Tochinowaka Kiyotaka
Encyclopedia
Tochinowaka Kiyotaka is a former sumo
wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture
, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1985, reaching the top makuuchi
division in 1987. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was a runner-up in one tournament and earned six special prizes and four kinboshi
. After 76 tournaments and 1114 bouts in the top division he retired in 1999. He is now an elder of the Japan Sumo Association
and the head coach of Kasugano stable
.
, Kaisō District
. He was named Kiyotaka after the great yokozuna of the 1950s, Tochinishiki Kiyotaka
. He played baseball
in junior high school and ambitions to be a professional, but switched to sumo in high school due to his size. He was an amateur champion at Meiji University
, and finished runner-up in the national collegiate yokozuna competition. He made his professional debut in March 1985 in the makushita division, having been given makushita tsukedashi status because of his amateur achievements. The first graduate of Meiji University to have a major impact in professional sumo, he quickly moved up the ranks, progressing through jūryō in just two tournaments and reaching the top makuuchi
division in January 1987. He was also the first top division wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture for nearly 40 years. He reached his highest rank of sekiwake in September 1987, and defeated a yokozuna and two ozeki in his first three bouts at the rank.
Tochinowaka remained in the top division for 76 tournaments, winning six special prizes
and earning four gold stars
for defeating yokozuna. He was runner-up to Konishiki in the tournament of March 1992 and looked set to launch a drive for ozeki promotion, but he was injured in the next tournament and had to withdraw. He made his last appearance in the sanyaku ranks in March 1994. He carried on fighting until the age of 37, retiring in July 1999 when he was the oldest man in the top division.
He was utterly unable to defeat Musashimaru, losing to him 23 times in 23 meetings, and he also lost all 14 bouts he contested with Chiyonofuji. His wins over yokozuna were against Futahaguro in September 1987, Onokuni in January 1988, September 1988 and September 1989, Hokutoumi in January 1990, July 1991 and November 1991, and finally Takanohana
in January 1997.
He was a heavy smoker during his active days.
, or migi-yotsu. His most commonly used techniques were yorikiri, oshi dashi and uwatenage.
or elder, initially under the name of Takenawa. In February 2003 his former stablemaster, ex yokozuna Tochinoumi, retired and passed on ownership of the Kasugano name and stable to him. Tochinowaka produced his first top division wrestler, Tochiozan, in May 2007, and Tochinoshin and Kimurayama followed in May and July 2008. In addition, Tochinonada, who reached the makuuchi division under the previous regime, remains active. In 2009 Kasugano passed on his Tochinowaka shikona
to Lee Dae Won, a Korean born wrestler with Japanese citizenship, who reached juryo in September 2010 and makuuchi in May 2011. Kasugano also works as a shinpan or judge of tournament bouts.
In October 2011 he was severely reprimanded by the Sumo Association for beating Tochinoshin and two other wrestlers with a golf club after they repeatedly broke stable rules on curfews and wearing Western style clothes instead of kimono
in public. Kasugano admitted responsibility and said, "I honestly think I went too far and I regret it."
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 Wakayama Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1985, 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 in 1987. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was a runner-up in one tournament and earned six special prizes and four kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
. After 76 tournaments and 1114 bouts in the top division he retired in 1999. He is now an elder 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 the head coach of Kasugano stable
Kasugano stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi group of stables. As of November 2007 it had 24 wrestlers. It is currently one of the most successful stables, with five sekitori wrestlers, including the Georgian Tochinoshin and the Korean born Tochinowaka, who uses the current head coach's...
.
Career
He was born in ShimotsuShimotsu, Wakayama
was a town located in Kaisō District, Wakayama, Japan.On April 1, 2005 Shimotsu was merged into the city of Kainan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 14,481 and a density of 363.57 persons per km². The total area was 39.83 km²....
, Kaisō District
Kaiso District, Wakayama
is a district located in Wakayama, Japan. As of September 1, 2008, the district has an estimated Population of 10,988 and a Density of 85.6 persons/km². The total area is 128.31 km².- Mergers :...
. He was named Kiyotaka after the great yokozuna of the 1950s, Tochinishiki Kiyotaka
Tochinishiki Kiyotaka
Tochinishiki Kiyotaka was a sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. He was the sport's 44th Yokozuna. He won ten top division yusho or tournament championships and was a rival of fellow yokozuna Wakanohana I...
. He played baseball
Japanese baseball
Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning Professional Baseball. Outside of Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball." The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation of the in 1934 and the...
in junior high school and ambitions to be a professional, but switched to sumo in high school due to his size. He was an amateur champion at Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
, and finished runner-up in the national collegiate yokozuna competition. He made his professional debut in March 1985 in the makushita division, having been given makushita tsukedashi status because of his amateur achievements. The first graduate of Meiji University to have a major impact in professional sumo, he quickly moved up the ranks, progressing through jūryō in just two tournaments and 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 in January 1987. He was also the first top division wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture for nearly 40 years. He reached his highest rank of sekiwake in September 1987, and defeated a yokozuna and two ozeki in his first three bouts at the rank.
Tochinowaka remained in the top division for 76 tournaments, winning 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 earning four gold stars
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
for defeating yokozuna. He was runner-up to Konishiki in the tournament of March 1992 and looked set to launch a drive for ozeki promotion, but he was injured in the next tournament and had to withdraw. He made his last appearance in the sanyaku ranks in March 1994. He carried on fighting until the age of 37, retiring in July 1999 when he was the oldest man in the top division.
He was utterly unable to defeat Musashimaru, losing to him 23 times in 23 meetings, and he also lost all 14 bouts he contested with Chiyonofuji. His wins over yokozuna were against Futahaguro in September 1987, Onokuni in January 1988, September 1988 and September 1989, Hokutoumi in January 1990, July 1991 and November 1991, and finally Takanohana
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...
in January 1997.
He was a heavy smoker during his active days.
Fighting style
Tochinowaka was at his strongest when he could get a left hand outside, right hand inside grip 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:...
, or migi-yotsu. His most commonly used techniques were yorikiri, oshi dashi and uwatenage.
Retirement from sumo
Tochinowaka remained in the sumo world as a 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, initially under the name of Takenawa. In February 2003 his former stablemaster, ex yokozuna Tochinoumi, retired and passed on ownership of the Kasugano name and stable to him. Tochinowaka produced his first top division wrestler, Tochiozan, in May 2007, and Tochinoshin and Kimurayama followed in May and July 2008. In addition, Tochinonada, who reached the makuuchi division under the previous regime, remains active. In 2009 Kasugano passed on his Tochinowaka 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...
to Lee Dae Won, a Korean born wrestler with Japanese citizenship, who reached juryo in September 2010 and makuuchi in May 2011. Kasugano also works as a shinpan or judge of tournament bouts.
In October 2011 he was severely reprimanded by the Sumo Association for beating Tochinoshin and two other wrestlers with a golf club after they repeatedly broke stable rules on curfews and wearing Western style clothes instead of kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
in public. Kasugano admitted responsibility and said, "I honestly think I went too far and I regret it."
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 second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers