is a Japanese professional
sumo wrestler from
Yaizu, Shizuoka
is a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 139,578 in 57,593 households, and a population density of 2000 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Yaizu is a noted port for comme ...
. Known for being a ''
katasukashi'' specialist,
he debuted in sumo wrestling in September 2016 and made his ''
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 ...
'' debut in January 2021. His highest rank has been ''maegashira'' 1. He wrestles for
Isegahama stable
Isegahama stable was a heya or stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami-Isegahama ''ichimon,'' or group of stables.
It was founded in 1859 by former ''komusubi'' Arakuma. It was led from 1929 by former ''sekiwake'' Kiyosegawa. His dau ...
.
Early life
Born in
Yaizu
is a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 139,578 in 57,593 households, and a population density of 2000 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Yaizu is a noted port for commer ...
,
Shizuoka
Shizuoka can refer to:
* Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture
* Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture
* Shizuoka Airport
* Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture
...
, Kazunari grew up in a single-mother household.
He began participating in sumo from elementary school and notably wrestled at the
''Wanpaku'' National Championship.
After this initial experience he stopped practising sumo before entering his third year in junior high school at Yaizu Junior High School, where he placed in the national team top 8 at the National Junior High School Sumo Championships. In his second year at
Hiryū Senior High School, he defeated future
Takakeishō of the
Saitama Sakae High School team at the All-Japan High School Sumo Tournament, preventing Saitama Sakae from winning a fourth consecutive title and winning the first medal (third-place) of Hiryū High School in a sumo team tournament.
Individually, he also won the All-Japan Junior Weight Classification Championships in the under-80kg category and the National Championships in the under-100kg category, respectively.
He attended
Kindai University
is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university based in Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan with campuses in five other locations: Nara, Nara; Ōsakasayama, Osaka; Uchita, Wakayama; Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima; and Iizuka, Fukuoka.
The Eng ...
, where in his first year he won the National Student Sumo Individual Weight-class Championship in the under 100 kg category. He however left during his second year, and eventually he returned to his hometown.
It was during a visit there by the head coach of
Isegahama stable
Isegahama stable was a heya or stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami-Isegahama ''ichimon,'' or group of stables.
It was founded in 1859 by former ''komusubi'' Arakuma. It was led from 1929 by former ''sekiwake'' Kiyosegawa. His dau ...
, the former ''yokozuna''
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 '' yo ...
, that he was persuaded to join professional sumo. Midorifuji turned pro at the same time as
Nishikifuji, his former classmate from Kindai University, the two being in a friendly rivalry ever since.
Career
Early career
Initially wrestling under his real surname , Midorifuji began his first real tournament in ''
jonokuchi
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 ...
'' in November 2016. At the end of the 7 official days of competition, he and his stablemate Nishikifuji (then named Ogasawara) were both unbeaten and tied for the championship. Nishikifuji nevertheless won the championship by ''
yoritaoshi''. For the January 2017 tournament, Midorifuji received his current ''
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 ring name, to evoke, with the kanji 翠 (meaning green),
jade, a stone that shines brighter when polished, in the same way that a wrestler becomes better through practice. During this tournament, Midorifuji and Nishikifuji faced off again in the championship playoff. Although Midorifuji prepared his fight with his senior, and then ''
ōzeki'',
Terunofuji
, lead=yes), is a Mongolian-born naturalised-Japanese professional sumo wrestler. Wrestling for the Isegahama stable, he entered professional sumo in January 2011 and took the second division ''jūryō'' championship in his debut as a ''sekitori ...
, he lost again to Nishikifuji. In January 2020 ranked at ''
makushita
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 ...
'' 2 he earned promotion to the ''
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 fra ...
'' ranks for the first time with a 5-2 record.
This promotion made him the first sumo wrestler from Shizuoka Prefecture to become a new ''
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 ...
'' since in the March tournament of 2013,
and the second ''sekitori'' from Yaizu, after
Katayama in 2004.
However, he still weighed barely and turned in a losing 7-8 record in his ''jūryō'' division debut. He managed to remain in the division, and in September 2020 he produced an 11-4 record. In the following November 2020 tournament, Midorifuji notably scored a victory over
Jōkōryū on Day 13 using the rare ''kimarite'' (winning technique) ''
zubuneri'' ("head pivot throw"), a first at this level of competition since
Kyokushūzan used it in January 1996. In total, Midorifuji also used the ''
katasukashi kimarite'' ("under-shoulder swing down") 4 times during the tournament.
