Akinoshima Katsumi
Encyclopedia
Akinoshima Katsumi is a former sumo
wrestler from Akitsu
, Hiroshima Prefecture
, Japan
. He made his professional debut in 1982, and after reaching the top division in 1988 he remained there for 15 years. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was known as the "giant killer" having defeated more yokozuna than any other untitled wrestler (maegashira) in the history of sumo, earning himself 16 gold stars or kinboshi
over his career, four more than his nearest kinboshi earning rivals, Takamiyama and Tochinonada. He also has received 19 performance prizes (sansho
), another record in sumo history.
Akinoshima was a member of Futagoyama stable and was a stablemate of the wrestling brothers Takanohana II and Wakanohana III
during their rise in sumo and subsequent yokozuna reigns. Akinoshima was a wrestler always capable of surprise wins, but lacked consistency, spending most of his career as a maegashira. After his retirement in 2003
he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association
and in 2009
he became head coach of the Takadagawa stable
.
on one of the ozekis visits to Hiroshima. Katsumi was invited to join Takanohana's heya, Futagoyama-beya (then known as Fujishima-beya). Making his professional debut in March 1982, he reached the third highest makushita division in March 1985. After winning the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record in May 1987 he made his second division jūryō debut that July, and entered the top division makuuchi
in March 1988, just days shy of his 20th birthday.
He had an ongoing rivalry with another maegashira star Kotonishiki, and managed to chalk up only a 9-39 win/loss record against him during their respective top division careers. No wrestler in the history of sumo has ever lost more times to another than Akinoshima did against Kotonishiki. He won his last bout against Kotonishiki in March 2000, but injured his elbow in the win. Ironically, this injury would be one factor that led to his eventual retirement in May 2003. He was the last top division wrestler from the Showa era to retire.
He competed in the top division for 91 tournaments, which is the fourth highest in history, after Kaio
, Takamiyama and Terao. He never won a top division tournament title, his best result being 12-3 in March 1992 when he finished runner-up to Konishiki. He was ranked in the titled sanyaku ranks for 27 tournaments, 15 at komusubi and 12 at sekiwake. However, he was never consistent enough to earn promotion to ozeki, often dropping matches to less talented opponents.
He won his nineteenth sansho
or special prize in 1999
, breaking the record of eighteen held by his rival Kotonishiki. The last two came in September 1999, a tournament in which he was also runner-up for the second time.
He was an extremely diligent trainer, setting himself the target of 100 practice bouts every day. He suffered a severe shoulder injury in 1995, which required surgery.
was hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. His most common winning kimarite
was yori-kiri or force out, but he also regularly used throws, both overarm (uwatenage) and underarm (shitatenage). He was known for his excellent balance, and for his ability to bury his head into his opponent's body, making him almost impossible to shake off.
When he first entered the top division in 1988 his weight was around 130 kg (286.6 lb), below average, but this gradually increased, and peaked at 158 kg (348.3 lb) towards the end of his career.
over how to run the heya would eventually lead to Akinoshima moving to coach another heya, Takadagawa
, a fairly rare occurrence in the world of sumo. He became Sendagawa Oyakata. He took over the running of Takadagawa stable from former ozeki Maenoyama in August 2009.
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestler from Akitsu
Akitsu, Hiroshima
was a town located in Toyota District, Hiroshima, Japan.On February 7, 2005 Akitsu, along with the towns of Fukutomi, Kōchi, Kurose and Toyosaka, all from Kamo District, was merged into the expanded city of Higashihiroshima and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
, Hiroshima Prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He made his professional debut in 1982, and after reaching the top division in 1988 he remained there for 15 years. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was known as the "giant killer" having defeated more yokozuna than any other untitled wrestler (maegashira) in the history of sumo, earning himself 16 gold stars or kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
over his career, four more than his nearest kinboshi earning rivals, Takamiyama and Tochinonada. He also has received 19 performance prizes (sansho
Sansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
), another record in sumo history.
Akinoshima was a member of Futagoyama stable and was a stablemate of the wrestling brothers Takanohana II and Wakanohana III
Wakanohana Masaru
is a former sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. As an active wrestler he was known as Wakanohana III Masaru , and his rise through the ranks alongside his younger brother Takanohana Koji saw a boom in sumo's popularity in the early 1990s...
during their rise in sumo and subsequent yokozuna reigns. Akinoshima was a wrestler always capable of surprise wins, but lacked consistency, spending most of his career as a maegashira. After his retirement in 2003
2003 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 12 - 26 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 9 - 23 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 - 25 May*Nagoya basho, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 6 - 20 July...
he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
and in 2009
2009 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 January - 25 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 15 March - 29 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 May - 24 May...
he became head coach of the Takadagawa stable
Takadagawa Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables. It was formed in 1974 by former ozeki Maenoyama, and was originally in the Takasago group of stables, but was excommunicated from that group in 1998 due to disagreement over group nominations to the Japan Sumo...
.
