is a former 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 from

Yamagata, Iwate was a village located in Kunohe District, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The village of Yamagata was created on April 1, 1889 within Kita-Kunohe District with the establishment of the municipality system. Kita-Kunohe District and Minami-Kunohe Dist ...

. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1995, 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 2000. His highest rank was ''

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 retired in 2008 and is now a sumo coach.

Career

Tochinohana practised amateur sumo at

Meiji University , abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大'')'', is a private research university located in Chiyoda City, the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, ''Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō'') by three Meiji-er ...

, but unlike many former amateur wrestlers, he still began his professional career at the very bottom of the rankings. He joined

Kasugano stable is a Heya (sumo), stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ''Glossary of sumo terms#ichimon, ichimon'' or group of stables. As of January 2022 it had 18 wrestlers. It has been led by former ''sekiwake'' Tochinowaka Kiyotaka since 2003. It w ...

in March 1995 at the age of 22. Initially fighting under his own surname, Yachi, it took him four years to become a ''

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 ...

''. Upon reaching the second highest ''

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 in January 1999 he adopted 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 ...

'' Tochinohana. After capturing the ''jūryō'' ''

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 ...

'' or tournament championship with a 13-2 record, he made his debut in the top ''

'' division in May 2000. There he defeated ''

ozeki Ozeki or Ōzeki may refer to: * Ōzeki, a rank in ''Makuuchi'', the top division of professional sumo ** List of ōzeki * Ōzeki station (disambiguation), the name of two railway stations in Japan * Ōzeki Masutoshi (1849–1905), 16th daimyō o ...

'' Chiyotaikai and

Takanonami Takanonami Sadahiro (born Sadahiro Namioka October 27, 1971 – June 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler and coach from Aomori. He held sumo's second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' from 1994 until 2000. He won two tournament championships, and wa ...

, finished in equal third place with 12 wins against three losses and received two special prizes for Fighting Spirit and Technique. In the September 2000 tournament he defeated another ''ozeki'' and was awarded his second Technique prize. He was promoted to ''komusubi'' in the next tournament in November, but could only manage a 3-12 record. This was to be his only tournament in the titled ''

sanyaku The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

'' ranks. Over the next couple of years Tochinohana struggled to maintain his ''makuuchi'' position, and a serious back injury forced him all the way down to the unsalaried ''

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 2004. However, he fought his way back to ''makuuchi'' in November 2005, where he finished runner-up 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 ...

'' Asashoryu, scoring eleven wins and receiving the Fighting Spirit Award. In an interview, Tochinohana's father said he regarded this as the most memorable achievement of his son's career. He remained in the top division until May 2007, when he could only win only four bouts at ''

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 ...

'' 13 and was demoted back to ''jūryō''.

Retirement from sumo

After a disastrous 2-13 record in November 2007 Tochinohana fell to ''Jūryō'' 14 West, making him the lowest ranking ''sekitori''. In January 2008, after losing nine of his first twelve bouts, he announced his retirement. He has stayed with the

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 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japanese Ministry of Education, Cultu ...

as an ''

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 ...

'', or elder, under the name Hatachiyama, and is working as a coach at Kasugano stable. His ''

danpatsu-shiki The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

'', or official retirement ceremony, was held jointly with his stablemate

Tochisakae Tochisakae Atsushi (born June 27, 1974 as Atsushi Okamoto) is a former sumo wrestler from Saga Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1993, reaching the top division for the first time in 2000. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 1. ...

at the

Ryōgoku Kokugikan , also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different indoor sporting arenas located in Tokyo. The fist ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the lands of the Ekōin temple in Ry ...

in January 2009.

Fighting style

Tochinohana's 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 a straightforward ''yori-kiri'', or force out, and he preferred a ''migi yotsu,'' or left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his 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 ...

''. He also regularly won with ''oshi-dashi'', or push out.

Career record

References

External links