Washūyama Yoshikazu

Last updated

Washūyama Yoshikazu
鷲羽山 佳和
Personal information
Born Yoshikazu Sukui
(1949-04-02) 2 April 1949 (age 69)
Okayama, Japan
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 110 kg (240 lb)
Career
Stable Dewanoumi
Record 699-650-83
Debut March, 1967
Highest rank Sekiwake (May, 1976)
Retired November, 1985
Championships 3 (Jūryō)
Special Prizes Fighting Spirit (3)
Technique (5)
Gold Stars 2 (Kotozakura, Kitanoumi)
* Up to date as of Feb 2015.

Washūyama Yoshikazu (born 2 April 1949 as Yoshikazu Sukui) is a former sumo wrestler from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. He joined sumo in 1967 and reached the top makuuchi division in 1973. His highest rank was sekiwake . After his retirement in 1985 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and was the head coach of Dewanoumi stable from 1996 until 2014.

Sumo full-contact wrestling sport

Sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (dohyō) or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet.

Okayama Prefecture Prefecture of Japan

Okayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Okayama.

Japan Constitutional monarchy in East Asia

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea in the south.

Contents

Career

His shikona or sumo name was derived from the Washuzan mountain in his native Okayama prefecture. [1] (He was to become so popular that people would refer to the mountain as Washuyama. [1] ) He made his professional debut in March 1967, reaching the second highest jūryō division in July 1972. He was promoted to the makuuchi division in May 1973 and made an immediate impression, finishing as the tournament runner-up with 11 wins and earning the Fighting Spirit prize. However, injury problems over the next couple of years prevented him from progressing much further and he was demoted back to the jūryō division on two occasions. His fortunes turned around towards the end of 1975 when he won his second Fighting Spirit prize, and in January 1976 he was once again tournament runner-up. This earned him promotion to the titled sanyaku ranks for the first time in March 1976 at the rank of komusubi . Another strong showing earned him immediate promotion to sekiwake, which was to be his highest rank.

A shikona is a sumo wrestler's ring name.

<i>Makuuchi</i> top division of professional sumo wrestling

Makuuchi (幕内) or makunouchi (幕の内), is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (rikishi), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.

In 1982 Washuyama dropped to the jūryō division once more, although he kept on fighting until November 1985 when he finally announced his retirement at the age of 36.

Fighting style

Washuyama was one of the lightest sumo wrestlers ever seen in the top division, at around 100 kg and rather short at 175 cm. He was very popular with the tournament crowds, earning the nickname of chibikko gangu or "midget gang" for the way he seemed to swarm around his larger opponents attacking from all sides. [1] He became a real nemesis for the giant Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama, [1] who was nearly twice his size. His technical skill is evidenced by the five Ginosho, or Technique Awards he picked up during his career.

Midge index of animals with the same common name

Midges are a group of insects that include many kinds of small flies. They are found on practically every land area outside permanently arid deserts and the frigid zones. The term "midge" does not define any particular taxonomic group, but includes species in several families of Nematoceran Diptera. Some midges, such as many Phlebotominae and Simuliidae, are vectors of various diseases. Many others play useful roles as prey items for insectivores, such as various frogs and swallows. Others are important as detritivores, participating in various nutrient cycles. The habits of midges vary greatly from species to species, though within any particular family, midges commonly have similar ecological roles.

Hawaii State of the United States of America

Hawaii is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States, having received statehood on August 21, 1959. Hawaii is the only U.S. state located in Oceania, the only U.S. state located outside North America, and the only one composed entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean.

Retirement from sumo

Washuyama remained in the sumo world as a coach at his old stable, under the name Sakaigawa. In 1996 he assumed the Dewanoumi name and took charge of the stable while the previous head, Sadanoyama, became Sakaigawa and concentrated on his role as the Japan Sumo Association chairman. Washuyama was also on the Sumo Association's board as a director. He reached the mandatory retirement age for an oyakata of 65 in April 2014 and handed over control of the stable to former maegashira Oginohana. In March 2018 he was appointed as a Hyogi-in-kai or outside voter in the Sumo Association, although he has no oyakata status.

The Japan Sumo Association 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 (MEXT). Rikishi, gyōji (referees), tokoyama (hairdressers), and yobidashi (ushers/handymen), are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run entirely by toshiyori (elders). The organization has its headquarters in Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo.

Oginohana Akikazu Sumo wrestler

Oginohana Akikazu is a former sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan. He made his professional debut in July 1983, and reached the top division in January 1990. His highest rank was maegashira 2. He retired in July 1998. He is the son of former sekiwake Oginohana Masaaki and the elder brother of former komusubi Oginishiki. Since 2014 he has been the head of the Dewanoumi stable.

Top division record

Washūyama Yoshikazu [2]
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
1967x(Maezumo)WestJonokuchi#22
6–1–P
 		EastJonidan#67
5–2
 		EastJonidan#20
5–2
 		EastSandanme#85
5–2
 
1968WestSandanme#54
4–3
 		EastSandanme#42
3–4
 		WestSandanme#55
2–5
 		WestSandanme#71
3–4
 		WestSandanme#80
5–2
 		WestSandanme#47
4–3
 
1969EastSandanme#36
6–1
 		EastSandanme#2
3–4
 		WestSandanme#7
5–2
 		EastMakushita#44
3–4
 		EastMakushita#51
4–3
 		WestMakushita#40
5–2
 
1970WestMakushita#22
2–5
 		WestMakushita#32
2–5
 		WestMakushita#46
3–4
 		WestMakushita#53
3–4
 		EastSandanme#2
6–1
 		EastMakushita#35
6–1–P
 
1971EastMakushita#14
0–3–4
 		WestMakushita#43
3–4
 		EastMakushita#51
5–2
 		WestMakushita#27
6–1
 		EastMakushita#8
4–3
 		WestMakushita#6
4–3
 
1972WestMakushita#3
3–4
 		WestMakushita#5
4–3
 		WestMakushita#2
5–1–1
 		WestJūryō#10
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		WestJūryō#10
7–8
 		EastJūryō#12
9–6
 
1973EastJūryō#7
9–6
 		WestJūryō#2
9–6
 		WestMaegashira#13
11–4
F		EastMaegashira#2
6–9
 		WestMaegashira#3
6–9
 		WestMaegashira#6
7–8
 
1974WestMaegashira#7
8–7
 		EastMaegashira#4
7–8
★		WestMaegashira#5
2–6–7
 		EastJūryō#1
10–5
 		EastMaegashira#10
7–8
 		EastMaegashira#12
1–3–11
 
1975EastJūryō#9
8–7
 		WestJūryō#7
8–7
 		EastJūryō#5
10–5
 		WestMaegashira#12
8–7
 		EastMaegashira#7
11–4
F		EastMaegashira#1
5–10
★
1976EastMaegashira#6
12–3
T		EastKomusubi#1
10–5
F		EastSekiwake#1
8–7
T		WestSekiwake#1
5–10
 		EastMaegashira#3
7–8
 		WestMaegashira#4
10–5
T
1977WestKomusubi
6–9
 		WestMaegashira#1
6–9
 		WestMaegashira#4
8–7
T		WestMaegashira#1
9–6
T		WestSekiwake#1
3–12
 		EastMaegashira#4
6–9
 
1978WestMaegashira#8
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		EastJūryō#7
8–7
 		EastJūryō#6
11–4–P
Champion
 		EastJūryō#1
10–5–PP
Champion
 		EastMaegashira#10
7–8
 		EastMaegashira#11
8–7
 
1979EastMaegashira#7
8–7
 		EastMaegashira#3
1–6–8
 		WestMaegashira#13
4–11
 		EastJūryō#4
9–6
 		WestMaegashira#14
8–7
 		WestMaegashira#10
9–6
 
1980WestMaegashira#2
5–10
 		EastMaegashira#6
9–6
 		EastMaegashira#1
3–12
 		WestMaegashira#10
9–6
 		EastMaegashira#6
8–7
 		EastMaegashira#1
5–10
 
1981WestMaegashira#7
6–9
 		WestMaegashira#10
10–5
 		WestMaegashira#3
7–8
 		WestMaegashira#4
7–8
 		WestMaegashira#4
8–7
 		EastMaegashira#1
4–4–7
 
1982EastMaegashira#10
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		WestJūryō#4
6–9
 		EastJūryō#9
7–8
 		EastJūryō#10
9–6
 		WestJūryō#4
5–10
 		WestJūryō#9
10–5
 
1983WestJūryō#1
7–8
 		EastJūryō#3
11–4
Champion
 		WestMaegashira#11
7–8
 		WestMaegashira#12
6–9
 		WestJūryō#3
9–6
 		EastJūryō#1
10–5
 
1984EastMaegashira#11
5–10
 		EastJūryō#2
8–7
 		WestJūryō#1
10–5
 		WestMaegashira#11
6–9
 		WestJūryō#1
8–7
 		EastJūryō#1
6–9
 
1985EastJūryō#7
6–9
 		WestJūryō#8
10–5
 		EastJūryō#4
7–8
 		EastJūryō#6
7–8
 		EastJūryō#7
6–9
 		WestJūryō#11
Retired
6–9
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(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks:  Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

Glossary of sumo terms Wikimedia list article

The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN   0-8348-0283-X.
  2. ↑ "Washūyama Yoshikazu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-09-05.
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