Yoshikaze Masatsugu (born March 19, 1982, as Masatsugu Ōnishi) is a former sumo wrestler from Saiki, Oita Prefecture…
Yoshikaze Masatsugu (born March 19, 1982, as Masatsugu Ōnishi) is a former sumo wrestler from Saiki, Oita Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2004, reaching the top division two years later. Until his promotion to komusubi in May 2014 he had the active record for the longest serving makuuchi wrestler who had never reached a titled rank. His best performance in a tournament came in July 2015 when he was the runner-up and scored twelve wins against three losses. In the following tournament in September 2015 he defeated two yokozuna and won special prizes for Outstanding Performance and Technique. Yoshikaze is in second place for the slowest promotion from makuuchi debut to the third highest sekiwake rank in history, behind only his stablemate Takekaze. He won ten special prizes in total, and eight gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He retired in September 2019 and is now an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, known as Nakamura Oyakata.
Famous People from Oita Prefecture
Oita Prefecture: 9 people
Kakizoe Tōru (垣添 徹, Kakizoe Tōru) (born August 12, 1978 in Usa City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan), is a former sumo…
Kakizoe Tōru (垣添 徹, Kakizoe Tōru) (born August 12, 1978 in Usa City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan), is a former sumo wrestler. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 2001 and reached the top division in 2003. His highest rank was komusubi, which he held for just one tournament. He won one special prize, for Technique. After injury problems he fell to the third makushita division in 2011 and retired in April 2012, becoming a sumo coach. He was part of ex-yokozuna Musashimaru's Musashigawa stable from 2013 until 2020, when he moved to Irumagawa stable. He is now a sumo elder, under the name Ikazuchi (雷).
Ryūji Chiyotaikai (千代大海 龍二, Chiyotaikai Ryūji; born April 29, 1976) is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He made his…
Ryūji Chiyotaikai (千代大海 龍二, Chiyotaikai Ryūji; born April 29, 1976) is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in 1992 and reached the top makuuchi division in 1997. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for 65 consecutive tournaments from 1999 until 2009, making him the longest serving ōzeki in the modern era. He won three top division yūshō or tournament championships, and was a runner-up on seven other occasions. However, he also held the dubious record of being in danger of demotion from ōzeki fourteen times. He wrestled for Kokonoe stable until his retirement in January 2010 at the age of 33. He remained in sumo as a coach at Kokonoe stable, and became the head coach in August 2016 following the death of Chiyonofuji.
Kotobeppu Yōhei (born 17 October 1965 as Yōhei Miura) is a former sumo wrestler from Beppu, Ōita, Japan. In March 1981…
Kotobeppu Yōhei (born 17 October 1965 as Yōhei Miura) is a former sumo wrestler from Beppu, Ōita, Japan. In March 1981, he made his professional debut and he reached the jūryō division in July 1989, but had to withdraw in his jūryō debut because of nephritis and a long absence from competition due to uremia saw him fall greatly in rank. During this time he was close to requiring dialysis but eventually made a full recovery. He reached the top division in November 1992, becoming the first former sekitori to fall to the lowest jonokuchi division and subsequently manage to reach the top division. The only other wrestler to achieve this feat as of January 2018 is Ryūden. A previous member of Sadogatake stable, former ōzeki Kotokaze, had fallen from sekiwake to makushita and had been referred to as "the man who saw hell" and after Kotobeppu's even bigger fall he was called, "the man who saw the new hell." Kotobeppu received the Fighting Spirit Prize for winning ten bouts in his top division debut. His highest rank was maegashira 1. He retired in November 1997. He trained as a ramen maker and opened a ramen restaurant in Chiba Prefecture and later in his hometown of Beppu, Ōita where he also served chankonabe.
Itai Keisuke (板井圭介, Itai Keisuke; 21 March 1956 – 14 August 2018) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Usuki, Oita, Japan.…
Itai Keisuke (板井圭介, Itai Keisuke; 21 March 1956 – 14 August 2018) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Usuki, Oita, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. He held the record for most consecutive victories from entry into sumo for several years before it was broken by Jōkōryū in 2012. After his retirement, Itai caused controversy by claiming that the outcomes of many of his matches were set by match-fixing.
Yamaguchi Hisashi (born Hisashi Yamaguchi; April 16, 1952 – October 19, 2010) was a sumo wrestler from Nakatsu Ōita…
Yamaguchi Hisashi (born Hisashi Yamaguchi; April 16, 1952 – October 19, 2010) was a sumo wrestler from Nakatsu Ōita, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 1971, won the championship in his only sixth-division tournament, and another in March 1977 winning undefeated in third division. He reached the top division in May 1978, but struggled initially. After winning the second division in November, securing a second re-promotion, he reached his highest rank of maegashira 4 in March 1979. Upon initial promotion he had changed his shikona from his real name to Taniarashi Hisashi. He would drop back to the unsalaried ranks in 1980 Winning out in a rare nine-way playoff, he secured the third-division championship in March 1982, but retired soon after in November 1982. His son is Shun Yamaguchi, a former baseball player.
Toyokuni Susumu (born 30 November 1937 as Susumu Otsuka) is a former sumo wrestler from Nakatsu, Ōita, Japan. He made…
Toyokuni Susumu (born 30 November 1937 as Susumu Otsuka) is a former sumo wrestler from Nakatsu, Ōita, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1960, and reached the top division in November 1961. He earned seven gold stars against grand champion yokozuna in the course of his career. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in January 1968.
Tamanoumi Daitarō (real name Tomohiro Miura; 2 January 1923 – 27 September 1987) was a sumo wrestler from Ōita, Japan.…
Tamanoumi Daitarō (real name Tomohiro Miura; 2 January 1923 – 27 September 1987) was a sumo wrestler from Ōita, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He won a top division tournament championship in 1957. He was later the head coach of Kataonami stable.
Futabayama Sadaji (双葉山 定次; February 9, 1912 – December 16, 1968) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oita…
Futabayama Sadaji (双葉山 定次; February 9, 1912 – December 16, 1968) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oita Prefecture. Entering sumo in 1927, he was the sport's 35th yokozuna from 1937 until his retirement in 1945. He won twelve yūshō or top division championships and had a winning streak of 69 consecutive bouts, an all-time record. because of his dominance he was extremely popular with the public. After his retirement he was head coach of Tokitsukaze stable and chairman of the Japan Sumo Association.