 2019, its population was 979,768, with a population density of 3,605 people p ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. 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 on ...

''. In 1991 he won a 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. ''Yūs ...

'' or tournament championship from 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 on ...

'' 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 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. For ...

'' 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 Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

wrestler Kototenzan at

Sadogatake stable is a Heya (sumo), 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 (sumo), yokozuna'' Kotozakura ...

, Kotofuji was one of the few wrestlers who attempted to communicate with him in English. He reached 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 September 1988, scoring 11 wins in his top division debut and receiving a share of the Fighting Spirit

prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

. 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 over Ōnokuni. Kotofuji is best remembered for his extraordinary performance in the

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

tournament of July 1991, where he became the first ''

'' to win the tournament championship in nearly six years. After a poor 5-10 record at ''maegashira'' 7 the previous tournament he was ranked at ''maegashira'' 13, and fought only his fellow ''maegashira'' for the first nine days. Winning all those bouts, he was paired against '' ōzeki'' Kirishima, ''

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 ...

Asahifuji is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Aomori. He joined professional sumo in 1981, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later. He reached the second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' in 1987 and became the 63rd ''yokoz ...

and ''ōzeki''

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- ...

on days 10 to 12 - and won all of those matches too. It was the first time he had defeated either Asahifuji or Konishiki. His ''yūshō'' was confirmed the following day when he defeated ''sekiwake'' Takatōriki to go to 13–0, with no else scoring better than ten. He became the first wrestler ranked below ''ōzeki'' to win the championship by Day 13 since the introduction of 15-day tournaments. Although he was beaten by Takahanada on Day 14, he defeated Akebono on the final day to finish with an outstanding 14–1 record, two wins clear of runner-up Konishiki on 12–3. Both ''yokozuna'', Asahifuji and

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'' stablemat ...

had poor tournaments, turning in scores of 8-7 and 9–6, the worst ever for a tournament with two ''yokozuna''. Kotofuji received his second Fighting Spirit prize as well as the Emperor's Cup. He was as surprised as anyone else at his win, telling an interviewer for

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 four ...

that he had just wanted the tournament to be over as soon as possible as he felt sure he wouldn't make it. Kotofuji never approached anything like those heights again. He scored only 4-11 at ''komusubi'' in the following tournament and never made ''san'yaku'' again. After a series of poor results he was demoted to the second ''

'' division in 1994 and announced his retirement from sumo in September 1995.

Retirement from sumo

He 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 ...

, under the name of Kumegawa Oyakata, but he had to leave the sumo world in July 1999 when his ''

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 su ...

'' name was needed by his retiring former stablemate

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 t ...

. Because his career as an ''oyakata'' had lasted less than four years, he was not entitled to any retirement money. Kotofuji then launched a new career as a

television personality Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

, doing reporting and sportscasting. He was a member of

's talent agency. He also worked as a manager of one of ex-''sekiwake'' Takatoriki's

yakiniku ''Yakiniku'' (焼き肉 or 焼肉), meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term that, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat cuisine. "Yakiniku" originally referred to western "barbecue" food, the term being popularized by Japanese writer ...

restaurants. In February 2014 he was arrested for engaging in a fake marriage to a

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n national so she could receive permanent resident status.

Fighting style

Kotofuji was a ''yotsu-sumo'' wrestler, preferring a ''hidari-yotsu'', (right hand outside, left hand inside) grip on his 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 var ...

''. His most common winning ''

kimarite ''Kimarite'' ( ja, 決まり手) is the technique used in sumo by a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) to win a match. It is officially decided or announced by the ''gyōji'' (referee) at the end of the match, though judges can modify this decision. The rec ...

'' was yori-kiri, a straightforward force out, which accounted for half his victories at ''

sekitori A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a ''rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: ''makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''. The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fract ...

'' level, but he was also fond of using his right hand grip to win by ''uwatenage'', or overarm throw. His height of 192 cm made him amongst the tallest wrestlers but his weight of 145 kg was not much more than most of his competitors.

Career record

References

External links