Katayama Shinji
Encyclopedia
Katayama Shinji is a former sumo
wrestler from Yaizu
, Shizuoka
, Japan
. His highest rank was maegashira 13.
, finishing third at the All Japan Sumo Championships. He made his professional debut in March 2002 at the age of 22, joining Onomatsu stable
. He did not have enough amateur titles to enter at the makushita level, instead beginning his career at the lowest level of sumo entry, maezumo. Nevertheless he moved moved through the divisions quickly, reaching sekitori
status upon promotion to the second highest jūryō division in July 2004.
Katayama was promoted to the top makuuchi
division in May 2005. He earned eight wins against seven losses in that tournament, but did not manage to achieve kachi-koshi in the top division again. He could manage only a 7-8 score at the rank of jūryō 13 in March 2008, leaving him dangerously close to demotion to the unsalaried ranks. He maintained his sekitori status with a 9-6 mark in May 2008, but a disastrous 2-13 in July meant he was demoted to makushita for the September tournament. He retired in January 2009.
Unlike most sumo wrestlers, Katayama never adopted a traditional shikona
, instead using his own surname as his fighting name. Other recent sekitori to use their own names include Shimotori
, Satoyama
, Kakizoe and Ichihara
.
He was admired for the quality of his stamps during the pre-bout rituals, known as shiko, as he was able to raise his leg straight up in the air.
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 Yaizu
Yaizu, Shizuoka
is a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of March in 2011, the city has an estimated population of 146,717 and a population density of 2,080 persons per km². The total area is 70.55 km²...
, Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, 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...
. His highest rank was maegashira 13.
Career
Katayama practised amateur sumo at Senshu UniversitySenshu University
is a private university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Former "Senshu College" was founded in 1880, the first school in Japan comprising Economics and Law Departments to systematically offer a specialized educational curriculum in the Japanese language....
, finishing third at the All Japan Sumo Championships. He made his professional debut in March 2002 at the age of 22, joining Onomatsu stable
Onomatsu stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables. It was founded in its modern form on 1 October 1994 by Masurao Hiroo, who branched off from the now defunct Oshiogawa stable. His first wrestler to reach the top makuuchi division was Katayama in 2005....
. He did not have enough amateur titles to enter at the makushita level, instead beginning his career at the lowest level of sumo entry, maezumo. Nevertheless he moved moved through the divisions quickly, reaching sekitori
Sekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
status upon promotion to the second highest jūryō division in July 2004.
Katayama was promoted to the top 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....
division in May 2005. He earned eight wins against seven losses in that tournament, but did not manage to achieve kachi-koshi in the top division again. He could manage only a 7-8 score at the rank of jūryō 13 in March 2008, leaving him dangerously close to demotion to the unsalaried ranks. He maintained his sekitori status with a 9-6 mark in May 2008, but a disastrous 2-13 in July meant he was demoted to makushita for the September tournament. He retired in January 2009.
Unlike most sumo wrestlers, Katayama never adopted a traditional shikona
Shikona
A shikona is a sumo wrestler's ring name.As with standard Japanese names, a shikona consists of a 'surname' and a 'given' name, and the full name is written surname first. However, the given name is rarely used outside formal or ceremonial occasions. Thus, the former yokozuna Asashōryū Akinori is...
, instead using his own surname as his fighting name. Other recent sekitori to use their own names include Shimotori
Shimotori Norio
Shimotori Norio is a former sumo wrestler from Arai, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 2000 and first reached the top division in 2002, although due to injuries he had trouble maintaining that position. He earned one special prize, for Fighting...
, Satoyama
Satoyama Kosaku
Satoyama Kōsaku is a professional sumo wrestler from Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank has been maegashira 12...
, Kakizoe and Ichihara
Ichihara Takayuki
Kiyoseumi Takayuki is a former sumo wrestler from Nagoya, Japan. An extremely successful amateur, his highest rank in the professional sport was maegashira 13...
.
He was admired for the quality of his stamps during the pre-bout rituals, known as shiko, as he was able to raise his leg straight up in the air.