Midorifuji ended with a 10-5 score, enough to earn him his first career championship (
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 ...
) after a playoff win over
Kyokushūhō. This championship victory also saw him promoted to sumo's top division, ''
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 ...
'', for the next tournament in January 2021.
''Makuuchi'' career
Midorifuji was the fifth top division wrestler from
Shizuoka Prefecture since World War II and the first since
Sagatsukasa in 2010.
Ahead of his debut he said he hoped to emulate fellow small wrestlers
Enhō and
Terutsuyoshi. In his top division debut in January 2021 Midorifuji scored nine wins against six losses and won the ''
ginō-shō'' or Technique prize, with a win over
Tobizaru on Day 15. Midorifuji is only the seventh wrestler to receive this award in his ''makuuchi'' debut and the first since
Tochinohana in May 2000. Five of his nine wins were by the ''
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 r ...
'' of ''katasukashi'', or under-shoulder swing down. On the subject of the use of this ''kimarite'', many commentators have begun to refer to this technique as Midorifuji's speciality, referring to it in particular as , meaning 'family heirloom' or 'family tradition', since it was also used extensively by Midorifuji's master, Isegahama (former ''yokozuna''
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 '' yo ...
), and by Midorifuji's senior in his stable,
Aminishiki, who is also described as a technical genius.
Midorifuji said he was happy to have received the award, but regretted that he had not managed ten wins.
This performance saw him promoted to the rank of ''maegasahira'' 10 for the March 2021 tournament, where he produced a 5–10 record. He withdrew from the May 2021 tournament due to a
herniated disc
Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...
in his back, requiring two months of treatment. Upon his comeback in July 2021, ranked in the ''jūryō'' division, he could only manage a 6-9 record. In March 2022 a 12–3 score saw him promoted back to the top division for the May tournament.
During the March 2023 tournament, Midorifuji first achieved his best performance in ''makuuchi'' by winning five bouts in a row. He then went to lead the ''
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 ...
'', recording ten wins in ten matches and securing a comfortable lead against
Daieishō, the wrestler closest to his score, with two wins ahead of the former. However, he fell on the eleventh day with a defeat against
Wakamotoharu
is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Fukushima (city), Fukushima. He wrestles for the Arashio stable, where he is a heya (sumo), stable mate of his brothers Wakatakakage Atsushi, Wakatakakage and Wakatakamoto. His highest rank to date ha ...
, and then on the twelfth day against
Wakatakakage
is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Fukushima. He made his debut in March 2017 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in November 2019. He wrestles for Arashio stable, where he is a stablemate of his older brothers Wakatakamoto and ...
. On the fourteenth day, Daieishō handed him his fourth consecutive defeat, which took Midorifuji out of the title race.
Midorifuji was listed as a potential recipient of a
Fighting Spirit award on Day 15, but it was contingent on an eleventh win. Midorifuji lost to
Shōdai and did not receive the award. Commenting on his performance at the tournament, Midorifuji expressed his joy at having made it this far in the title race and considered the tournament a good experience.
At the July tournament, Midorifuji won against the new ''
ōzeki''
Kirishima, in a demanding match of about two minutes, marked by a rare , or ''mawashi'' break, a pause during which the ''
gyōji
A ''gyōji'' () is a referee in professional sumo wrestling in Japan.
''Gyōji'' usually enter the sumo world as teenagers and remain employees of the Sumo Association until they retire aged 65. There are currently a little over 40 active ''gy ...
'' reattaches a wrestler's ''mawashi''.
During the preparations for the September 2023 tournament, Midorifuji was ranked as the lightest ''makuuchi'' wrestler, and was also the lightest wrestler ranked as ''sekitori'', ex-æquo with
Kihō.
Fighting style
Midorifuji's
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 ...
profile lists his favourite techniques as ''oshi'' (pushing) and ''katasukashi'' (under shoulder swing down). He has won 25 percent of his career matches to date with the latter technique, compared to an average among other wrestlers of just one percent.
In November 2020 he beat
Jōkōryū with the rare technique of ''zubuneri'', or head pivot throw, which had not been seen 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 fra ...
'' level in 22 years.
Career record
See also
*
*
List of active sumo wrestlers
The following is an alphabetical list of all active professional sumo wrestlers in the top ''makuuchi'' division, and all those currently in lower divisions who have a Wikipedia article. Please refer to professional sumo divisions for more informa ...
*
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 ...
*
Active special prize winners
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Midorifuji, Kazunari
1996 births
Living people
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Shizuoka Prefecture
People from Yaizu, Shizuoka
Kindai University alumni