Tagaryu Shoji
Encyclopedia
Tagaryū Shōji is a former sumo
wrestler from Hitachi
, Ibaraki Prefecture
, Japan
. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. In 1984 he won a top division yusho
or tournament championship from the maegashira ranking. He is now a sumo coach and head of the Kagamiyama stable.
ranks, his promotion to the second highest juryo division coming in January 1981. He reached the top makuuchi
division in May 1982. He made his sanyaku debut at sekiwake rank in November 1983 but lasted only one tournament there and fell back to the maegashira ranks.
, Tagaryū was ranked maegashira 12 and knew that another make-koshi would leave him in danger of demotion from makuuchi altogether. Tagaryū started excellently, and the end of the middle day saw him the only wrestler with an eight-win clean sheet. Ōzeki Wakashimazu, who had won the previous tournament 15-0, had only lost one bout thus far. Tagaryū lost to maegashira Tochitsurugi on the ninth day. Wakashimazu lost to Konishiki on the eleventh day, leaving him with two losses. The penultimate day saw Tagaryū, with one loss, drawn against Wakashimazu with two. Tagaryū defeated the ozeki by yoritaoshi
, eliminating him from the title race. Tagaryū now stood on 13-1, one win ahead of Konishiki on 12-2. When Konishiki fell to Kotokaze on the final day, Tagaryū's subsequent loss to Asashio
was immaterial. With thirteen wins and two losses, he was the tournament champion. He was the first winner from the maegashira ranks since Kaiketsu
in 1976. In addition to the Emperor's Cup, he was awarded the Technique Prize and the Fighting Spirit Prize.
) to accomplish the somewhat dubious feat of capturing the tournament championship in the second division after winning it in the first. He retired in May 1991.
was migi-yotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He also liked uwatenage, or overarm throw, and uwatedashinage, or pulling overarm throw. His most common winning kimarite
was yori-kiri, the force out, used in about 40 percent of his victories.
. He became head coach of Kagamiyama stable in 1996 upon the death of his old coach in his days as an active wrestler, former yokozuna Kashiwado
. In February 2010 he was elected to the Sumo Association's board of Directors.
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 Hitachi
Hitachi, Ibaraki
is a city located on the Pacific Ocean in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Its name could be directly translated as "sunrise", but probably more appropriately adapted to "prosperous wealth" .-Demographics:...
, Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
, 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...
. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. In 1984 he won a top division 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 from the maegashira ranking. He is now a sumo coach and head of the Kagamiyama stable.
Early career
Tagaryu made his professional debut in March 1974. It took him seven years to make the 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...
ranks, his promotion to the second highest juryo division coming in January 1981. He reached 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 1982. He made his sanyaku debut at sekiwake rank in November 1983 but lasted only one tournament there and fell back to the maegashira ranks.
September 1984 Championship
At the September 1984 tournament, the last to be held at the Kuramae KokugikanKuramae Kokugikan
was a building situated in the Kuramae district of Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1950. The Association needed a permanent venue to hold sumo tournaments as the previous, bomb-damaged, Kokugikan had been taken over by occupying Allied forces after World War II...
, Tagaryū was ranked maegashira 12 and knew that another make-koshi would leave him in danger of demotion from makuuchi altogether. Tagaryū started excellently, and the end of the middle day saw him the only wrestler with an eight-win clean sheet. Ōzeki Wakashimazu, who had won the previous tournament 15-0, had only lost one bout thus far. Tagaryū lost to maegashira Tochitsurugi on the ninth day. Wakashimazu lost to Konishiki on the eleventh day, leaving him with two losses. The penultimate day saw Tagaryū, with one loss, drawn against Wakashimazu with two. Tagaryū defeated the ozeki by yoritaoshi
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...
, eliminating him from the title race. Tagaryū now stood on 13-1, one win ahead of Konishiki on 12-2. When Konishiki fell to Kotokaze on the final day, Tagaryū's subsequent loss to Asashio
Asashio Taro IV
Asashio Tarō IV is a former sumo wrestler from Muroto, Kochi, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki...
was immaterial. With thirteen wins and two losses, he was the tournament champion. He was the first winner from the maegashira ranks since Kaiketsu
Kaiketsu Masateru
Kaiketsu Masateru is a former sumo wrestler, who reached the second highest rank of ōzeki on two separate occasions. He also won two top division tournament championships...
in 1976. In addition to the Emperor's Cup, he was awarded the Technique Prize and the Fighting Spirit Prize.
Later career
Following his tournament win Tagaryu was promoted to komusubi but turned in a losing score and was demoted. After a series of unimpressive results he was demoted back to the juryo division in July 1988 and promptly won the juryo championship. He thereby became the second person (after WakanamiWakanami Jun
Wakanami Jun was a sumo wrestler from Iwai, Ibaraki, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. He won a top division tournament championship in March 1968. He was also a sumo coach.-Career:...
) to accomplish the somewhat dubious feat of capturing the tournament championship in the second division after winning it in the first. He retired in May 1991.
Fighting style
Tagaryu preferred yotsu-sumo, or grappling techniques. His favoured grip on the opponent's 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 migi-yotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He also liked uwatenage, or overarm throw, and uwatedashinage, or pulling overarm throw. 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, the force out, used in about 40 percent of his victories.
After retirement
Tagaryu has remained in the sumo world as an elder of the Japan Sumo AssociationJapan 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...
. He became head coach of Kagamiyama stable in 1996 upon the death of his old coach in his days as an active wrestler, former yokozuna Kashiwado
Kashiwado Tsuyoshi
Kashiwado Tsuyoshi was a sumo wrestler from Japan. He was the sport's 47th Yokozuna, fighting at sumo's highest rank from 1961 to 1969...
. In February 2010 he was elected to the Sumo Association's board of Directors.
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 winners
- List of sumo tournament second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers