Tochinohana Hitoshi | |
---|---|
栃乃花 仁 | |
Personal information | |
Born | Hitoshi Yachi 28 February 1973 Yamagata, Iwate, Japan |
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
Weight | 138 kg (304 lb) |
Career | |
Stable | Kasugano |
Record | 449-439-32 |
Debut | March 1995 |
Highest rank | Komusubi (November 2000) |
Retired | January 2008 |
Elder name | Hatachiyama |
Championships | 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Jonokuchi) |
Special Prizes | Fighting Spirit (2) Technique (2) |
* Up to date as of January 2008. |
Hitoshi Tochihana (栃乃花 仁, Tochinohana Hitoshi, born 28 February 1973) is a former Japanese sumo wrestler from Yamagata, Iwate. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1995, reaching the top makuuchi division in 2000. His highest rank was komusubi . He retired in 2008 and is now a sumo coach.
Tochinohana practised amateur sumo at Meiji University, but unlike many former amateur wrestlers, he still began his professional career at the very bottom of the rankings. [1] He joined Kasugano stable in March 1995 at the age of 22. Initially fighting under his own surname, Yachi, it took him four years to become a sekitori . [1] Upon reaching the second highest jūryō division in January 1999 he adopted the shikona Tochinohana.
After capturing the jūryō yūshō or tournament championship with a 13-2 record, he made his debut in the top makuuchi division in May 2000. There he defeated ozeki Chiyotaikai and Takanonami, finished in equal third place with 12 wins against three losses and received two special prizes for Fighting Spirit and Technique. [2] In the September 2000 tournament he defeated another ozeki and was awarded his second Technique prize. He was promoted to komusubi in the next tournament in November, but could only manage a 3-12 record. This was to be his only tournament in the titled sanyaku ranks.
Over the next couple of years Tochinohana struggled to maintain his makuuchi position, and a serious back injury forced him all the way down to the unsalaried makushita division in 2004. However, he fought his way back to makuuchi in November 2005, where he finished runner-up to yokozuna Asashoryu, scoring eleven wins and receiving the Fighting Spirit Award. In an interview, Tochinohana's father said he regarded this as the most memorable achievement of his son's career. [3] He remained in the top division until May 2007, when he could only win only four bouts at maegashira 13 and was demoted back to jūryō.
After a disastrous 2-13 record in November 2007 Tochinohana fell to Jūryō 14 West, making him the lowest ranking sekitori. In January 2008, after losing nine of his first twelve bouts, he announced his retirement. He has stayed with the Sumo Association as an toshiyori , or elder, under the name Hatachiyama, and is working as a coach at Kasugano stable. His danpatsu-shiki , or official retirement ceremony, was held jointly with his stablemate Tochisakae at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in January 2009.
Tochinohana's most common winning kimarite was a straightforward yori-kiri, or force out, and he preferred a migi yotsu, or left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi . He also regularly won with oshi-dashi, or push out.
