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Yokozuna (sumo)
, 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 only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ''makuuchi'' broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ''Makuuchi'' literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses ('' kachi-koshi'') results in a promotion, and the reverse ('' make-koshi'') results in demotion. There are stricter crite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Onogawa Kisaburō
was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Ōtsu, Ōmi Province (now Shiga Prefecture). He was the sport's 5th ''yokozuna''. Along with Tanikaze, Onogawa was the first to be given a ''yokozuna'' licence during his lifetime. He is described as a leading figure of sumo during the Kansei era. Career His real name was . When he was 14 years old, he became a pupil of Kusazuri Iwanosuke (草摺岩之助) in Osaka-sumo, and took the ''shikona'', or ring name, . The following year, he was adopted by his master, Onogawa Saisuke (小野川才助), and stepped in the ring for the first time in May of 1772. He later changed his ring name to and moved to Edo-sumo in 1779. Onogawa was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in March 1781 and began to wrestle for the Kurume Domain. In February 1782, he defeated '' ōzeki'' Tanikaze. The victory surprised people in Edo as it brought to an end Tanikaze's 63 consecutive victories, after four years and seven unbeaten seasons in Edo. Since then, the m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Konishiki
Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), better known by his stage name, , is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler. Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach '' ōzeki'', the second-highest possible rank in the sport. During his career, he won the top division championship on three occasions and came very close to becoming the first foreign-born grand champion, or ''yokozuna'', prompting a social debate in Japan as to whether a foreigner could have the necessary cultural understanding to be deemed acceptable in sumo's ultimate rank. At a peak weight of he was also at the time the heaviest wrestler ever in sumo, earning him the nicknames "Meat Bomb" and, most famously, "The Dump Truck". Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' Born in 1963 in Hawai'i to Vaa Atisanoe and Fala of Tula, American Sāmoa, Yasokichi became the first foreigner to earn the prestigious titl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kisenosato
is a Japanese sumo elder from Ibaraki Prefecture, Ibaraki. As a wrestler, 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 second highest rank of ''Makuuchi#Ōzeki, ōzeki'' in January 2012. He earned three ''kinboshi'' or gold stars by defeating ''yokozuna'' in his career leading up to ''ōzeki'' and nine Sanshō (sumo), special prizes. He scored more than 20 double-digit kachi-koshi, winning records at the ''ōzeki'' rank. In 2016, he secured the most wins in the calendar year, the first wrestler to do so without winning a tournament in that year. After being a runner-up in a tournament on twelve occasions, he broke through at the January 2017 tournament, winning his first top division championship or ''yūshō'' with a record and subsequently was promoted to ''yokozuna'', the first Japanese-born wrestler to reach sumo's highest rank since Wakanohan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chiyonoyama Masanobu
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Fukushima, Hokkaidō. He was the sport's 41st ''yokozuna'' from 1951 until 1959. He is regarded as the first "modern" ''yokozuna'' in that he was promoted by the Japan Sumo Association itself and not the House of Yoshida Tsukasa. He was the first ''yokozuna'' from Hokkaidō, which was also the birthplace of the subsequent ''yokozuna'' Yoshibayama, Taihō, Kitanoumi and his own recruits Kitanofuji and Chiyonofuji. After his retirement he left the Dewanoumi group of stables and founded Kokonoe stable in 1967. He died in 1977 while still an active stablemaster. Career Chiyonoyama was born , the fifth son of a squid fisherman. He joined Dewanoumi stable in January 1942. Chiyonoyama injured his knee in his first tournament, an injury that was to trouble him for the rest of his career. He reached the second highest ''jūryō'' division in November 1944 and made his debut in the top ''makuuchi'' division in November 1945. He had be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yokozuna Deliberation Council
The , sometimes called Promotion Council, and usually abbreviated in Japanese as , is an advisory board, advisory body to the Japan Sumo Association. The council considers candidates for promotion to sumo's top rank of , before passing its recommendations to the Sumo Association. It also gives comments about ranked wrestlers anticipating their potential promotions. Creation The reason the council was created is because of a scandal at the beginning of 1950. All of the three of the time (Azumafuji Kin'ichi, Azumafuji, Terukuni Manzō, Terukuni and Haguroyama Masaji, Haguroyama) were absent for most of the January tournament, driving intense criticism. The Sumo Association even began to think about a demotion system applied to but the idea was later dropped under pressure from sumo purists and traditionalists. To maintain