Toyonoshima Daiki (born June 26, 1983, as Daiki Kajiwara) is a former 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
Sukumo, Kōchi
270px, Aerial view of Sukumo Bay
is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 19,292 in 9,966 households, and a population density of 67 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Suku ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. He made his professional debut in January 2002, reaching 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 September 2004. He was a runner-up in five tournaments, and earned ten
special prizes. His highest rank was ''
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 ...
'', which he first reached in September 2008 and held for five tournaments in total. Following a suspension in July 2010 he was demoted to the ''
jūryō
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
'' division, but upon his return to ''makuuchi'' in November 2010 he took part in a playoff for the championship. He won four ''
kinboshi
is a notation used in 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 oth ...
'' or gold stars awarded for ''
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 ...
'' upsets, three of them earned by defeating
Harumafuji from 2013 to 2015. He wrestled for
Tokitsukaze stable
The is a stable of sumo wrestlers in Japan, one of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. It was founded in 1769 and was dominant during the Taishō period.
In its modern form it dates from 1941 when it was established by Futabayama, who was still a ...
. He retired in 2020 and was an
elder of the
Japan Sumo Association
The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
under the name of Izutsu-''oyakata'' until his departure from the association in January 2023.
Early life and sumo background
Toyonoshima is the oldest son of a
tofu
or bean curd is a food prepared by Coagulation (milk), coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', and ''extra (or super) firm''. It originated in Chin ...
maker. In his early years, he was an avid
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
player. However, his destiny changed after winning an area boys' sumo tournament championship. In junior high and high school, he was rivals with another future sumo wrestler who would go on to take the
fighting name Kotoshōgiku. Kotoshōgiku later became a rival of his in professional sumo as well. After graduating from high school, Toyonoshima joined
Tokitsukaze stable
The is a stable of sumo wrestlers in Japan, one of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. It was founded in 1769 and was dominant during the Taishō period.
In its modern form it dates from 1941 when it was established by Futabayama, who was still a ...
through a connection a friend of his father's had with the stable. He was below the minimum height requirement of 173 cm but was allowed to make his debut after passing a secondary physical exam.
Career
Early career and rise to ''sekiwake''
On entering the sumo world, Toyonoshima rose quickly through the lower ranks of sumo, winning two championships or ''
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 ...
'' in the ''
jonokuchi
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
'' and ''
jonidan
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
'' divisions with perfect 7–0 records. He reached
sekitori
A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a '' rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: '' makuuchi'' and '' jūryō''.
The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fr ...
status in March 2004 after a 5–2 result at the rank of ''
makushita
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
'' 2. He moved through the ''
jūryō
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
'' in just two tournaments with consecutive 11–4 records. Upon reaching 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 he initially had little success and was demoted back to ''jūryō'' twice. However, after winning the ''jūryō'' championship in September 2005 with a strong 14–1 record, his fortunes began to turn and after some initial struggles, he rose steadily through the ranks of ''makuuchi''.
In May 2006 Toyonoshima recorded only his second ''
kachi-koshi
The following words are terms used in 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 oth ...
'' or winning score in the top division, in his ninth tournament there. His first big success came in January 2007 when ranked 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 on ...
'' 9 he finished as runner up to ''
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 ...
''
Asashōryū with an outstanding 12–3 record and earned his first
special prizes for Fighting Spirit and Technique. In March he defeated two ''
ōzeki'',
Kotoōshū and
Chiyotaikai, and earned promotion to ''komusubi'' for May. At just 168 cm, or tall, he was the shortest wrestler to make ''komusubi'' in fifty years. However, before the tournament began he sprained his knee and ankle ligaments in a practice session with Asashōryū at his stable and could only manage four wins in his ''
san'yaku
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
'' (titled rank) debut.

In September 2007 Toyonoshima became the first ''
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 ...
'' to defeat
Hakuhō since his promotion to ''yokozuna'', earning his first ''
kinboshi
is a notation used in 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 oth ...