Year in sumo | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo | March Haru basho, Osaka | May Natsu basho, Tokyo | July Nagoya basho, Nagoya | September Aki basho, Tokyo | November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | x | (Maezumo) | EastJonokuchi#23 7–0–P Champion | WestJonidan#39 6–1 | WestSandanme#80 6–1 | EastSandanme#28 6–1 |
1996 | WestMakushita#50 3–4 | WestSandanme#5 6–1 | EastMakushita#34 4–3 | Makushita#23 4–3 | WestMakushita#17 3–4 | WestMakushita#25 3–4 |
1997 | EastMakushita#33 4–3 | WestMakushita#23 4–3 | EastMakushita#18 2–5 | EastMakushita#34 5–2 | WestMakushita#20 4–3 | WestMakushita#15 4–3 |
1998 | EastMakushita#11 3–4 | WestMakushita#19 4–3 | EastMakushita#16 5–2 | WestMakushita#8 4–3 | EastMakushita#6 5–2 | EastMakushita#3 5–2 |
1999 | WestJūryō#12 8–7 | EastJūryō#11 7–8 | EastJūryō#13 6–9 | WestMakushita#1 6–1 | WestJūryō#11 8–7 | WestJūryō#9 7–8 |
2000 | EastJūryō#11 9–6 | WestJūryō#6 13–2–P Champion | EastMaegashira#12 12–3 FT | WestMaegashira#1 5–10 | EastMaegashira#7 10–5 T | EastKomusubi#1 3–12 |
2001 | EastMaegashira#6 4–11 | WestMaegashira#11 6–9 | WestMaegashira#13 9–6 | EastMaegashira#8 7–8 | EastMaegashira#10 0–4–11 | EastJūryō#6 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
2002 | EastJūryō#6 9–6 | EastJūryō#1 8–7 | WestMaegashira#13 6–9 | EastJūryō#1 8–7 | EastMaegashira#14 8–7 | EastMaegashira#12 6–9 |
2003 | WestMaegashira#14 7–8 | EastMaegashira#15 5–10 | WestJūryō#4 9–6 | WestJūryō#1 4–11 | WestJūryō#7 5–10 | EastJūryō#11 8–7 |
2004 | EastJūryō#6 1–8–6 | EastMakushita#4 1–6 | WestMakushita#23 3–4 | EastMakushita#30 6–1 | WestMakushita#12 6–1 | EastMakushita#4 4–3 |
2005 | WestMakushita#1 4–3 | WestJūryō#13 10–5 | WestJūryō#8 11–4 | WestJūryō#2 7–8 | WestJūryō#3 10–5 | EastMaegashira#14 11–4 F |
2006 | WestMaegashira#3 4–11 | EastMaegashira#10 7–8 | WestMaegashira#10 5–10 | EastMaegashira#15 8–7 | WestMaegashira#13 7–8 | WestMaegashira#13 8–7 |
2007 | WestMaegashira#11 5–10 | WestMaegashira#15 8–7 | WestMaegashira#13 4–11 | WestJūryō#2 6–9 | WestJūryō#4 8–7 | EastJūryō#3 2–13 |
2008 | WestJūryō#14 Retired 3–9 | |||||
Record given as win-loss-absent Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) |
Kotonishiki Katsuhiro is a former sumo wrestler from Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in 1984, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1989. He won two top division tournament titles from the maegashira ranks, the first in 1991 and the second in 1998. His highest rank was sekiwake, which he held 21 times. He earned eighteen special prizes during his career, second on the all-time list, and defeated yokozuna eight times when ranked as a maegashira. He retired in 2000 and after a long stint as a sumo coach at Oguruma stable, took the vacant elder name Asahiyama and branched out to form his own stable of the same name.
Terao Tsunefumi is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. Despite his relatively light weight he had an extremely long career, spanning 23 years from 1979 until 2002, and was known as the "iron man" of sumo. He is now the head coach of Shikoroyama stable.
Asasekiryū Tarō is a former sumo wrestler. He made his debut in January 2000, reaching the top makuuchi division in March 2003. He won four special prizes, and spent a total of five tournaments in the titled san'yaku ranks. The highest rank was sekiwake. He was a runner-up in two tournaments in 2004 and 2007. After 2013 he was mainly ranked in the lower jūryō and makushita divisions. He acquired Japanese citizenship in April 2017 and retired from active competition the following month. He became a coach at Takasago stable under the elder name Nishikijima Oyakata. In November 2020 he became head coach of Takasago stable.
Tosanoumi Toshio, is a former sumo wrestler. He first reached the top division of professional sumo in 1995, winning 13 special prizes and earning 11 kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna over his long career. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. He retired in 2010 to become a coach at his stable, Isenoumi stable under the name of Tatekawa.
Tochinonada Taiichi is a former sumo wrestler from Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. An amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 1996 and reached the top makuuchi division in 1997. He earned twelve kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna, the second highest ever, and he was a runner-up in two tournaments. His highest rank was sekiwake. He is now a coach at Kasugano stable under the name Takenawa Oyakata.
