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 th ...

wrestler from Shiroishi,

Miyagi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...

. He was the sport's 18th ''

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 o ...

''.

Early life and career

His real name was , before changing his given name to . He was born in Misawa, Otakazawa in present-day Shiroishi City, and was called "Monster child of Misawa" (三沢の怪童, "Misawa no Kaidai"). Kakubari was known for his large and strong body, and, at the age of 13, it was said that he could easily carry two bales of rice.
At an unknown age he was spotted by the wife of a former ''

rikishi A , or, more colloquially, , is a sumo wrestler. Although used to define all wrestlers participating in sumo wrestling matches, the term is more commonly used to refer to professional wrestlers, employed by the Japan Sumo Association, who par ...

'' of the

Isenoumi stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze '' ichimon'' or group of stables. Its current head coach is former '' maegashira'' Kitakachidoki. As of January 2023 it had 12 wrestlers. History The name of Isenoumi stable relates to one ...

, who heard rumors of the boy's excellent physique, and in the spring of 1884 he moved to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

and joined the Oguruma stable at age 17. Despite his outward appearance, he was reputed as a fine-tuned, quick-witted man, good at arithmetic and a good debater. He was also a good salesman during the traveling tournaments. In professional sumo, he began using the ''

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 ...

'', or ring name, in May 1884 in honour of his hometown. Ōzutsu was tall compared to other wrestlers of his time, but when he first joined his stable, his legs and back were so weak that he was ridiculed and nicknamed ''konnyaku'' (コンニャク, solidified jelly).
Through training, he was rapidly promoted and changed his ''shikona'' to in 1888. Ōzutsu was promoted to ''juryō'' in 1892. Having scored a '' make-kochi'' record (3 wins and 6 losses), he was however promoted thanks to the impression he left on the crowds thanks to his size. Ōzutsu reached ''

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 o ...

'' only three tournaments after entering 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. His strength increased and he was promoted to '' ōzeki'' in May 1899.

''Yokozuna'' career

He had never lost any bouts as ''ōzeki'' and was awarded a ''yokozuna'' licence by the Yoshida family in April 1901. In May 1902, he had the best record in the tournament with no defeats. At some point, he was advised to assume the ring name of past ''yokozuna'' Tanikaze Kajinosuke, which was supposed to be his legacy within the Tokyo Sumo Association since both of them were from

, but he declined saying that he did not want to become a laughingstock in the future.
However, his strength rapidly declined after taking part in the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

. He was absent for three tournaments due to the war.

Fighting style

Despite being gifted with a great strength of body, Ōzutsu struggled at the beginning of his career, and people said "he was clumsy and weak in the waist" and "could never win a bout because he was too big for his own good". With time, he began to take advantage of his strength by prodding from afar and pulling in slowly. While not being an agile person, he developed a method preventing his adversary to stand up, he would catch them with his favoured right hand grip and hold them down, never letting go.

Retirement and death

After his return from the war, his chronic

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

had worsened and Ōzutsu sat out the 1907 second tournament. He chose to retire in the next year, assuming the name of Matsuchiyama. In his retirement speech, he said that former ''yokozuna'' Umegatani Tōtarō I had taught him that a ''yokozuna'' must not be defeated. In the top makuuchi division, he won 98 bouts and lost 29 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 77.2. He also recorded 51 draws. In 1915, he was hospitalized with a stomach ulcer on his back and became seriously ill. He died on May 27, 1918, of diabetes that he developed after the surgery at 48 years old.
His grave is located in the premises of the

Ekō-in , also known as Honjo Ekō-in, is a Jōdo-shū Buddhist temple in Ryōgoku, Tokyo. The formal name of the temple is , reflecting its founding principle of Pariṇāmanā, or the spreading of Amida Buddha's benevolence to all souls of all living cr ...

temple in Tokyo.

Homage

A bronze statue of Ōzutsu was erected at the ruins of

Shiroishi Castle is a flatland-style Japanese castle in what is now the city of Shiroishi, Miyagi. During the Edo period, it was the castle of the Katakura clan, who were hereditary retainers of the Date clan of Sendai Domain. During the Boshin War, it was als ...

Shiroishi, Miyagi is a Cities of Japan, city in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 33,330 and a population density of 120 persons per km2 in 14,242 households. The total area of the city is . Geography Shiroishi is in southern Miy ...

Top division record

''*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognised or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above unofficial championships 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. ''Yūs ...

.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozutsu Manemon 1869 births 1918 deaths Japanese sumo wrestlers Yokozuna Sumo people from Miyagi Prefecture Place of death missing