Misugisato Koji
Encyclopedia
Misugisato Kōji is a former sumo
wrestler from Shiga Prefecture
, Japan
. His highest rank was komusubi.
, Koka District
, he joined Futagoyama stable at the beginning of 1979 at the age of 15, recruited by former yokozuna Wakanohana
. He initially fought under his own surname before being given the shikona
of Misugisato (meaning "village of three cedars") in 1980. In July 1984 he reached the sekitori
ranks for the first time, but lasted only one tournament in the juryo division before being demoted back to makushita. It took him exactly two years to win promotion back to juryo and he promptly won the divisional yusho
or tournament championship with an 11-4 record. He moved up and down the division a few times before winning promotion to the top makuuchi
division after a 10-5 score at the rank of Juryo 2 in March 1988. In November 1988 he scored nine wins against six losses at the rank of maegashira 7, which was enough to see him promoted to komusubi for the January 1989 tournament. Unusually, he had been promoted to the sanyaku ranks without ever having faced any sanyaku ranked wrestlers himself. (He received some banzuke
good fortune as both komusubi and most of the maegashira ranked above him had finished with make-koshi or losing records in November).
Misugisato was thrown in at the deep end in his komusubi debut, facing all the three yokozuna in the first three days. Unsurprisingly, he was unable to defeat any of them and finished with a losing score of 3-12. Nevertheless he upset yokozuna Hokutoumi in the May and September 1989 tournaments, to earn the first two of his eventual six kinboshi
or gold stars. On the final day of the January 1992 tournament he faced Takahanada
, who needed the win to clinch his first top division tournament championship. Takahanada was the nephew of Misugisato's stablemaster Futagoyama, who was officiating in his last tournament as the head of the Japan Sumo Association
and was due to present the trophy to the winner of the yusho. Misugisato had already earned a majority of wins, and lost the match to finish on 8-7. He and Takanohana would later become stablemates when Futagoyama stable merged with Takahanada's Fujishima stable. In May 1992 he earned ten wins at Maegashira 1, and was rewarded with his first sanshō
or special prize, for Fighting Spirit, and promotion back to komusubi. He held the rank for the next two tournaments.
Misugisato never reached the sanyaku ranks again, but he remained in the top division until March 1997. He then fought in the juryo division until his retirement in July 1998 at the age of 36. He remained in the sumo world as a coach under the toshiyori
or elder name of Hamakaze, but left his role in November 2006 when the elder stock was needed by the former maegashira Gojōrō Katsuhiro
.
Misugisato comes from area famous for its pottery
, known as Shigaraki ware, and became interested in ceramics as a result. In his days as an active wrestler he also built up a vast record collection
.
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 Shiga Prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
, 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 komusubi.
Career
Born in ShigarakiShigaraki, Shiga
was a town located in Kōka District, Shiga, Japan.On October 1, 2004 Shigaraki was merged with the towns of Kōka, Kōnan, Minakuchi and Tsuchiyama, all from Kōka District, to form the new city of Kōka....
, Koka District
Koka District, Shiga
was a district located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 147,928 and a density of 267.90 persons per km²...
, he joined Futagoyama stable at the beginning of 1979 at the age of 15, recruited by former yokozuna Wakanohana
Wakanohana Kanji I
was a sumo wrestler, the sport's 45th Yokozuna .Wakanohana's younger brother was the late former ozeki Takanohana Kenshi and he was the uncle of Takanohana Koji and Wakanohana Masaru...
. He initially fought under his own surname before being given 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 Misugisato (meaning "village of three cedars") in 1980. In July 1984 he reached the 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...
ranks for the first time, but lasted only one tournament in the juryo division before being demoted back to makushita. It took him exactly two years to win promotion back to juryo and he promptly won the divisional 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...
or tournament championship with an 11-4 record. He moved up and down the division a few times before winning promotion 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 after a 10-5 score at the rank of Juryo 2 in March 1988. In November 1988 he scored nine wins against six losses at the rank of maegashira 7, which was enough to see him promoted to komusubi for the January 1989 tournament. Unusually, he had been promoted to the sanyaku ranks without ever having faced any sanyaku ranked wrestlers himself. (He received some banzuke
Banzuke
This article is about the banzuke document, for a list of wrestlers as ranked on an actual banzuke see List of active sumo wrestlersA , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament or honbasho. The term can also...
good fortune as both komusubi and most of the maegashira ranked above him had finished with make-koshi or losing records in November).
Misugisato was thrown in at the deep end in his komusubi debut, facing all the three yokozuna in the first three days. Unsurprisingly, he was unable to defeat any of them and finished with a losing score of 3-12. Nevertheless he upset yokozuna Hokutoumi in the May and September 1989 tournaments, to earn the first two of his eventual six kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
or gold stars. On the final day of the January 1992 tournament he faced Takahanada
Takanohana 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...
, who needed the win to clinch his first top division tournament championship. Takahanada was the nephew of Misugisato's stablemaster Futagoyama, who was officiating in his last tournament as the head 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 was due to present the trophy to the winner of the yusho. Misugisato had already earned a majority of wins, and lost the match to finish on 8-7. He and Takanohana would later become stablemates when Futagoyama stable merged with Takahanada's Fujishima stable. In May 1992 he earned ten wins at Maegashira 1, and was rewarded with 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 Fighting Spirit, and promotion back to komusubi. He held the rank for the next two tournaments.
Misugisato never reached the sanyaku ranks again, but he remained in the top division until March 1997. He then fought in the juryo division until his retirement in July 1998 at the age of 36. He remained in the sumo world as a coach under the toshiyori
Toshiyori
A toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
or elder name of Hamakaze, but left his role in November 2006 when the elder stock was needed by the former maegashira Gojōrō Katsuhiro
Gojōrō Katsuhiro
Gojōrō Katsuhiro is a former sumo wrestler from Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan. Making his professional debut in 1989, he spent a total of 53 tournaments as an elite sekitori ranked wrestler, reaching a highest rank of maegashira 3 in 1998. After a number of injury problems he retired in 2005 at the age...
.
Misugisato comes from area famous for its pottery
Japanese pottery
Japanese pottery and porcelain , one of the country's oldest art forms, dates back to the Neolithic period...
, known as Shigaraki ware, and became interested in ceramics as a result. In his days as an active wrestler he also built up a vast record collection
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
.