the dignity of the rank, it was instead decided that should be recommended by experts with a deep knowledge of sumo, like the House of Yoshida Tsukasa (who c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 brought sumo to heights of popularity never before seen in the Meiji period. Career He was born , but later changed his name to . In 1891, he was spotted by a touring troupe of wrestlers led by '' ōzeki'' Tsurugizan. Because he scouted him, the ''ōzeki'' asked his master to recruit him into their stable. Oshida was later adopted by the 15th ''yokozuna'' Umegatani and joined his Ikazuchi stable in June 1892 at the age of 14. His father was initially reluctant to let him join at such a young age but Umegatani Tōtarō I personally guaranteed his well-being. In the stable, he was trained by Onigatani. He rose through the ranks quickly, making his ''jūryō'' debut in January 1897 and reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in January ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hitachiyama Taniemon
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 is remembered as much for his exploits in promoting the sport as for his strength on the ''dohyō.'' In his later years as head coach of Dewanoumi stable he trained hundreds of wrestlers, including three ''yokozuna''. Many consider him the most honorable ''yokozuna'' in sumo history, which earned him the nickname , or "sumo saint". Early career Hitachiyama was born as , on January 19, 1874, to a samurai family which belonged to the Mito Domain. His family was dismissed by the Meiji restoration authorities and was ruined financially. He moved to Tokyo and became dependent on his uncle. He attempted to enter Waseda University where his uncle was employed. At around this time, however, his uncle observed that he was able to lift a rock weigh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nishinoumi Kajirō I
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sendai, Kagoshima, Sendai, Satsuma Province. He was the sport's 16th ''yokozuna (sumo), yokozuna'', and the first to be officially listed as such on the ''banzuke'' ranking sheets, an act which strengthened the prestige of ''yokozuna'' as the highest level of achievement in professional sumo. Early career His real name was . He began his career in Kyoto sumo, joining Tokinokoe stable in 1873. He was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1879, and made sekiwake in September 1879, a tournament which was held under the joint auspices of the Kyoto and Osaka sumo organisations. He was persuaded by Takasago Uragorō, formerly of Osaka sumo, to join Tokyo sumo in his newly founded Takasago stable. He made his debut in a special ''makuuchi'' division rank in January 1882. He had a rapid rise, making ''Makuuchi#Ōzeki, ōzeki'' just seven tournaments later in January 1885. His rivals included heya (sumo), stablemates Ōdate Uzaemon, � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Umegatani Tōtarō I
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from the town of Haki, Chikuzen Province, now Shiwa, Fukuoka Prefecture. He was the sport's 15th ''yokozuna''. He was generally regarded as the strongest wrestler to emerge since the era of Tanikaze and Raiden. Career His real name was . A myth attributes to him the great consumption of sake instead of mother's milk. From around the age of 12, he attended a temple school and began to wrestle, and by the time he was 16, he was known as "Chikuzen Muteki" (筑前無敵, 'invincible'). At 16, he was taken in by the Osaka Sumo Association and took the ''shikona'', or ring name, . After some time, he joined Minato stable and changed his ring name to in honor of his hometown, Umegaya in Shiwa Village. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, he entered the Osaka Sumo Tournament in March 1869 and was promoted to ''komusubi''. Umegatani was not a particularly large wrestler but was remarkably strong and reached the rank of ''ōzeki'' in Osaka-s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shōgun
, officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamakura period and Sengoku period when the shoguns themselves were figureheads, with real power in the hands of the of the Hōjō clan and of the Hosokawa clan. In addition, Taira no Kiyomori and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were leaders of the warrior class who did not hold the position of shogun, the highest office of the warrior class, yet gained the positions of and , the highest offices of the aristocratic class. As such, they ran their governments as its de facto rulers. The office of shogun was in practice hereditary, although over the course of the history of Japan several different clans held the position. The title was originally held by military commanders during the Heian period in the eighth and ninth centuries. When Minamoto no Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meiji Era
The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudalism, feudal society at risk of colonization by Western world, Western powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji. It was preceded by the Keiō era and was succeeded by the Taishō era, upon the accession of Emperor Taishō. The rapid modernization during the Meiji era was not without its opponents, as the rapid changes to society cause ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
