Fujinishiki Takemitsu
Encyclopedia
Fujinishiki Takemitsu was a sumo
wrestler from Kofu
, Yamanashi Prefecture
, Japan
. After his retirement he was the head coach of Takasago stable
.
division in 1959 and was runner-up in two tournaments that year. His highest rank was komusubi. He spent a total of ten tournaments at that rank but never managed to earn promotion to sekiwake. The highlight of his career came in July 1964 when he took the top division championship or yusho
with a 14-1 record. He was ranked as a maegashira at the time and did not meet any ozeki or yokozuna during the tournament. He was perhaps fortunate that yokozuna Taihō
, who won four championships in that year alone, dropped out after five days. He wrestled for Takasago stable
and following his retirement as an active wrestler in November 1968 stayed there as a coach. In 1988 he became head of the stable, following the death of former yokozuna Asashio Tarō III
. He coached Konishiki and Mitoizumi amongst others. He also served on the Japan Sumo Association
's board of directors. In February 2002, in failing health, he passed on ownership of the stable to former ozeki Asashio Tarō IV
. He died of liver disease
in December 2003.
He was seen in the 1967 James Bond
film You Only Live Twice
, fighting in a bout against Kotozakura.
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 Kofu
Kofu, Yamanashi
is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had a estimate population of 197,540, with 85,794 households. The total area is 212.41 km².-History:Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province"...
, Yamanashi Prefecture
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
, 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...
. After his retirement he was the head coach of Takasago stable
Takasago stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables.It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these kanji is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋"....
.
Career
Making his debut in 1953, he first entered the top makuuchiMakuuchi
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....
division in 1959 and was runner-up in two tournaments that year. His highest rank was komusubi. He spent a total of ten tournaments at that rank but never managed to earn promotion to sekiwake. The highlight of his career came in July 1964 when he took the top division championship or yusho
Yusho
A Yūshō is a tournament championship in sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual honbasho or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most number of bouts. Yūshō are awarded in all six professional sumo divisions...
with a 14-1 record. He was ranked as a maegashira at the time and did not meet any ozeki or yokozuna during the tournament. He was perhaps fortunate that yokozuna Taihō
Taiho Koki
Taihō Kōki is the 48th Yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. He became a yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time, and he won a record 32 tournaments between 1960 and 1971...
, who won four championships in that year alone, dropped out after five days. He wrestled for Takasago stable
Takasago stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables.It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these kanji is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋"....
and following his retirement as an active wrestler in November 1968 stayed there as a coach. In 1988 he became head of the stable, following the death of former yokozuna Asashio Tarō III
Asashio Taro III
Asashio Tarō III was a sumo wrestler from Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. He was the sport's 46th Yokozuna. He was also a sumo coach and head of Takasago stable.-Career:...
. He coached Konishiki and Mitoizumi amongst others. He also served on 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...
's board of directors. In February 2002, in failing health, he passed on ownership of the stable to former ozeki Asashio Tarō IV
Asashio Taro IV
Asashio Tarō IV is a former sumo wrestler from Muroto, Kochi, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki...
. He died of liver disease
Liver disease
Liver disease is a broad term describing any single number of diseases affecting the liver.-Diseases:* Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but also by some poisons , autoimmunity or hereditary conditions...
in December 2003.
He was seen in the 1967 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
, fighting in a bout against Kotozakura.
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 past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo tournament winners
- List of yokozuna