Futabayama
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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
Oita Prefecture Oita often refers to: *Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan *Ōita (city), the capital of the prefecture Oita or Ōita may also refer to: Places *Ōita District, Ōita, a former district in Ōita Prefecture, Japan *Ōita Stadium, a multi-use stadium ...
. Entering sumo in 1927, he was the sport's 35th ''
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 ...
'' from 1937 until his retirement in 1945. He won twelve ''
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 top division championships and had a winning streak of 69 consecutive bouts, an all-time record. Despite his dominance he was extremely popular with the public. After his retirement he was head coach of
Tokitsukaze stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers in Japan, one of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. It was founded in 1769 and was dominant during the Taishō period. In its modern form it dates from 1941 when it was established by Futabayama, who was still an ...
and 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 ...
.


Career

Born in
Usa The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, he worked on fishing boats as young boy. He joined professional sumo in March 1927 at the age of 15, recruited by
Tatsunami stable Asahiyutaka Katsuteru (born 10 September 1968) is a former sumo wrestler from Kasugai, Aichi, Japan. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. He is now the head coach of Tatsunami stable. Career He joined Ōshima stable and made his professional debu ...
. He entered 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 at the beginning of 1932. He was promoted from the middle of the second ''
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 to ''
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 ...
'' 4, as many top division wrestlers had just gone on strike (the so-called " Shunjūen Incident"), and 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 ...
needed to fill the gaps in the ranks. However, he soon proved himself worthy of the promotion, finishing as runner-up in his second top division tournament. Futabayama is particularly remembered for achieving the longest run of consecutive victories in sumo bouts, with 69, a record that still stands today. This represents an unbeaten run which stretched over three years. In a sport where matches often last a few seconds, and a brief lapse in concentration can lead to a loss, this is an exceptional achievement. It began on January 7, 1936 at the rank of ''
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 ...
''. During this run he was promoted from ''
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 ...
'' 3 to ''
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 ...
''. It generated such excitement among the public that the Sumo Association extended the number of days per tournament from 11 to 13, and then to 15. He was finally defeated on January 3, 1939 by ''maegashira''
Akinoumi , born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hiroshima. He was the sport's 37th ''yokozuna''. Career Akinoumi made his professional debut in February 1932 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in January 1938. He was the man wh ...
(later a ''yokozuna'' himself). He lost more to illness than to a superior opponent, as he was suffering from
amoebic dysentery Amoebiasis, or amoebic dysentery, is an infection of the intestines caused by a parasitic amoeba ''Entamoeba histolytica''. Amoebiasis can be present with no, mild, or severe symptoms. Symptoms may include lethargy, loss of weight, colonic ulc ...
at the time. Futabayama won a total of twelve tournament championships, during a period in which there were only two tournaments held each year. His total remained a record until the number of tournaments was increased to six a year in the 1950s. However, the percentage of championships won in his ''makuuchi'' career still compares favorably to the wrestlers who have surpassed his total in the six tournament a year era. After his retirement Futabayama revealed he was actually blind in one eye, due to an injury suffered in his youth, making his achievements even more remarkable. He was one of the first top wrestlers to break away from the tradition of marrying his stablemaster's daughter, instead choosing a young heiress from a rich
Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...
family. Their reception was held in April 1939 at the
Tokyo Kaikan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
. (His coach's daughter married Haguroyama instead.)


Fighting style

Futabayama was noted for being exceptionally good at the initial phase of a sumo match, 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 was an expert at the ''gonosen no tachiai'' or receiving his opponent's charge and immediately countering it. He is believed to have never made a false start. Although he was not particularly large, he had excellent balance. One of his most feared techniques was ''
uwatenage ''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 ...
'',Futabayama, Sadaji , Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures
/ref> or overarm throw.


Retirement from sumo

The June 1945 tournament was held in a bomb-damaged Kokugikan with barely any spectators, and Futabayama dropped out after the first day. He did not take part in the November 1945 tournament and announced his retirement during it, claiming that he objected to the newly enlarged ''
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 squa ...
'' that the Sumo Association had introduced at the behest of the American occupying authorities. However, he had actually made a decision to retire a year earlier, having suffered a loss to
Azumafuji was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Taitō, Tokyo. He was the sport's 40th '' yokozuna'', and later a professional wrestler. Sumo career His real name was . He made professional debut in January 1936, joining Takasago stable. He ...
, another future ''yokozuna''. Futabayama had become head of his own stable, Futabayama Dojo, in 1941 whilst still an active wrestler (a practice now forbidden), and upon his retirement he adopted the Tokitsukaze elder name and renamed his ''
heya Heya or Hey Ya may refer to: *Heya (sumo) from the Japanese word for "room" (部屋), also in compounds -beya, or Sumo-beya, an organization of sumo wrestlers (pronounced ''beya'' when in compound form) * Heya TV, from the Arabic word for "Hers", ...
''
Tokitsukaze stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers in Japan, one of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. It was founded in 1769 and was dominant during the Taishō period. In its modern form it dates from 1941 when it was established by Futabayama, who was still an ...
. It grew to become one of sumo's largest stables by the 1950s, and Futabayama produced several strong wrestlers including ''yokozuna''
Kagamisato was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture. He was the sport's 42nd ''yokozuna''. Career He was born in a small fishing village in Sannohe District. He came from a poor family as his father had died when he was very you ...
and '' ōzeki''
Kitabayama Kitabayama Hidetoshi (17 May 1935 – 20 July 2010) was a former sumo wrestler and coach from Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was '' ōzeki''. Career Kitabayama entered sumo in May 1954, joining Tokitsukaze stable. He was recruited b ...
and Yutakayama. He remained in charge of the stable until his death from
hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...
in 1968. From 1957 he was also chairman (''rijichō'') 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 ...
. In his time as chairman he introduced a number of important reforms, such as giving monthly salaries to wrestlers ranked in the top two divisions, and enforcing a mandatory retirement age of 65 for elders and
referees A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
.


Career record

*''Four tournaments a year, in Tokyo and other locations, were held from 1927–1932. For most of the 1930s and 1940s only two tournaments were held a year in Tokyo only.''


See also

*
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 ...
*
List of sumo tournament top division champions This is a list of wrestlers who have won the top division (''makuuchi'') championship in professional sumo since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan. 1958 to prese ...
*
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 me ...
*
Glossary of sumo terms The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...
*
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


Futabayama Sadaji
{{DEFAULTSORT:Futabayama, Sadaji 1912 births 1968 deaths Japanese sumo wrestlers Sumo people from Ōita Prefecture Yokozuna Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Deaths from hepatitis Infectious disease deaths in Japan