''. He also defeated ''ōzeki'' Kotoōshū and
Kotomitsuki
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Okazaki City. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in November 2000 and won one ''yūshō'' or tournament championship, in Septemb ...
. He finished with an 8–7 score and was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. He achieved another winning record in the next tournament but faltered slightly with two 6–9 scores in January and March 2008. In May, however, he was on the leaderboard for much of the tournament and finished with joint runner-up honours and a share of the Fighting Spirit prize. He was one of seven wrestlers who
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
commentator Shūhei Nagao (the former
Mainoumi) in 2008 called the "
Seven Samurai
is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai action film directed by Akira Kurosawa from a screenplay co-written with Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni. Taking place in 1586 in the Sengoku period of Japanese history, it follows the story of a villag ...
" and identified as "holding the key" to a Japanese resurgence in sumo, which was dominated by foreigners in the top ranks. (The others were
Gōeidō,
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 reac ...
,
Kotoshōgiku,
Hōmashō,
Toyohibiki and
Tochiōzan).

Toyonoshima returned to the ''san'yaku'' ranks at ''komusubi'' for the July 2008 tournament, where he defeated Asashōryū for the first time on the opening day. He finished with ten wins and another Outstanding Performance prize, and Kotoshogiku's losing record meant Toyonoshima was promoted to ''
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 ...
'' for the September tournament, becoming the first wrestler from Tokitsukaze stable to reach the rank since
Kurama in 1978. He fell short with a 6–9 score and was demoted to ''maegashira'' 1, but returned to ''komusubi'' for the January 2009 tournament.
On the 7th day of the January 2009 tournament, Toyonoshima fell victim to ''
ōzeki''
Kaiō's ''kotenage'' armbar throw. Toyonoshima appeared to suffer a severely hyper-extended elbow during the throw. Despite being doubled over in pain, Toyonoshima managed to bow to Kaiō and left the ''
dohyō
A ''dohyō'' (, ) is the space in which a sumo wrestling bout occurs. A typical ''dohyō'' is a circle made of partially buried rice- straw bales 4.55 meters in diameter. In official professional tournaments ('' honbasho''), it is mounted on a sq ...
'' unassisted, until he was safely back in the dressing area, where medical attention appeared to be prompt.
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
English-language announcers later reported that Toyonoshima said he heard the elbow snap. The online-edition of the ''
Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are ''The Asahi Shimbun'', the ''Chunichi Shimbun'', the ''Ma ...
'' reported that Toyonoshima was diagnosed with left-elbow sprain" and he was forced to forfeit the next day's scheduled bout against
Kotoshōgiku. Later news reports indicated that the
Japan Sumo Association
The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
doctors told the 25-year-old ''
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 ...
'' to take a six-week medical leave, and that Toyonoshima would bow out of the remainder of the 2009 Hatsu ''basho'' at 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 ...
in
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 ...
. This is the first occasion since his debut that he has missed any tournament bouts.
Toyonoshima returned to action in the March tournament in
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
with his elbow strapped, but secured a winning record of 8–7 on the final day. In May, ranked at ''maegashira'' 3, he could manage only two wins in the first twelve days before winning his last three bouts. He produced his best performance of the year in November, a promising 11–4 score which won him his second Technique prize and opened up the possibility of promotion back to ''san'yaku'' in January 2010. However, due to
Chiyotaikai's demotion to ''sekiwake'' and
Kakuryū finishing 7–8, he had to settle for the ''maegashira'' 1 position. He recovered from 3–6 down in the January tournament to post his majority of wins, and this returned him to the ''san'yaku'' ranks for the first time in seven tournaments, at ''sekiwake''. He began brightly in the March tournament, opening with three consecutive wins, but he then faded and finished with just six wins against nine losses.