Mitoizumi Masayuki is a former sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. His professional career spanned 22 years, from 1978 until 2000. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. He won over 800 career bouts and took the yūshō or championship in the top makuuchi division in 1992. Mitoizumi was nicknamed the "Salt Shaker", due to his habit of throwing enormous quantities of purifying salt onto the ring (dohyō) during the pre-match preliminaries. He is now a coach, and is known as Nishikido Oyakata.
Takekaze Akira is a former professional sumo wrestler from Akita Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2002, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year. He was a runner-up in one tournament, earned two special prizes for Fighting Spirit, and one gold star for defeating a yokozuna. Takekaze is in first place for the slowest promotion from makuuchi debut to the third highest sekiwake rank in history. Aged 35 years and 2 months, he is in first place for the eldest to make his sekiwake debut post World War II. He was a member of Oguruma stable. He retired in January 2019 to become an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Oshiogawa Oyakata.
Wakanoyama Hiroshi is a former sumo wrestler from Gobo, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi.
Ōshio Kenji is a former sumo wrestler from Kitakyushu, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. His career lasted twenty six years, from 1962 until 1988, and he holds the record for the most bouts contested in professional sumo. After his retirement at the age of 40 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and set up Shikihide stable in 1992. He left the Sumo Association upon turning 65 in 2013.
Daiju Hisateru is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was ōzeki, but he held the rank for only five tournaments, fewer than any ōzeki in the modern era. He won eleven sanshō or special prizes during his top division career which lasted from 1970 to 1977. He was the head coach of Asahiyama stable from 1997 until 2015.
Ryōgoku Kajinosuke IV is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. He is now a sumo coach.
Oginishiki Yasutoshi is a former sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. His father and brother were also sumo wrestlers. He is now a coach at Dewanoumi stable.
Tochinoshin Tsuyoshi is a Georgian professional sumo wrestler from Mtskheta. He is a member of the Kasugano stable and made his professional debut in March 2006. He reached the top makuuchi division just two years later in May 2008. After a long hiatus due to injury, he began his comeback from the rank of makushita 55 in March 2014, logging four championships in a row in lower divisions on his way back to the top division in November 2014. He has eleven special prizes, six for Fighting Spirit, three for Technique, and two for Outstanding Performance, as well as two kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. In January 2018 he took his first top-division yūshō (championship). In May 2018, after finishing as runner-up with a 13–2 record and a total of 37 wins in his last three tournaments, he was promoted to ōzeki. He was demoted to sekiwake after posting losing records in the first two tournaments of 2019, but returned to ōzeki after winning ten matches at the May 2019 basho.
Aran Hakutora is a Russian former sumo wrestler. He began his professional career in January 2007 and made the top division in a record eleven tournaments. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. He was runner-up in consecutive tournaments in May and July 2010 and earned two sanshō or special prizes for Fighting Spirit. He wrestled for Mihogaseki stable.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2006.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2003.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2000.
Ōzutsu Takeshi is a former sumo wrestler from Mie, Japan. Beginning his professional career in May 1971, he was ranked in the top makuuchi division continuously from March 1979 to January 1992, and his record of 1170 consecutive bouts there is the second best in history after Takamiyama. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was runner-up in one tournament and earned ten kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He also won four sanshō or special prizes. He wrestled for Taihō stable and after his retirement in May 1992 he worked there as a coach before leaving the Japan Sumo Association in 2008.
Kurama Tatsuya was a sumo wrestler from Yasu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1968, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1976. His highest rank was sekiwake and he won three special prizes and two kinboshi. He was well-known for his good looks and flamboyant personal life. After retiring in 1989 he became a sumo elder for a short time before leaving the Japan Sumo Association to work as a commentator and television personality. He died of leukemia in 1995.
Tochitsukasa Tetsuo is a former sumo wrestler from Nakagawa, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He is now the head coach of Irumagawa stable.