was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ichikawa,

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to t ...

. He was the sport's 21st ''

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 ...

'' and the first official ''yokozuna'' from the Osaka Sumo Association.

Early life and career

Wakashima was born in Ichikawa-city, Chiba, under the name of . His date of birth has been dated either August 2, 1874 or January 19, 1876. Known for his large body, he was recruited by former Tokyo-sumo ''ōzeki'' Wakashima Kyuzaburō and started wrestling in Tokyo under 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'' ...

'', or ring name, of . His master died while he was promoted to ''juryō'', and he had to be transferred to Tomozuna stable. While touring in

Ōgaki Ōgaki Castle is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 161,539, and a population density of 782 persons per km2 in 65,931 households. The total area of the city was . Ōgaki was the final destination for the h ...

, Gifu Prefecture, he was hit by the Great Nōbi Earthquake and was only alive thanks to the efforts of his brother, Tatekō, who however died in the earthquake. To pay homage to his brother, Matsuwaka changed his ''shikona'' to . 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 o ...

'' division in 1896, peaking 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 o ...

'' 7 and never reaching ''sanyaku''. Tatekō was really popular among the public. Being renown as handsome, and having a good voice, he was popular with the ladies and was a regular member of the pleasure quarters. This affected his training and Tatekō never practiced much. In the hope of arousing a burst of pride in Tatekō, his master transmitted to him his master's old ''shikona'': . After he contracted

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

and was unable to budge, he escaped from Tokyo-sumo, cut his topknot, and entered the Kusakaze stable in Kyoto, then moved to the

Nakamura stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was established in its modern incarnation in May 1986 by Fujizakura of the Takasago stable. The stable's first ''sekitori'' was in November 1995. It did not produce any ''m ...

in Osaka, where he settled. In the Osaka Sumo Association, Wakashima knew a rapid ascent. He was quickly promoted to ''komusubi'' and reached the ''ōzeki'' rank in 1901.

''Yokozuna'' career

In 1903, he was granted a ''yokozuna'' license by the . A the time he was the only wrestler active in Osaka sumo to ever receive this recognition. It is believed he was awarded an unofficial Osaka-sumo ''yokozuna'' licence by the in January 1903, though the evidence is obscure. In June 1903, he fought against wrestlers in Tokyo sumo. He gave a very strong performance, defeating ''yokozuna''

Umegatani Tōtarō II was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 20th ''yokozuna''. Umegatani had a great rivalry with fellow ''yokozuna'' Hitachiyama Taniemon. Their era was known as the Ume-Hitachi Era and it ...

and emerged as a threat to the dominance of the strongest ''yokozuna'' in Tokyo sumo,

Hitachiyama was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. He was the sport's 19th ''yokozuna'' from 1903 till 1914. His great rivalry with Umegatani Tōtarō II created the "Ume-Hitachi Era" and did much to popularise sumo. He i ...

Retirement from sumo

Following a bicycle accident in 1905, he contracted a head injury and declared himself kyūjō for the whole 1906 year. In 1907, his condition was worsening to the point that his brain would not support a bout against another ''yokozuna'' and Wakashima chose to retire. After his retirement, he once became a chairman of the Osaka Sumo Association, but soon after, he chose to run a theatrical troupe and became an entertainer. However, management was left roughly to others, and by the beginning of the

Taishō era The was a period in the history of Japan dating from 30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926, coinciding with the reign of Emperor Taishō. The new emperor was a sickly man, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of ...

(1912-1926), he had reached a dead end in his touring activities. In 1925, he was elected as a town councilor of

Yonago is a city in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan and making up part of the boundary of Lake Nakaumi. It is adjacent to Shimane Prefecture and across the lake from its capital of Matsue. It is the prefecture's second larges ...

Tottori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan at 570,569 (2016) and has a geographic area of . Tottori Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture to the west, Hiro ...

. On his way to 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 Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). '' Rikishi'' (activ ...

in Tokyo, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in Kobe and died on October 23, 1943.

Fighting style

Although he was not able to beat Tokyo ''yokozuna''

, he had gained enough strength to be able to compete with Ōzutsu and Umegatani on equal footing and is considered a leading figure in the revival of Osaka-sumo. His flashy ring style, which included powerful pulling throws, and the sharpness of his strong thrusts, made him a threat even to Tokyo-sumo top wrestlers.

Top Division Record

Tokyo sumo top division record

Osaka sumo top division record

*''Osaka sumo existed independently for many years before merging with Tokyo sumo in 1926. 1–2 tournaments were held yearly, though the actual time they were held was often erratic.'' *''In his first Osaka tournament Wakashima competed at makuuchi, but was unranked.'' ''*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded in Osaka sumo before its merger with Tokyo sumo, and the unofficial championships above 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. ''Y� ...

.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wakashima Gonshiro 1876 births 1943 deaths Japanese sumo wrestlers Yokozuna People from Ichikawa, Chiba Sumo people from Chiba Prefecture