Tournament playoff
He was suspended along with over a dozen other wrestlers from the July 2010 tournament after admitting involvement in illegal betting on baseball. As a result, he was demoted to the ''jūryō'' division for the following September. He bounced back from this penalty with an impressive 14–1 record and took his second ''jūryō'' championship, exactly five years after his first, guaranteeing himself promotion back into the top division. Fighting from ''maegashira'' 9 in November, he produced another 14–1 score, losing only to
Kyokutenhō and defeating two ''ōzeki''. He lost to
Hakuhō in a playoff for the ''yūshō'' on the final day, narrowly failing to become the first wrestler ever to win back-to-back ''jūryō'' and ''makuuchi'' championships (and the first Japanese-born winner of a top division tournament since 2006), but he received special prizes for Fighting Spirit and Technique. He was promoted to ''maegashira'' 1 for the following tournament in January, the first time that a ''maegashira'' has won fourteen bouts and not been promoted to a ''san'yaku'' rank. He made a poor start to the January tournament losing seven of his first eight matches, but he recovered to earn his 8–7 majority of wins on the final day. This returned him to ''san'yaku'' for the (subsequently cancelled) March tournament. In the May 'technical examination' tournament he had an even worse start, losing nine of his first ten bouts and finishing on 5–10.
He returned to ''komusubi'' in September 2011 and recovered from a 1–7 start for the second time in his career to keep his rank with an 8–7 score. He rose to ''sekiwake'' in January 2012 but lost his rank after only scoring 5–10. He had a fine tournament in March, beating the ''ōzeki'' Kotoshōgiku and Kotoōshū and sharing the Technique prize, which returned him immediately to ''sekiwake''. In the May 2012 basho he defeated Hakuhō for just the second time in the top division, sending the ''yokozuna'' crashing to his fourth loss of the tournament. In this period he managed to achieve enough winning tournaments to stay in the higher ranks of ''makuuchi'', and also earned two
gold star wins against ''yokozuna''
Harumafuji, which were ironically both losing tournaments for Toyonoshima.
Later career and fall to ''makushita''
Toyonoshima maintained his position in the upper ''maegashira'' ranks in 2015, earning a fourth ''kinboshi'' in March when he again defeated Harumafuji. In January 2016 he produced his best performance for several years when his 12–3 record included a win over the eventual winner
Kotoshōgiku and saw him tying for second place and being awarded the prize for Outstanding Performance. This was his tenth special prize, putting him level with Harumafuji and behind only
Gōeidō and
Aminishiki amongst active wrestlers. His performance saw him being promoted to ''sekiwake'' for the fifth time, and for the first time since May 2012. His next two tournaments were disappointing: he lost his ''sekiwake'' rank after recording only three wins in March and then posted a 5–10 record in May. He missed the July 2016 tournament after undergoing surgery for a left
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...
rupture which occurred in training and as a result was demoted to ''jūryō'' for the first time since 2010. He decided to skip the September tournament as well to allow his injury to fully heal, which meant a demotion to the ''makushita'' division. He is only the second wrestler to have fallen to ''makushita'' having previously taken part in a ''makuuchi'' division playoff, after
Hokutōriki. He considered retiring at this point, but was persuaded to carry on by his young daughter.
Toyonoshima managed only a bare majority of four wins against three losses on his comeback in November 2016 but recorded six wins in January 2017. He strained his right calf in training shortly before the March 2017 tournament, and after missing his first match announced his withdrawal, although he returned from the fifth day. By January 2018 he had risen to ''makushita'' 5, but he was again affected by injury in this tournament, withdrawing on Day 5 and again on Day 9 having returned on Day 7. He won promotion back to the ''jūryō'' division after a 6–1 record at ''makushita'' 1 in September 2018, after an absence of 13 tournaments. He is the sixth oldest wrestler post-World War II to return to ''jūryō'' at 35 years and four months. In March 2019 he was promoted back to ''makuuchi''. He is the third former ''sekiwake'' to fall to ''makushita'' and make a return to ''makuuchi'' after
Kotokaze and
Hōō
''Fenghuang'' () are mythological birds featuring in traditions throughout the Sinosphere. ''Fenghuang'' are understood to reign over all other birds: males and females were originally termed ''feng'' and ''huang'' respectively, but a gender ...