Early years
Though he played judo in his junior high school years, Katsumi had dreamed from a very young age of becoming a sumo wrestler, and eventually was able to enter a sumo competition while still in junior high. Sometime later, he had a chance meeting with then ozeki Takanohana ITakanohana Kenshi
Takanohana Kenshi 貴ノ花健士 was a sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki, which he held for fifty tournaments. As an active rikishi he was extremely popular and was nicknamed the "prince of sumo" due to his good looks and relatively slim build...
on one of the ozekis visits to Hiroshima. Katsumi was invited to join Takanohana's heya, Futagoyama-beya (then known as Fujishima-beya). Making his professional debut in March 1982, he reached the third highest makushita division in March 1985. After winning the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record in May 1987 he made his second division jūryō debut that July, and entered the top division makuuchi
Makuuchi
or is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
in March 1988, just days shy of his 20th birthday.
Career
Akinoshima received his first kinboshi on his defeat of the yokozuna Onokuni in September 1988. He went on to receive at least one kinboshi from every yokozuna he faced. He won 14 of his 16 kinboshi in a period of just four years from 1988 to 1992, and he would earn only two more in the last 11 years of his top division career. It is notable that due to sumo rules, Akinoshima never faced his stablemates, Wakanohana and Takanohana in the sumo ring. Had he had this chance, he may have attained even more kinboshi than his already unrivaled record. He also had a remarkable hold over the ozeki Konishiki, whom he defeated in every one of their first seven meetings, and he had a 25-10 overall career advantage over him.He had an ongoing rivalry with another maegashira star Kotonishiki, and managed to chalk up only a 9-39 win/loss record against him during their respective top division careers. No wrestler in the history of sumo has ever lost more times to another than Akinoshima did against Kotonishiki. He won his last bout against Kotonishiki in March 2000, but injured his elbow in the win. Ironically, this injury would be one factor that led to his eventual retirement in May 2003. He was the last top division wrestler from the Showa era to retire.
He competed in the top division for 91 tournaments, which is the fourth highest in history, after Kaio
Kaio Hiroyuki
Kaiō Hiroyuki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan.He made his debut in 1988, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1993. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for eleven years from 2000 to 2011, and is the longest-serving ozeki of all time in terms of...
, Takamiyama and Terao. He never won a top division tournament title, his best result being 12-3 in March 1992 when he finished runner-up to Konishiki. He was ranked in the titled sanyaku ranks for 27 tournaments, 15 at komusubi and 12 at sekiwake. However, he was never consistent enough to earn promotion to ozeki, often dropping matches to less talented opponents.
He won his nineteenth sansho
Sansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
or special prize in 1999
1999 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 January - 24 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 14 March - 28 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 9 May - 23 May...
, breaking the record of eighteen held by his rival Kotonishiki. The last two came in September 1999, a tournament in which he was also runner-up for the second time.
He was an extremely diligent trainer, setting himself the target of 100 practice bouts every day. He suffered a severe shoulder injury in 1995, which required surgery.
Fighting style
Akinoshima favoured yotsu-sumo or grappling techniques, preferring to fight at close quarters rather than thrust to the chest. His favourite grip on the mawashiMawashi
In sumo, a mawashi is the belt that the rikishi wears during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a keshō-mawashi as part of the ring entry ceremony or dohyo-iri.-Mawashi:...
was hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. His most common winning kimarite
Kimarite
Kimarite are winning techniques in a sumo bout. For each bout in a Grand Sumo tournament , a sumo referee, or gyoji, will decide and announce the type of kimarite used by the winner...
was yori-kiri or force out, but he also regularly used throws, both overarm (uwatenage) and underarm (shitatenage). He was known for his excellent balance, and for his ability to bury his head into his opponent's body, making him almost impossible to shake off.
When he first entered the top division in 1988 his weight was around 130 kg (286.6 lb), below average, but this gradually increased, and peaked at 158 kg (348.3 lb) towards the end of his career.
Retirement
Upon retirement, Akinoshima became a coach (oyakata) at his heya under the name Fujishima. But disagreements with stablemaster Takanohana IITakanohana Koji
is a former sumo wrestler from Suginami, Tokyo, Japan. He was the 65th man in history to reach sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, and he won 22 tournament championships between 1992 and 2001, the fifth highest total ever...
over how to run the heya would eventually lead to Akinoshima moving to coach another heya, Takadagawa
Takadagawa Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables. It was formed in 1974 by former ozeki Maenoyama, and was originally in the Takasago group of stables, but was excommunicated from that group in 1998 due to disagreement over group nominations to the Japan Sumo...
, a fairly rare occurrence in the world of sumo. He became Sendagawa Oyakata. He took over the running of Takadagawa stable from former ozeki Maenoyama in August 2009.
Personal life
- He is a big fan of the Rolling Stones and was appointed their "ambassador" by Warner Music Japan. He invited the Stones to his retirement ceremony at the Ryōgoku KokugikanRyogoku Kokugikan, also known as Sumo Hall, is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ryōgoku neighborhood of Sumida, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo in Japan, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is the third building built in Tokyo associated with the name kokugikan. The current building was opened in 1985 and has a...
in January 2004, but they were unable to attend.
- Akinoshima was known for often avoiding interviews after big wins. Though an interview immediately after a big win is a long time sumo tradition, Akinoshima would refuse, saying that it was disrespectful to the defeated wrestler.
- Unusually for someone in the sumo world, he does not drink alcoholAlcoholic beverageAn alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
.
Top division record
See also
- Glossary of sumo termsGlossary of sumo termsThe following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. azukari : Hold. A kind of draw. After a mono-ii, the gyōji or the shimpan "holds" the result if it was too close to call...
- List of sumo tournament second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo record holders