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 th ...

wrestler from

Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

. He made his debut in November 2010 and reached the top ''

makuuchi , or , is the top division of Professional sumo divisions, 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 ...

'' division in November 2020, just after turning 30 years of age. He wrestles for

Tatsunami stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly the head of the Tatsunami ''ichimon'' or group of stables. As of January 2023 it had 20 wrestlers. Previously situated in sumo's heartland of Ryōgoku nearby the Kokugikan stadium, it briefly moved in ...

. His highest rank is ''

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 ...

'' 10. His ''

shikona A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Muromachi period and established itself during the Edo period, where they were used as a means to hide the identities of the . Given by the master to his di ...

'' is a reference to the

Aqua World , formerly the , is a Public aquarium, aquarium in the Higashiibaraki District of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, north of Oarai port at the mouth of the Naka River (Tochigi Ibaraki), Naka River. The aquarium focuses on displaying sharks, and 59 type ...

aquarium in his home town.

Career

Akua comes from a family of car dealers, and he took exams at a vocational school to become a certified auto mechanic. Joining

in November 2010, just a few months later his hometown of

Ōarai, Ibaraki is a town located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,867 in 6,881 households and a population density of . The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 34.0%. The total area of the town is . The Japa ...

was badly hit by the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...

. He considered quitting sumo and returning home to help out, but was persuaded by his father (who had won a national wrestling competition at junior high school) to continue. Originally known as Toyononami, he changed his ''

'' to Akua in March 2014, after the Aqua World aquarium in his hometown. Akua made his debut in November 2020, shortly after turning 30 years of age. He secured a

winning record In sports, a winning percentage or Copeland score is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the tot ...

in his top division debut by winning his eighth bout on the fourteenth day, defeating Kotoekō. Akua tegata

In December 2020, he was one of several members of his stable to test positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. He took part in the following January 2021 tournament but could only score 5–10 and was demoted back to ''jūryō''. He returned to in May 2021 but again only scored 5–10 and was demoted. In November 2021 Akua was promoted to the top division for the third time, and on this occasion managed a winning record, securing his eighth victory on Day 13. In January 2022 he was promoted to his highest rank to date of 10, but scored only four wins against eleven losses. In March he scored 4–11 again and faces demotion to . He has twice been involved in car accidents while a passenger travelling to 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 first ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the premises of the Ekōin temple i ...

, being rear-ended on the fifth day of the November 2020 tournament and suffering whiplash, and being hit by an uninsured car while leaving a toll booth on the expressway during the March 2021 tournament, resulting in a sprain of his cervical spine. At the May 2025 tournament Akua, then ranked at the top of , began performing the (bow-twirling ceremony) following each day's final top division match.

Fighting style

Akua is an ''oshi-sumo'' specialist, who prefers pushing and thrusting techniques. He also has experience in

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

, and is fond of '' kakenage'', or "hooking inner thigh throw." In the September 2021 tournament, four of his seven wins through Day 8 were by this technique. He admitted after the tournament that he may have overused the move and that his opponents were beginning to read him.

Career record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Akua, Shoma 1990 births Living people Japanese sumo wrestlers Sumo people from Ibaraki Prefecture Tatsunami stable sumo wrestlers

Career

Fighting style

Career record

See also

References

External links