Tamanoshima Arata
Encyclopedia
Tamanoshima Arata is a former sumo
wrestler from Izumizaki
, Fukushima
, Japan
. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1998, reaching the top makuuchi
division at the end of 2000. He was twice runner-up in a tournament, and earned six special prizes
and two gold stars
during his career. His highest rank was sekiwake. He wrestled for Kataonami stable
.
and so was given makushita tsukedashi status and allowed to make his professional debut in the makushita division. He was only twenty years of age, as he left the university in his second year, making him the youngest former amateur to join professional sumo in this way.
Initially competing under the shikona
or ring name of Tamanonada, he reached the second highest jūryō division in September 1999 and the top makuuchi
division for the first time in November 2000. In March 2001, upon his second promotion to the top division, he adopted the Tamanoshima name, which had previously been used by a former yokozuna from his stable, Tamanoumi
.
Tamanoshima was twice been runner-up in a tournament, in July 2001 and March 2005, and he earned five Fighting Spirit prizes
. In July 2003 he earned his first kinboshi
for defeating yokozuna Asashōryū
. The highest rank he has achieved is sekiwake, which he reached after scoring ten wins (including another yokozuna upset, over Musashimaru) at maegashira 3 in November 2003. He could only manage five wins in his sekiwake debut, but returned to the sanyaku ranks in July 2004 and January 2006. He was ever present in the top division from March 2001 to January 2008, but a poor 3-12 record in January 2008 meant he was demoted to the second division for the March 2008 tournament. He produced a 10-5 score there which was enough to return him immediately to the top division for May 2008, where he scored a creditable nine wins. However he narrowly failed to secure kachi-koshi in his next three tournaments. He fell to maegashira 15 in January 2009 but held his makuuchi position comfortably with an 11-4 record. He remained in the division until May 2010 when he was once again demoted after scoring only five wins at the bottom maegashira rank.
or elder name of Nishiiwa Oyakata.
with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. His most common winning kimarite
was yori-kiri or force out, which accounted for roughly a third of his wins, followed by oshi-dashi or push out.
, but he is the nephew of former ōzeki Kiyokuni and his older brother is the former jūryō wrestler Tamamitsukuni (now retired). He and his brother had the option to join Isegahama stable
, then run by their uncle, but they chose the more successful Kataonami stable instead.
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 Izumizaki
Izumizaki, Fukushima
is a village located in Nishishirakawa District, Fukushima, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 6,880 and a density of 194.35 persons per km². The total area is 35.40 km².-External links:*...
, Fukushima
Fukushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu 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...
. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1998, reaching 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 at the end of 2000. He was twice runner-up in a tournament, and earned six special prizes
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:...
and two gold stars
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
during his career. His highest rank was sekiwake. He wrestled for Kataonami stable
Kataonami Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. It was founded in 1961 by former sekiwake Tamanoumi Daitaro of the Nishonoseki Stable. Former sekiwake Tamanofuji took over the running of the stable upon Tamanoumi's death in 1987. In February 2010 he passed control over to...
.
Career
Tamanoshima was a college champion at Toyo UniversityToyo University
Toyo University is a university with several branches in Japan, including .- Overview :...
and so was given makushita tsukedashi status and allowed to make his professional debut in the makushita division. He was only twenty years of age, as he left the university in his second year, making him the youngest former amateur to join professional sumo in this way.
Initially competing 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...
or ring name of Tamanonada, he reached the second highest jūryō division in September 1999 and 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 first time in November 2000. In March 2001, upon his second promotion to the top division, he adopted the Tamanoshima name, which had previously been used by a former yokozuna from his stable, Tamanoumi
Tamanoumi Masahiro
Tamanoumi Masahiro , was a sumo wrestler, born in Aichi, Japan. He was the sport's 51st yokozuna.-Career:...
.
Tamanoshima was twice been runner-up in a tournament, in July 2001 and March 2005, and he earned five Fighting Spirit prizes
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:...
. In July 2003 he earned his first kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
for defeating yokozuna Asashōryū
Asashōryū Akinori
is a former sumo wrestler from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He was the 68th yokozuna in the history of the sport in Japan and became the first Mongol to reach sumo's highest rank in January 2003. He was one of the most successful yokozuna ever. In 2005 he became the first man to win all six official...
. The highest rank he has achieved is sekiwake, which he reached after scoring ten wins (including another yokozuna upset, over Musashimaru) at maegashira 3 in November 2003. He could only manage five wins in his sekiwake debut, but returned to the sanyaku ranks in July 2004 and January 2006. He was ever present in the top division from March 2001 to January 2008, but a poor 3-12 record in January 2008 meant he was demoted to the second division for the March 2008 tournament. He produced a 10-5 score there which was enough to return him immediately to the top division for May 2008, where he scored a creditable nine wins. However he narrowly failed to secure kachi-koshi in his next three tournaments. He fell to maegashira 15 in January 2009 but held his makuuchi position comfortably with an 11-4 record. He remained in the division until May 2010 when he was once again demoted after scoring only five wins at the bottom maegashira rank.
Retirement
In November 2011, after losing his first eight matches at the rank of Juryo 12 and facing certain demotion to the makushita division, Tamanoshima announced his retirement from active competition. He is staying in sumo as a coach under the toshiyoriToshiyori
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 Nishiiwa Oyakata.
Fighting style
Tamanoshima's favoured techniques are listed at the Sumo Association as hidari-yotsu/yori, meaning he preferred a hold on his 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:...
with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. 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 or force out, which accounted for roughly a third of his wins, followed by oshi-dashi or push out.
Family
Tamanoshima was born into a sports family. Not only was his father a former professional boxerBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, but he is the nephew of former ōzeki Kiyokuni and his older brother is the former jūryō wrestler Tamamitsukuni (now retired). He and his brother had the option to join Isegahama stable
Isegahama stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It was re-established by the 63rd Yokozuna Asahifuji Seiya in November 2007, who re-named his Ajigawa stable when he acquired the Isegahama toshiyori name....
, then run by their uncle, but they chose the more successful Kataonami stable instead.
Tournament 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 second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers