is 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. He made his professional debut in 2005 and 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 2011, the first wrestler born in the
Heisei
The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...
era to do so. His highest rank has been ''
ōzeki''. He has been runner-up in a tournament seven times and has earned twelve
special prizes: six for Fighting Spirit, four for Outstanding Performance and two for Technique. He has won five
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 ...
.'' After achieving 34 wins in the three tournaments from January to May 2017, he was officially promoted to ''
ōzeki'' on May 31, 2017.
He maintained the rank for a total of 15 tournaments.
Early life and sumo background
Takayasu was born in
Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 138,033 in 60,069 households and a population density of 1123 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.7%. The total area of ...
to Eiji Takayasu and Bebelita Bernadas. His father is from
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, ...
and his mother is from the island of
Bohol
Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 m ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. He has a brother, Hiroyuki, who is five years senior.
He was a
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
on his junior high school baseball team and expected to play for his high school club as well, but his father encouraged him to take up sumo, having noticed his physical resemblance to fellow Ibaraki native and sumo wrestler
Kisenosato
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Ibaraki. He made his professional debut in 2002, and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 2004 at the age of just 18. After many years in the junior ''san'yaku'' ranks, he reached the seco ...
.
Through his father's recommendation he joined Kisenosato's Naruto stable (now
Tagonoura stable) upon graduating from junior high school.
Takayasu ran away from the stable several times due to the severe training, but on each occasion his father persuaded him to return.
Career
Early career
On his entry to Naruto stable, he was already 180 centimeters tall and weighed 120 kilograms, and consequently had much expectation pinned on him from the start. His first tournament was in March, 2005. He made steady progress through the lower divisions, with only a few losing record or ''
make-koshi
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
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B
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'' tournaments. He won the ''
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 ...
'' or championship in the third ''
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. For ...
'' division in September, 2010 with a perfect 7–0 record. This propelled him into ''
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, where along with
Masunoyama
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Sakae, Chiba. He turned professional in July 2006 and was the first wrestler born in the Heisei era to become a ''sekitori'' when he was promoted to the ''jūryō'' division in November 2010, ...
became one of the first two ''
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 ...
'' to be born in the
Heisei era
The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...
.
He decided against adopting a traditional ''
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 ...
'' despite reaching the elite and has continued to use his birth name. In his first ''jūryō'' tournament in November he almost pulled off a second consecutive championship, losing to
Toyohibiki in a playoff after both finished with 11–4 records.
''Makuuchi'' career
![Takayasu 2011 Nov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Takayasu_2011_Nov.jpg)
After two more strong performances at ''jūryō'' Takayasu was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in July, 2011. His debut record of 9–6 at ''maegashira 11'' earned him a ''maegashira'' rank of no. 6 in the following tournament, then his highest, but he only managed a 6–9 record there. After a 9–6 score in the November 2011 tournament he was promoted to a new high of ''maegashira'' 3. He scored only 6–9 in the January 2012 tourney, but a 10–5 record in March saw him reach ''maegashira'' 1 in the May tournament.
Takayasu had his best result in the top division up to that point in the January 2013 tournament, finishing runner up on 12–3 and winning his first ''
sanshō'' award for Fighting Spirit. He had two
gold star wins in 2013, in two different tournaments, both at ''maegashira'' 1, and both against
Harumafuji. The second win against Harumafuji also helped him procure his first
Outstanding Performance prize, and his first promotion to the
san'yaku
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
ranks at ''
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 ...
.'' He only lasted one tournament at this rank however, and went into a bit of a slump before bouncing back with an 11–4 at the July 2014 tournament. In the November 2014 tournament he scored against top-ranked competition, earning two gold stars for defeating Harumafuji and
Hakuhō and receiving the Outstanding Performance prize. This saw him promoted to ''komusubi'' once more at the beginning of 2015, but he once again fell short with a 6–9 record.
He had to withdraw from a tournament for the first time in his career in September 2015, but recovered with two winning records in the next two tournaments. After a poor performance in March 2016, a 9–6 result in May saw him promoted to ''komusubi'' for the third time. At Nagoya in July he produced his first winning record at a ''san'yaku'' rank with eleven wins, beating the ''ōzeki''
Kotoshōgiku,
Goeido and
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 ...
and being awarded the
Special Prize for Technique. September saw him at ''
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 ...
'' for the first time and he was in contention for the championship at 10–2 after twelve days, although he had a somewhat disappointing end to the tournament losing his last three bouts to ''maegashira'' ranked wrestlers. However, he was awarded his third Fighting Spirit Prize. His performance fueled speculation about a potential promotion to ''ōzeki'' but he failed to maintain his momentum in November, ending with a 7–8 record.
Back at ''komusubi'' in January 2017 Takayasu produced one of his best efforts as he finished in a tie for third place and was awarded the special prize for Fighting Spirit. His 11 wins included victories over ''
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 ...
