Fujinoshin Tsukasa

Fujinoshin Tsukasa
Fujinoshin Tsukasa
富士乃真司
Personal information
Born	Tetsuya Yagi; 6 November 1960 (age 63); Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	131 kg (289 lb)
Career
Stable	Izutsu → Kokonoe
Record	408-386-47
Debut	March, 1976
Highest rank	Maegashira 1 (January, 1988)
Retired	September, 1990
Elder name	Jinmaku
	* Up to date as of Sep. 2012.

Last updated July 06, 2024

Fujinoshin Tsukasa (born 6 November 1960 as Tetsuya Yagi) is a former sumo wrestler from Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1976, and reached the top division in September 1986. His highest rank was maegashira 1. He retired in September 1990 after injury problems and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association.^[1]

Career

He was born in Funabashi, Chiba, not far from the Kuramae Kokugikan.^[2] At the age of 15 in March 1976 he joined Izutsu stable (later renamed Kokonoe stable), recruited by former yokozuna Kitanofuji. He switched from his family name of Yagi to the ring name of Fujihikari in 1978. After several years in the lower divisions he broke into jūryō division in January 1985, but only stayed there for two tournaments. He returned to jūryō in January 1986 and made the top makuuchi division in September of that year, before falling back to jūryō. In November 1987 he returned to the top division and stayed there for two years, reaching a highest rank of maegashira 1 in January 1988, although he was unable to defeat a yokozuna or win a special prize. During this period he was part of a stable that included two yokozuna, Chiyonofuji and Hokutoumi, as well as fellow maegashira Takanofuji.

The beginning of the end of Fujinoshin′s career came on Day 12 of the Aki basho in September 1989 when he had his ankle broken by a wrestler (Misugisato) who fell on it while Fujinoshin was sitting by the dohyō waiting for his match. He was unable to compete and had to default and withdraw from the tournament.^[2] The kosho or public injury system which protected a wrestler′s rank for one tournament did not apply in his case as the injury did not occur in a tournament bout itself,^[3] and as a result he fell back to the jūryō division. He returned to sumo in January 1990 but was unable to win promotion back to makuuchi and announced his retirement in September 1990 having fallen into the makushita division after another enforced absence.

Retirement from sumo

Fujinoshin has remained in the sumo world as a toshiyori or elder of the Japan Sumo Association and has worked as a coach at Kokonoe stable and Hakkaku stable. Until 1998 he was known as Nishikido Oyakata, but when his old boss Kitanofuji quit the Sumo Association that year he switched to the Jinmaku elder name.

Fighting style

Fujinoshin employed a wide variety of techniques but was regarded by some commentators as a jack of all trades, master of none.^[2] He favoured a right hand outside, left hand inside grip (hidari-yotsu) on his opponent's mawashi or belt. His most common winning technique was yori-kiri (force out) but he also tried oshi–dashi (push out), hataki–komi (slap down), yori–taoshi (force out and down), uwate–nage (overarm throw), shitate–nage (underarm throw), uwatedashi–nage (pulling overarm throw) and katasukashi (armlock throw).^[2]

Career record

Fujinoshin Tsukasa^[4]
Year	January Hatsu basho, Tokyo	March Haru basho, Osaka	May Natsu basho, Tokyo	July Nagoya basho, Nagoya	September Aki basho, Tokyo	November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1976	x	(Maezumo)	EastJonokuchi#21 5–2	EastJonidan#77 4–3	EastJonidan#57 2–5	WestJonidan#84 5–2
1977	EastJonidan#35 3–4	EastJonidan#44 4–3	EastJonidan#19 5–2	WestSandanme#67 3–4	EastSandanme#82 4–3	EastSandanme#64 3–4
1978	EastSandanme#79 3–4	EastSandanme#87 3–4	EastJonidan#11 2–3–2	EastJonidan#35 5–2	EastSandanme#90 6–1	EastSandanme#38 4–3
1979	WestSandanme#26 2–5	EastSandanme#49 2–5	EastSandanme#74 6–1	WestSandanme#24 1–6	EastSandanme#56 4–3	WestSandanme#41 2–5
1980	WestSandanme#64 2–5	EastSandanme#90 6–1	EastSandanme#42 3–4	WestSandanme#54 6–1	EastSandanme#9 4–3	EastMakushita#56 3–4
1981	WestSandanme#11 5–2	WestMakushita#50 5–2	WestMakushita#28 3–4	EastMakushita#35 5–2	EastMakushita#22 4–3	WestMakushita#15 3–4
1982	EastMakushita#23 2–5	EastMakushita#40 4–3	EastMakushita#30 3–4	EastMakushita#45 Sat out due to injury 0–0–7	WestSandanme#20 4–3	EastSandanme#7 3–4
1983	WestSandanme#23 4–3	EastSandanme#9 3–4	WestSandanme#27 4–1–2	EastSandanme#16 Sat out due to injury 0–0–7	EastSandanme#16 4–3	EastSandanme#7 6–1
1984	EastMakushita#36 5–2	WestMakushita#21 3–4	EastMakushita#31 5–2	EastMakushita#17 6–1	EastMakushita#6 5–2	WestMakushita#1 5–2
1985	WestJūryō#11 7–8	WestJūryō#12 3–12	WestMakushita#10 3–4	WestMakushita#15 4–3	EastMakushita#10 5–2	WestMakushita#4 6–1
1986	WestJūryō#10 8–7	WestJūryō#6 8–7	EastJūryō#4 8–7	EastJūryō#3 10–5	WestMaegashira#13 6–9	EastJūryō#5 6–9
1987	EastJūryō#9 9–6	WestJūryō#5 9–6	WestJūryō#2 8–7	WestJūryō#1 9–6	WestMaegashira#13 9–6	WestMaegashira#6 8–7
1988	EastMaegashira#1 5–10	WestMaegashira#4 5–6–4	WestMaegashira#9 7–8	EastMaegashira#11 8–7	WestMaegashira#6 5–10	WestMaegashira#10 9–6
1989	EastMaegashira#4 6–9	WestMaegashira#7 5–10	EastMaegashira#11 9–6	EastMaegashira#6 8–7	WestMaegashira#3 3–10–2	EastMaegashira#14 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15
1990	EastJūryō#10 8–7	EastJūryō#7 5–10	WestJūryō#13 4–11	WestMakushita#9 Sat out due to injury 0–0–7	EastMakushita#49 Retired 2–4–1	x
Record given as wins–losses–absencies Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

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References

↑ "Oyakata (Coaches)". Nihon Sumo Kyokai. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
1 2 3 4 Patmore, Angela (1990). The Giants of Sumo. MacDonald & Co. p. 101. ISBN 0356181200.
↑ Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. p. 104. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
↑ "Fujinoshin Tsukasa Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2 September 2012.

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[1] "Oyakata (Coaches)". Nihon Sumo Kyokai. Retrieved 17 August 2012.

[giants-2] 1 2 3 4 Patmore, Angela (1990). The Giants of Sumo. MacDonald & Co. p. 101. ISBN 0356181200.

[Sharnoff-3] Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. p. 104. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.

[4] "Fujinoshin Tsukasa Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2 September 2012.

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