Tamanoumi Daitaro
Encyclopedia
Tamanoumi Daitaro, real name Tomohiro Miura, (2 January 1923 - 27 September 1987) was a sumo
wrestler from Oita
, Japan
. His highest rank was sekiwake. He won a top division tournament championship in 1957. He was later the head coach of Kataonami stable
.
, then run by active yokozuna Tamanishiki, although upon Tamanishiki's death the following year Tamanoumi Umekichi became his stablemaster. He used the shikona
of Fukusumi. However, during a sumo tour of Shanghai
in 1940, he got into a drunken argument with a driver. Military police
went to the site and he also began to fight with them. Police officers wanted him shot, but Ōzeki Haguroyama
(later yokozuna) and his stablemaster apologized to them. He survived, but was forced to leave sumo and was drafted into the Japanese army. After escaping a POW
camp in Siberia
and returning to Japan to work in a shipyard, he was invited to return to sumo in 1950. He was allowed to resume his career in the third makushita division where he had left off, and made the juryo division in 1951, adopting the Tamanoumi name, and the top makuuchi
division the year after, when he was already 29 years old. In May 1953, he faced Haguroyama in the ring for the only time. Tamanoumi defeated the man who had helped save his life, in what was to be the last bout of Haguroyama's career.
Tamanoumi reached his highest rank of sekiwake in 1957 but then was forced to sit out a couple of tournaments through injury. He fell to the maegashira ranks and considered retiring, but came back to win the top division tournament championship in November 1957 (the first time the Kyūshū
honbasho
had been staged) with a perfect 15–0 score. During that tournament he wore a gold-coloured mawashi
, the first wrestler to flout the Japan Sumo Association
's rule that only dark colours should be worn. It had been given to him by the chairman of his supporter's club, who was also the head of the shipping company for whom he had worked in his years out of sumo. Because other wrestlers regarded it as a symbol of good luck, and also because NHK
began colour broadcasts of sumo matches in 1960, many others have followed Tamanoumi's lead and worn brightly coloured mawashi. He was runner-up in two other tournaments and earned nine kinboshi
or gold stars for defeating yokozuna.
, which he ran until his death. The stable produced the yokozuna Tamanoumi Masahiro
. In his later years he was also a somewhat controversial commentator for NHK's sumo coverage.
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 Oita
Oita, Oita
is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...
, 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 sekiwake. He won a top division tournament championship in 1957. He was later the head coach of 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
He made his professional debut at the age of 14 in May 1937, joining Nishonoseki stableNishonoseki Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Nishonoseki group of stables named after it. It first appeared in the late eighteenth century and was re-established in its current form in 1935 by the 32nd Yokozuna Tamanishiki while still active...
, then run by active yokozuna Tamanishiki, although upon Tamanishiki's death the following year Tamanoumi Umekichi became his stablemaster. He used 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 Fukusumi. However, during a sumo tour of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1940, he got into a drunken argument with a driver. Military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
went to the site and he also began to fight with them. Police officers wanted him shot, but Ōzeki 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...
(later yokozuna) and his stablemaster apologized to them. He survived, but was forced to leave sumo and was drafted into the Japanese army. After escaping a POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and returning to Japan to work in a shipyard, he was invited to return to sumo in 1950. He was allowed to resume his career in the third makushita division where he had left off, and made the juryo division in 1951, adopting the Tamanoumi name, 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 the year after, when he was already 29 years old. In May 1953, he faced Haguroyama in the ring for the only time. Tamanoumi defeated the man who had helped save his life, in what was to be the last bout of Haguroyama's career.
Tamanoumi reached his highest rank of sekiwake in 1957 but then was forced to sit out a couple of tournaments through injury. He fell to the maegashira ranks and considered retiring, but came back to win the top division tournament championship in November 1957 (the first time the Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
honbasho
Honbasho
A is an official professional sumo tournament. There are six held each year, a system established in 1958. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
had been staged) with a perfect 15–0 score. During that tournament he wore a gold-coloured mawashi
Mawashi
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:...
, the first wrestler to flout 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...
's rule that only dark colours should be worn. It had been given to him by the chairman of his supporter's club, who was also the head of the shipping company for whom he had worked in his years out of sumo. Because other wrestlers regarded it as a symbol of good luck, and also because NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
began colour broadcasts of sumo matches in 1960, many others have followed Tamanoumi's lead and worn brightly coloured mawashi. He was runner-up in two other tournaments and earned nine 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 for defeating yokozuna.
Retirement from sumo
He retired in January 1961 at the age of 38, and opened up the Kataonami stableKataonami 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...
, which he ran until his death. The stable produced the yokozuna Tamanoumi Masahiro
Tamanoumi Masahiro
Tamanoumi Masahiro , was a sumo wrestler, born in Aichi, Japan. He was the sport's 51st yokozuna.-Career:...
. In his later years he was also a somewhat controversial commentator for NHK's sumo coverage.
Top division record
Note: The Osaka tournament resumed in 1953. The Kyūshū tournament was first held in 1957, and the Nagoya tournament in 1958.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