''
Kakuryū and
Hakuhō and three of the four ''ōzeki'' (the fourth ''ōzeki'' was his stablemate
Kisenosato
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Ibaraki. He made his professional debut in 2002, and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 2004 at the age of just 18. After many years in the junior ''san'yaku'' ranks, he reached the seco ...
). In March 2017 Takayasu was back up to ''sekiwake'' at West "Sekiwake" #1. Takayasu was able to win his first 10 days straight, the first time he had ever gone 10–0 to start a tournament which put him in contention for the cup. On Day 11 and 12 Takayasu lost against ''
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 ...
''
Kakuryū and
Harumafuji, then on Day 13 lost against
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 ...
. However, he was able to win the final two days and finish out the tournament with a 12–3 record. For his performance in the tournament he won the
Outstanding Performance prize, for the third time. Having 23 wins in the last two tournaments in the titled ranks of ''san'yaku'', it appeared that Takayasu would receive serious attention for promotion to ''ōzeki'' if he could achieve around 11 wins or more in the May 2017 tournament. The Chairman 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 ...
(JSA),
Hakkaku, has called for him to show greater consistency, saying he "is competitive when he follows his winning formula, but he still has many weak points."
Takayasu achieved his target, recording his eleventh win with a victory over Harumafuji on the thirteenth day, and was awarded his second Technique prize. Immediately after the tournament Hakkaku announced that an extraordinary meeting of the JSA board of directors would be convened to consider Takayasu's promotion. On May 31, Takayasu was officially promoted to ''ōzeki''. During his promotion speech, he was quoted as saying "I will devote myself to sumo and compete fairly so I can live up to my name as ōzeki."
![Takayasu tegata](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Takayasu_tegata.jpg)
''Ōzeki''
In his first tournament as an ''ōzeki'' Takayasu won eight of his first ten matches and appeared to be in contention for the championship, but a run of four consecutive defeats followed and he ended with a record of 9–6. The September tournament saw three of the four ''yokozuna'' withdraw beforehand due to injuries, and Takayasu seemed poised to challenge for the championship, but he injured a muscle in his right thigh in a match on the second day, and was himself forced to withdraw. During the November tournament, Takayasu managed to win 8 matches, saving his rank but was again forced to withdraw after Day 12 due to a thigh injury. In January 2018 he had his best result to date as an ''ōzeki'', finishing runner-up to surprise winner
Tochinoshin
; ) is a Georgian professional sumo wrestler from Mtskheta. He is a member of the Kasugano stable and made his professional debut in March 2006. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later in May 2008. After a long hiatus due t ...
with a 12–3 record. In the March tournament Takayasu started off with two losses but followed those up with 9 straight wins, before being defeated by
Chiyomaru
is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Shibushi, Kagoshima. He made his professional debut in May 2007. He took the second division ''jūryō'' championship in his third tournament in the division in January 2014 and was promoted to the ...
. Takayasu then went on to win his last three matches; handing ''yokozuna''
Kakuryu, who had already won the tournament going into Day 15, his second loss. Finishing the tournament with a 12–3 record Takayasu was a runner-up to Kakuryu, alongside fellow runner-up
Kaisei. He injured his left upper arm in training shortly before the beginning of May tournament and announced his withdrawal from the first day, although he still hoped to enter the tournament later – "I decided to play it safe because I can’t compete in my 100 percent form. I still want to join the tournament if I recover in time."
He ended up missing the entire tournament and was
kadoban in July, although he retained his ''ōzeki'' rank with a 9–6 record. He was runner-up for the fourth time in his career in November 2018, finishing one win behind
Takakeishō on 12–3. In July 2019 he injured his left elbow in his Day 8 match with
Tamawashi, and withdrew after securing his majority of wins, defaulting against
Hakuhō on Day 11. His withdrawal, following
Takakeishō,
Tochinoshin
; ) is a Georgian professional sumo wrestler from Mtskheta. He is a member of the Kasugano stable and made his professional debut in March 2006. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later in May 2008. After a long hiatus due t ...
and
Gōeidō, meant four ''ōzeki'' were absent from a tournament for the first time since the beginning of the
Showa era in 1926. The injury forced him to sit out the following tournament in September.
After starting the November 2019 tournament in Fukuoka with a 3-4 record, Takayasu appeared in the ''dohyō-iri'' before the main bouts for Day 8, but then withdrew suddenly from his match against
Takarafuji
is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He completes in the ''makuuchi'' division. The highest rank he has reached is ''sekiwake''.
Early life and sumo background
From the third grade of elementary school, Sugiyama began practicing at a sumo ...
due to lower back pain. Takayasu's stablemaster later confirmed that he would not be re-entering the tournament.
As a ''
kadoban'' ''ōzeki'', a losing record meant that Takayasu was relegated to ''sekiwake'' for the next ''basho''.
He lost all chances for an immediate promotion back to ''ōzeki'' with his sixth loss in the January 2020 tournament, and will have to
start over from scratch to regain the rank.