.
Retirement from sumo
In 2020 Toyonoshima fell back to the ''makushita'' division after suffering an arm injury, and he announced his retirement on April 17. His career record was 703 wins against 641 losses over 109 career tournaments, and his top division record was 493 wins against 524 losses over 71 tournaments. He assumed the
elder name of Izutsu, previously held by the late
Sakahoko
Sakahoko Nobushige (born Yoshiaki Fukuzono; 18 June 1961 – 16 September 2019) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. The son of Tsurugamine, he made his professional debut in 1978, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1982. His highest rank wa ...
, and will work as a coach in the
Japan Sumo Association
The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
. He had reportedly been making payments towards the Nishikijima name previously intended for his former stablemate
Shimotori before he was forced to quit sumo, but he was ultimately unable to acquire it, and the stock went to
Asasekiryū instead.
Toyonoshima's
retirement ceremony was held on May 28, 2022, at 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 ...
. On January 4, 2023, he announced his departure as a member of the Sumo Association in order to pursue a career as a
TV personality
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
. Alongside his work as a presenter, Toyonoshima also coaches the
Tachikawa Aircraft Company
was an aircraft manufacturer in the Empire of Japan, specializing primarily in aircraft for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. It was based at Tachikawa, Tokyo, Tachikawa, in Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture.
History
Tachikawa Aircraft
In November 1 ...
corporate sumo club, where he trains the women's team.
Fighting style
Toyonoshima was equally adept at grappling techniques, or ''yotsu-sumo'', and pushing/thrusting techniques, ''oshi-sumo''. His two most common winning ''
kimarite
is the technique used in sumo by a (wrestler) to win a match. It is officially decided or announced by the (referee) at the end of the match, though judge (sumo), judges can modify this decision. The records of are then kept for statistical ...
'' were ''yori-kiri'', the force out, and ''oshi-dashi'', the push out.
His favourite grip on his opponent's ''
mawashi
In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or .
''Mawashi''
''Sekitori'' During competition
For top ranked profess ...
'' was ''hidari-yotsu'', a right hand outside, left hand inside grip, from which position he also regularly employed ''shitate-nage'', or the inner arm throw.
Personal life
Toyonoshima was married to pop singer
Sunaho Takeuchi in February 2011 and the wedding reception was held that October in Tokyo's Metropolitan Hotel with around 600 guests attending.
Career record
See also
*
List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
The table below lists the runners up ('' jun-yusho'') in the top ''makuuchi'' division at official sumo tournaments or ''honbasho'' since the six tournaments per year system was instituted in 1958. The runner up is determined by the wrestler(s) w ...
*
List of sumo tournament second division champions
This is a list of wrestlers who have won the sumo second division ''jūryō'' championship since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan.
The wrestler who has won the mo ...
*
List of active gold star earners
is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked (''maegashira'') wrestler's victory over a ''yokozuna''.
It is believed that the term stems from the usage of the terms ''shiroboshi'' (lit: white star) to designate a b ...
*
*
List of past sumo wrestlers
This is a list of prominent past wrestlers (either retired or deceased) in the sport of professional sumo. They are listed in order of the year and tournament month that they made their professional debuts. The information listed below was gleaned ...
*
List of sumo elders
This is a list of toshiyori, elders of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). More accurately called "elder stock" or ''toshiyori kabu,'' these names are a finite number of licenses that can be passed on, and are strictly controlled by the JSA. They all ...
*
List of sekiwake
This is a list of all sumo wrestlers whose pinnacle in the sport has been the third highest rank of '' sekiwake'' and who held the rank in the modern era of sumo since the 1927 merger of the Tokyo and Osaka organizations. There are usually two ac ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toyonoshima, Daiki
1983 births
Living people
Japanese sumo wrestlers
People from Sukumo, Kōchi
Sumo people from Kōchi Prefecture
Sekiwake