Sakahoko Nobushige (born Yoshiaki Fukuzono; 18 June 1961 – 16 September 2019)
was a Japanese
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. The son of
Tsurugamine
Tsurugamine Akio (26 April 1929 – 29 May 2006), real name Akio Fukuzono, was a sumo wrestler from Aira, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake.'' He was twice runner-up in a tournament and won 14 special prizes, including a record ...
, he made his professional debut in 1978, reaching 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 1982. 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 ...
.'' He won nine
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 ...
.'' He retired in 1992 and became the head coach of
Izutsu stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. Its last incarnation was in existence from 1972 until 2019.
The stable was established in the Meiji era by former ''yokozuna'' Nishinoumi Kajirō I, the 16th ''yokozuna' ...
in 1994, succeeding his father. He oversaw
Kakuryū's promotion to the ''yokozuna'' rank in 2014 but also saw the size of his stable decline. He was a deputy 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 ...
and a
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
of tournament bouts. He died of
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
in 2019. He was the elder brother of fellow top division sumo wrestler
Terao Tsunefumi
is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake.'' Despite his relatively light weight he had an ex ...
.
Career
Sakahoko made his professional debut in January 1978, dropping out of high school to join
Izutsu stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. Its last incarnation was in existence from 1972 until 2019.
The stable was established in the Meiji era by former ''yokozuna'' Nishinoumi Kajirō I, the 16th ''yokozuna' ...
, which was run by his father, ex ''sekiwake''
Tsurugamine
Tsurugamine Akio (26 April 1929 – 29 May 2006), real name Akio Fukuzono, was a sumo wrestler from Aira, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake.'' He was twice runner-up in a tournament and won 14 special prizes, including a record ...
.
His elder brother, , had joined sumo in March 1975, but Sakahoko quickly caught up with him and they made their ''
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 ...
'' debuts together in July 1981.
Sakahoko made his debut 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 November 1982. (His elder brother, meanwhile, never got higher than ''jūryō'' 2 and slid down the rankings).
In January 1984 he earned his first ''
kinboshi
is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked (''maegashira'') wrestler's victory over a ''yokozuna''.
It is believed that the term stems from the usage of the terms ''shiroboshi'' (lit: white star) to designate a b ...
'' or gold star for a ''
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 ...
'' upset when he defeated
Takanosato
, real name , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Namioka, Aomori. He was the sport's 59th ''yokozuna'' from 1983 to 1986 and won four top division tournament championships. After retirement he established Naruto stable which he ran fr ...
.
He celebrated the win making a
guts pose 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 ...
,'' which had not been seen previously from a Japanese wrestler (although Hawaiian
Takamiyama had been known to do it).
He reached what was to be his highest rank of ''sekiwake'' for the first time in July 1984.
This was his first ever tournament 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 (jumping over the ''
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 ...
'' rank) and somewhat unusually for a ''san'yaku'' debutant he was able to produce a winning score (''
kachi-koshi
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
'') of 8–7. He received the Technique
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. for his efforts.
In September 1984, the first tournament since new rules for touching down with both fists at the ''
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 ...
'' were enforced, he was told to redo his match in which he had seemingly beaten
Hokutenyu, and glared at the chief
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
, the former
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 ...
.
In March 1985 Sakahoko's younger brother
Terao
is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake.'' Despite his relatively light weight he had an ex ...
joined him in ''makuuchi''. They were the first pair of brothers to be in the top division simultaneously since
Tanikaze and
Tatsugesake 200 years before.
In September 1987 he defeated two ''
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 ...
,''
Chiyonofuji
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th ''yokozuna'' of the sport. Following his retirement as a wrestler, he was the stable master of Kokonoe stable until the time of his death.
Chiyonofuji was considered one of the gr ...
and
Futahaguro, and was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize.
He was promoted back to ''sekiwake'' and proceeded to hold the rank for a then record nine successive tournaments from November 1987 until March 1989, but he was never under consideration for promotion to ''
ōzeki'' as he could not achieve regular double figure scores, his best result being 9–6.
In July 1989, troubled by a shoulder injury, he turned in a 2–13 record and was demoted to 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.
He managed to return to ''
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 ...
'' for one tournament in November 1990 but fell to ''jūryō'' in 1992 and announced his retirement that September at the age of 31 after 14 years in sumo.
(Terao competed for another ten years, until September 2002).
Retirement from sumo
Sakahoko stayed in the sumo world as 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 ''
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 of Kasugayama. In 1994, when his father retired, he became Izutsu Oyakata and took over the running of Izutsu stable.
The stable had one ''makuuchi'' wrestler as of 2019,
Kakuryū, who surpassed Sakahoko and his father′s achievements by reaching the rank of ''yokozuna'' in March 2014. Kakuryū proved to be the only
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 ...
Izutsu produced, and the stable had just three wrestlers remaining at the time of his death.
Izutsu also worked as a
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
of tournament bouts and was a deputy Director of the Sumo Association.
In May 2016 while on duty as a judge he suffered a broken thigh when
Hakuhō gave
Yoshikaze
Yoshikaze Masatsugu (born March 19, 1982 as Masatsugu Ōnishi) is a former sumo wrestler from Saiki, Oita Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake''. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2004, reaching the top divi ...
an extra shove after the bout was over, causing the wrestler to fall on top of him.
Fighting style
Unlike his brother Terao, who liked pushing and thrusting techniques, Sakahoko took after his father in specialising in yotsu-sumo or grappling techniques.
He was well known for favouring the grip on the ''
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 ...
'' with both arms inside the opponent's, called ''moro-zashi''.
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 overwhelmingly ''yori-kiri'' or force out, which accounted for over 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.
Personal life
He chose the occasion of taking over as Izutsu Oyakata in 1994 to publicly reveal for the first time that he was married with a seven-year-old daughter. His daughter is now a member of the
Takarazuka Revue
The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals and stories adapted from films, novels, manga, and Japane ...
.
Sakahoko died in
Kobe
Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
of
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
on 16 September 2019.
A wake was held on 24 September with the funeral the following day, both at Izutsu stable. His former wrestlers were being looked after by
Kagamiyama Oyakata while the Japan Sumo Association decided which stable they will be transferred to. As of 1 October 2019, all personnel belong to
Michinoku stable.
In March 2020, his elder brother Kakureizan died, leaving Terao as the only surviving Fukuzono brother.
Career record
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 elders
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
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:Sakahoko Nobushige
1961 births
2019 deaths
Deaths from pancreatic cancer
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Kagoshima Prefecture
Sekiwake