Later career
Takayasu was back in the ''maegashira'' ranks for the first time since May 2016 in the March 2020 tournament. He withdrew on Day 5 after four straight losses, with a left thigh injury. He returned in July 2020 with a 10–5 record, his first score in double figures since March 2019. Another 10-5 performance in September 2020 paved the way for his return to the ''
san'yaku
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
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B
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...
'' ranks; he finished the November 2020 tournament as ''komusubi'' with a winning 8-7 record. In the March 2021 tournament Takayasu was two wins ahead of the rest of the field with only one loss entering Day 11, but he was defeated by
Shodai for the eighth straight time and saw his lead cut to one win. He lost his final three matches to finish out of the running on 10–5, his final day defeat to
Aoiyama costing him a share of the Fighting Spirit prize. He moved up to ''sekiwake'' in May and produced another 10–5 record, with 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 ...
Isegahama Oyakata indicating that winning the championship in July could lead to promotion back to ''ōzeki.''
However, he injured his lower back in training shortly before the start of the tournament and announced his withdrawal.
While this likely eliminated his re-promotion hopes, stablemaster
Tagonoura said that Takayasu could return to competition during the ''basho''. He sat out just the first two days, returning on Day 3.
Takayasu withdrew from the September 2021 tournament with a hip injury after he was driven out of the ring by ''yokozuna''
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 ...
in their Day 11 contest. It was the second straight tournament that he was unable to finish, and his losing record will likely result in him being demoted back to the ''maegashira'' ranks in November.
Takayasu sat out of the January 2022 tournament after four individuals at
his stable, including his stablemaster (former ''
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 ...
''
Takanotsuru
Takanotsuru Shinichi (born 18 June 1976 as Shinichi Sekiyama) is a former sumo wrestler from Izumi, Kagoshima, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1992, and reached the top division in January 2003. His highest rank was ''maegashir ...
), tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Takayasu returned in the March 2022 tournament to win his first 10 bouts, but ultimately finished 12-3, losing his winning streak and the
''yūshō'' playoff to new ''sekiwake''
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 ...
. With this effort, Takayasu earned the special Fighting Spirit prize, his first ''sanshō'' in almost five years.
Soon after the ''
banzuke
A , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament (''honbasho''). The term can also refer to the rankings themselves. The document is normally released about two w ...
'' was released for the July 2022 tournament, Takayasu and a junior stablemate tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Takayasu, and the entire
Tagonoura stable, were withdrawn from the tournament a few days later after another junior wrestler tested positive. It was the second time in 2022 that Takayasu has had to sit out of a tournament due to COVID rules. Returning in September, Takayasu was runner-up to
Tamawashi with an 11–4 record, having failed to beat Tamawashi on the final day to force a playoff. Takayasu received his sixth career Fighting Spirit Prize for this performance.
Takayasu entered the final day of the November 2022 Tournament with a chance to win his first Emperor's Cup outright but was defeated by ''maegashira''
Abi, setting up a three-way playoff between himself, Abi and ''ōzeki''
Takakeishō. Takayasu drew Abi in the first playoff match, but lost after his head slammed hard into Abi's chest on 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 ...
''. He appeared stunned, and needed assistance to stand up from the ring. Abi would eventually win the playoff, resulting in Takayasu's third runner-up performance of the year. Takayasu received his fourth ''Shukun-shō'' (Outstanding Performance prize) for his efforts.
Fighting style
Takayasu is an ''oshi-sumo'' specialist, preferring pushing and thrusting techniques (''tsuki''/''oshi'') to fighting on the 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 ...
'' so far in his career are ''yori-kiri'' (force out), ''hataki-komi'' (slap down) and ''oshi-dashi'' (push out). He strengthened his physique and his pushing techniques through intense training sessions with his senior stablemate Kisenosato.
Personal life
In October 2019 Takayasu announced his engagement to ''
enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form, which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, p ...
'' singer . They were married in July 2020 and welcomed their first child, a baby girl, in February 2021. Takayasu credited his strong performance in the July 2020 tournament on the news that his wife was pregnant. He had an equally strong tournament in March 2021 immediately following his daughter’s birth. This has given rise to the popular nickname “Papayasu”. In August 2022, they welcomed their second child, a baby boy.
Career record
See also
*
List of active gold star earners
*
*
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 ōzeki
More than 50 sumo wrestlers have reached the second highest in the sport, the rank of '' ōzeki'', but have failed to rise to the top rank since the modern era of sumo began in 1927 with the merger of the Tokyo and Osaka organizations. By 2020, ov ...
*
List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
The table below lists the runners up ('' jun-yusho'') in the top '' makuuchi'' division at official sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a '' rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring ...
*
Active special prize winners
*
List of sumo record holders
This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo. Only performances in official tournaments or ''honbasho'' are included here. Since 1958 six ''honbasho'' have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more opportu ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Takayasu Akira
1990 births
Living people
Japanese people of Filipino descent
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Ibaraki Prefecture
People from Tsuchiura
Ōzeki
Sumo wrestlers who use their birth name