Ryūko Seihō

was a sumo wrestler with the Hanakago beya, an actor and a celebrity in Japan. He was born in Ōta, Tokyo. His highest rank in sumo was ''komusubi''.

Sumo

Career

Ryūko made his tournament debut in the January 1957 ''basho''. He reached the '' juryō'' division in March 1967, and ''makuuchi'' in March 1968. The following year, he defeated ''yokozuna'' Taihō, scoring the first of his two ''kinboshi''. He was a runner-up in three top division tournaments, in March 1969, November 1969 and September 1970. His 1970 rise to ''sanyaku'' was followed by a 1971 torn achilles tendon, as a result of which he missed three successive tournaments and was demoted from ''makuuchi'' all the way down to the third ''makushita'' division. He returned to sumo, and after winning championships in the ''makushita'' and ''juryo'' divisions he regained his position in ''makuuchi'' in 1973. He scored his second ''kinboshi'' (against Kitanoumi) in 1974. He even managed a return to ''sanyaku'' at ''komusubi'' in January 1975, the first time that any wrestler had done this after dropping to ''makushita''. However, on the first match of the May tournament in that year, he tore the other Achilles tendon, and retired from sumo. He once told an interviewer that he thought ''rikishi'' wrestled too much - "Ninety days a year, such a severe tension, it's too much for a human being."

It was as a direct result of public sympathy for Ryūko's plummet down the rankings that the Japan Sumo Association introduced the ''kosho seido'', or public injury system, whereby a wrestler injured during a tournament could sit out the next one without any effect on his rank.

During his career, he earned several awards, taking the ''Shukunshō'' twice and the ''Kantōshō'' four times.

Fighting style

His favourite techniques were ''tsuppari'' (thrusting attack), ''katasukashi'' (under-shoulder swing down), ''migi-yotsu'' (left hand outside, right hand inside ''mawashi'' grip), and ''sotogake'' (outer leg trip). He most commonly won by ''hataki-komi'' (slap down).

Retirement

After his retirement he worked as a coach at his old stable under the ''toshiyori'' or elder name of Hanaregoma, but he left the Sumo Association in February 1977 to seek a new profession.

Acting

Ryūko played the station chief in the 1977 live-actor film version of Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo. He joined the cast of the ''jidaigeki'' '' Abarenbo Shogun'' during the first series (about 175 episodes), and continued through the second series (about 190 episodes). His character was a retired sumo wrestler named Ryūko. He also appeared as a guest star in an episode of the fifth series.

Death

He died on August 29, 2014, in Kakegawa, Shizuoka of a heart attack.

Career record

*''The Nagoya tournament was first held in 1958.''

See also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
*List of sumo tournament second division champions
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of komusubi

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryuko Seiho
1941 births
People from Ōta, Tokyo
2014 deaths
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Tokyo
Komusubi