Masuiyama Daishiro I
Encyclopedia
Masuiyama Daishirō was a sumo
wrestler from Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture
, Japan
. His highest rank was ozeki. After his retirement he was the head coach of Mihogaseki stable
and produced yokozuna Kitanoumi among other wrestlers.
in 1935 and initially fought under the shikona
of Hamanishiki, before changing to Masuiyama in 1937. After winning the makushita tournament championship or yusho
in 1939 he was promoted to juryo and only two tournaments later, after picking up another championship, he was promoted to the top makuuchi
division for the January 1941 tournament. In January 1942 he defeated yokozuna Haguroyama
to earn his first gold star or kinboshi
. He finished with a losing record but good performances over the next three tournaments took him to komusubi and then sekiwake in 1944. In the first postwar tournament held in a bomb-damaged Kokugikan
in June 1945 he could manage only two wins and dropped back to the maegashira ranks, but he was runner-up to Haguroyama in November 1946 with a fine 11-2 record. After earning his first sanshō
or special prize for Technique he returned to the sanyaku ranks, and in October 1948 he won his first top division championship. He took advantage of the poor condition of the three yokozuna and finished with a 10-1 record, defeating ozeki Azumafuji in a playoff. After the tournament Azumafuji was promoted to yokozuna and Masuiyama was elevated to ozeki. In his second tournament at ozeki rank Masuiyama took his second and final championship, defeating yokozuna Haguroyama, Azumafuji and Maedayama on three consecutive days to finish 13-2. He defeated maegashira Hajimayama, a fellow member of Dewanoumi stable, in another playoff on the final day.
, including Kitanoumi who reached yokozuna in 1974, and his eldest son, Masuiyama Daishiro II
, who was born in 1948, entered his father's stable in 1967 alongside Kitanoumi and reached the ozeki rank in 1980. In November 1984 Masuiyama reached the mandatory retirement age set by the Japan Sumo Association
and passed on control of Mihogaseki stable to his son. He died less than one year later. Kitanoumi, his most successful wrestler, missed his own father's funeral to attend Masuiyama's.
|-
!
!New Year
!Summer
!Autumn
|-
|1941
|East Maegashira #16 (10-5)
|East Maegashira #8 (5-10)
| no tournament held
|-
|1942
|West Maegashira #10 (6-9)☆
|West Maegashira #12 (10-5)
| no tournament held
|-
|1943
|East Maegashira #7 (8-7)
|West Maegashira #3 (10-5)
| no tournament held
|-
|1944
|East Komusubi (11-4)
|West Sekiwake (4-6)
|West Komusubi (4-6)
|-
|1945
|no tournament held
|East Maegashira #3 (2-3-2)
|East Maegashira #8 (5-5)
|-
|1946
|no tournament held
|no tournament held
|East Maegashira #6 (11-2)
|-
|1947
|no tournament held
|bgcolor=gray|Sat out
|West Maegashira #2 (8-3)T☆
|-
|1948
|no tournament held
|East Komusubi (7-4)
|bgcolor=#66FF00|West Sekiwake (10-1-P)O
|-
|1949
|West Ozeki (7-6)
|bgcolor=#66FF00|West Ozeki (13-2-P)
|East Ozeki (3-6-6)
|-
|1950
|West Ozeki (4-6-5) (Retired)
|x
|x
|-
{|
| Green Box=Tournament Championship
| F= Fighting Spirit Prize
| O= Outstanding Performance Prize
| T= Technique Prize
| ☆= Number of Kinboshi
|}
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 Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, 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 ozeki. After his retirement he was the head coach of Mihogaseki stable
Mihogaseki stable
The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. Its current head coach, former ozeki Masuiyama Daishiro II took charge in November 1984. He is the son of the previous head, also an ozeki under the name Masuiyama, making it one of only three current stables...
and produced yokozuna Kitanoumi among other wrestlers.
