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
Kikuchi,
Higo Province. He was the sport's 11th ''
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 ...
''. Although the name of the style of the ''yokozunas in-ring ceremony is named after him, the fact that he himself practiced this style is highly debated.
Early life and career
Born , he later changed his surname to . He was born in March 1825 (in now
Kumamoto Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to ...
). His grandfather was an ''
ōzeki'' named Aramaki, who was well known in the neighborhood.
In the fall of 1846, he went to
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. ...
to join
Minato stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly part of the Tokitsukaze ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was founded in 1982 by former ''komusubi'' Yutakayama, who branched off from Tokitsukaze stable. Minato-''oyakata'' studied at the Tokyo Univ ...
, because the stablemaster (former ''yokozuna''
Shiranui Dakuemon
was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Uto, Higo Province. He was the sport's 8th ''yokozuna'', and is the only ''yokozuna'' in history to have been demoted.
Early life
His real name was and his father was a government official. After his fat ...
) was also from Kumamoto and powerful within the Osaka Sumo Association.
In 1847, he was given the ''
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'' co ...
'', or ring name, .
and started his professional debut in Osaka sumo. His stablemaster realised his potential, and in 1849, he transferred to
Sakaigawa stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi group of stables. It was established in its modern form on 25 May 1998 by former ''komusubi'' Ryōgoku Kajinosuke IV, who branched off from Dewanoumi stable. It was originally called Nakadachi ...
in
Edo
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
-sumo, where he started using the ''shikona'' . Shiranui was then recruited to wrestle for the
Hosokawa clan
The is a Japanese Samurai kin group or clan.
Ancestors
# Emperor Jimmu
# Emperor Suizei
# Emperor Annei
# Emperor Itoku
# Emperor Kōshō
# Emperor Kōan
# Emperor Kōrei
# Emperor Kōgen
# Emperor Kaika
# Emperor Sujin
# Emperor Suinin
# Emper ...
.
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 November 1856. He was given the ring name , which was the combination of the name of his former master in Osaka and the name of a
Kansei era ''
ōzeki'' that the Hosokawa lord liked.
''Yokozuna''
He was promoted to ''
ōzeki'' in March 1862, but had to withdraw from the 1863 tournament due to an event called the 'Koyanagi murder' (the murder of ''maegashira'' ).
In October 1863, he was awarded a ''yokozuna'' licence by the . Shiranui became a ''yokozuna'' at the age of 38, even though his record as an ''ōzeki'' had not been particularly strong.
The granting of the licence was more due to his popularity with the public and long years of service, and the fact that he was close to the Yoshida, which awarded the licences.
His
ring-entering performances were so spectacular that a ''
nishiki-e
is a type of Japanese multi-coloured woodblock printing; the technique is used primarily in ukiyo-e. It was invented in the 1760s, and perfected and popularized by the printmaker Suzuki Harunobu, who produced many ''nishiki-e'' prints between 1 ...
'' woodblock print of him entering the ring was soon published and sold very well.
After his promotion, he did not decline much, and left Edo in November 1869. He became a ringside promoter in Osaka, where he remained until July 1872. His record after his license was 63 wins, 16 losses, 5 holds, 2 draws, and 40 rests. 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, Shiranui won 119 bouts and lost 35 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 77.3. After retiring from the ring completely, he founded his own stable (under the name ) and led the Osaka Sumo Association as its chairman.
Shiranui died in 1879. His grave is located in Ōtsu,
Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto
is a district located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
As of the Yamato merger (but with 2003 population statistics), the district had an estimated population of 90,315 and a density of 115.2 persons per square kilometer. The total area is 784.03 ...
.
''Yokozuna'' in-ring ceremony
![Sumo-Yokozuna-Shiranui-and-Kimenzan-1869](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Sumo-Yokozuna-Shiranui-and-Kimenzan-1869.png)
The name of one style of ''yokozuna
dohyō-iri
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
'' (the yokozuna ring-entering ceremony) came from him. His ritual style was said to be beautiful, and his ceremony was always a highlight for tournament crowds, sometimes more than the bouts themselves. He continued to perform it for three years after his retirement. However it is unproven that he actually performed what is now called the Shiranui style. In fact, he is considered by most sumo historians today to be the organizer of the Unryū style.
There is a picture of him performing the ceremony holding his arm to his chest, which indicates an Unryū rather than Shiranui style.
The 22nd Yokozuna
Tachiyama
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 ...
, who was credited as perfecting the Shiranui style (with both arms held out), said his ''dohyō-iri'' was based on
Unryū Kyūkichi
was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Yanagawa, Chikugo Province. He was the sport's 10th ''yokozuna''.
Career
He was born in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, but would later change his name to . He lost his parents and grandmother in 1833. He made his debut i ...
's style. In addition, ''yokozuna''
Unryū Kyūkichi
was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Yanagawa, Chikugo Province. He was the sport's 10th ''yokozuna''.
Career
He was born in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, but would later change his name to . He lost his parents and grandmother in 1833. He made his debut i ...
, who is said to have developed the Unryū style, is often represented on
nishiki-e
is a type of Japanese multi-coloured woodblock printing; the technique is used primarily in ukiyo-e. It was invented in the 1760s, and perfected and popularized by the printmaker Suzuki Harunobu, who produced many ''nishiki-e'' prints between 1 ...
woodblock prints with his arms expanded, like the current Shiranui style.
Fighting style
Although his performance was not particularly outstanding, he gradually rose in the ranks. Shiranui never won many major victories, but he rose steadily in the ranks and annoyed his opponents with his skill in the right-handed grip. He was more known for his technique than his strength, he was an expert at leg grabs, once downing
Ryōgoku Kajinosuke I, himself an expert on the technique, with one clean move.
Top division record
*''The actual time the tournaments were held during the year in this period often varied.''
''*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above unofficial championships 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. ''Yūs ...
.''
See also
*
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 mer ...
*
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 ...
*
References
External links
The 11th Yokozuna Shiranui Koemon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shiranui, Koemon
1825 births
1879 deaths
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Kumamoto Prefecture
Yokozuna
19th-century wrestlers