Career
Born Kumiaki Sawaka, he joined Dewanoumi stableDewanoumi stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers. It has a long, prestigious history. Its current head coach is former sekiwake Washuyama. As of November 2007 it had 21 wrestlers....
in 1935 and initially fought under the 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...
of Hamanishiki, before changing to Masuiyama in 1937. After winning the makushita tournament 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...
in 1939 he was promoted to juryo and only two tournaments later, after picking up another championship, he 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 for the January 1941 tournament. In January 1942 he defeated yokozuna Haguroyama
Haguroyama Masaji
Haguroyama Masaji was a sumo wrestler from Nakanokuchi, Niigata, Japan. He was the sport's 36th yokozuna. He was a yokozuna for a period of twelve years and three months dating from his promotion to that rank in May 1941 until his retirement in September 1953, which is an all-time record...
to earn his first gold star or kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
. He finished with a losing record but good performances over the next three tournaments took him to komusubi and then sekiwake in 1944. In the first postwar tournament held in a bomb-damaged Kokugikan
Ryogoku 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 June 1945 he could manage only two wins and dropped back to the maegashira ranks, but he was runner-up to Haguroyama in November 1946 with a fine 11-2 record. After earning his first sanshō
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 for Technique he returned to the sanyaku ranks, and in October 1948 he won his first top division championship. He took advantage of the poor condition of the three yokozuna and finished with a 10-1 record, defeating ozeki Azumafuji in a playoff. After the tournament Azumafuji was promoted to yokozuna and Masuiyama was elevated to ozeki. In his second tournament at ozeki rank Masuiyama took his second and final championship, defeating yokozuna Haguroyama, Azumafuji and Maedayama on three consecutive days to finish 13-2. He defeated maegashira Hajimayama, a fellow member of Dewanoumi stable, in another playoff on the final day.
Retirement from sumo
This was to be the last tourney Masuiyama was to complete. After pulling out of the next two tournaments through injury he retired in January 1950 at the age of 30, having spent only four tournaments at ozeki rank. He became head coach of the small Mihogaseki stable. After a long period without success, he eventually managed to produce some strong sekitoriSekitori
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...
, including Kitanoumi who reached yokozuna in 1974, and his eldest son, Masuiyama Daishiro II
Masuiyama Daishiro II
Masuiyama Daishirō is a former sumo wrestler from Hyōgo, Japan. In 1980 he became the oldest man to be promoted to the rank of ozeki in the modern era...
, who was born in 1948, entered his father's stable in 1967 alongside Kitanoumi and reached the ozeki rank in 1980. In November 1984 Masuiyama reached the mandatory retirement age set by 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 passed on control of Mihogaseki stable to his son. He died less than one year later. Kitanoumi, his most successful wrestler, missed his own father's funeral to attend Masuiyama's.
Top division record
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 120%"|-
!
!New Year
!Summer
!Autumn
|-
|1941
|East Maegashira #16 (10-5)
|East Maegashira #8 (5-10)
| no tournament held
|-
|1942
|West Maegashira #10 (6-9)☆
|West Maegashira #12 (10-5)
| no tournament held
|-
|1943
|East Maegashira #7 (8-7)
|West Maegashira #3 (10-5)
| no tournament held
|-
|1944
|East Komusubi (11-4)
|West Sekiwake (4-6)
|West Komusubi (4-6)
|-
|1945
|no tournament held
|East Maegashira #3 (2-3-2)
|East Maegashira #8 (5-5)
|-
|1946
|no tournament held
|no tournament held
|East Maegashira #6 (11-2)
|-
|1947
|no tournament held
|bgcolor=gray|Sat out
|West Maegashira #2 (8-3)T☆
|-
|1948
|no tournament held
|East Komusubi (7-4)
|bgcolor=#66FF00|West Sekiwake (10-1-P)O
|-
|1949
|West Ozeki (7-6)
|bgcolor=#66FF00|West Ozeki (13-2-P)
|East Ozeki (3-6-6)
|-
|1950
|West Ozeki (4-6-5) (Retired)
|x
|x
|-
- The wrestler's East/West designation, rank, and win/loss record are listed for each tournament.
- A third figure in win-loss records represents matches sat-out during the tournament (usually due to injury)
- "P" designates a win or loss of additional playoff bout(s) for the championship because two or more wrestlers finished with identical records
{|
| Green Box=Tournament Championship
| F= Fighting Spirit Prize
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:...
| O= Outstanding Performance Prize
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:...
| T= Technique Prize
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:...
| ☆= Number of Kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
|}
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