Asashio Taro IV
Encyclopedia
Asashio Tarō IV is a former sumo
wrestler from Muroto
, Kochi
, Japan
. His highest rank was ozeki. He is currently the head coach of Takasago stable
.
, he began his professional career in the third highest makushita division, and was promoted to the top makuuchi
division in November 1978. He initially competed under his own surname, Nagaoka, but in March 1979 he was given the shikona
of Asashio (or "morning tide"), which had previously been used by several past greats in Takasago stable, including his own stablemaster. Asashio was promoted to komusubi in May 1980 and sekiwake in July 1980. In November 1981 he lost a playoff for the tournament championship to new yokozuna Chiyonofuji. He was runner-up to Chiyonofuji once again in May 1982 and to Kotokaze in January 1983.
After accumulating a record ten Shukun-sho, or Outstanding Performance prizes
for his achievements in tournaments, he was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki in May 1983. Having lost three top division championship playoffs in his career, he finally took his only tournament championship in March 1985 with a 13-2 record. After that he was rarely a threat in tournaments, usually posting only eight or nine wins. He retained his rank until March 1989, when after a poor start to the tournament he announced his retirement from the ring at the age of thirty-three.
, preferring a right hand outside, left hand inside grip (hidari-yotsu), and overall yori-kiri (force out) was his most regularly used kimarite
. He rarely employed throws.
n star Asashoryu, coaching him all the way to yokozuna. In 2002 Wakamatsu stable merged with Takasago stable and Asashio became head coach there. From February 2000 until February 2008 he was also a Director of the Japan Sumo Association
. He was in charge of the Public Relations department, but left his post after the controversy over Asashoryu's suspension in August 2007. Takasago was seemingly unable to control his most senior wrestler, often unaware of whether Asashoryu was in Japan or back in Mongolia, and this damaged his standing within the Sumo Association. In February 2009 he became head of the shimpan
(judging) department, replacing Takanohana
. In January 2010 he was severely reprimanded by the Board of Directors after Asashoryu allegedly punched an acquaintance while on a drunken night out during a honbasho
. With Asashoryu retiring shortly afterwards, Takasago now has just one top division wrestler, Asasekiryu. He left the judging department after the February 2010 elections, and was demoted in the Sumo Association's hierarchy.
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 Muroto
Muroto, Kochi
is a city located in Kōchi, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 17,388 and the density of 70 persons per km². The total area is 248.25 km².The city was founded on March 1, 1951.-External links:* in Japanese* in English*...
, Kochi
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His highest rank was ozeki. He is currently the head coach of Takasago stable
Takasago stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables.It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these kanji is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋"....
.
Career
Joining Takasago stable in March 1978 after a successful amateur sumo career at Kinki UniversityKinki University
, or , is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university based in Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan with campuses in five other locations: Nara, Nara; Ōsakasayama, Osaka; Uchita, Wakayama; Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima; and Iizuka, Fukuoka....
, he began his professional career in the third highest makushita division, and was promoted to 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 November 1978. He initially competed under his own surname, Nagaoka, but in March 1979 he was given the 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...
of Asashio (or "morning tide"), which had previously been used by several past greats in Takasago stable, including his own stablemaster. Asashio was promoted to komusubi in May 1980 and sekiwake in July 1980. In November 1981 he lost a playoff for the tournament championship to new yokozuna Chiyonofuji. He was runner-up to Chiyonofuji once again in May 1982 and to Kotokaze in January 1983.
After accumulating a record ten Shukun-sho, or Outstanding Performance 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:...
for his achievements in tournaments, he was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki in May 1983. Having lost three top division championship playoffs in his career, he finally took his only tournament championship in March 1985 with a 13-2 record. After that he was rarely a threat in tournaments, usually posting only eight or nine wins. He retained his rank until March 1989, when after a poor start to the tournament he announced his retirement from the ring at the age of thirty-three.
Fighting style
Asashio was fond of tsuki/oshi (thrusting and pushing) techniques, winning many bouts by oshi-dashi (push out) and hataki-komi (slap down). However, he was also well capable of fighting on the 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:...
, preferring a right hand outside, left hand inside grip (hidari-yotsu), and overall yori-kiri (force out) was his most regularly used kimarite
Kimarite
Kimarite are winning techniques in a sumo bout. For each bout in a Grand Sumo tournament , a sumo referee, or gyoji, will decide and announce the type of kimarite used by the winner...
. He rarely employed throws.
After retirement
Asashio remained in the sumo world as an oyakata, or elder, and became the head coach of Wakamatsu stable. In the 1990s he coached Asanowaka and Asanosho, both like himself former college champions, to the top division. He then had even greater success with the MongoliaMongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
n star Asashoryu, coaching him all the way to yokozuna. In 2002 Wakamatsu stable merged with Takasago stable and Asashio became head coach there. From February 2000 until February 2008 he was also a Director 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...
. He was in charge of the Public Relations department, but left his post after the controversy over Asashoryu's suspension in August 2007. Takasago was seemingly unable to control his most senior wrestler, often unaware of whether Asashoryu was in Japan or back in Mongolia, and this damaged his standing within the Sumo Association. In February 2009 he became head of the shimpan
Shimpan
are the judges of a professional sumo bout. In a sumo honbasho tournament five shimpan sit around the ring to observe which wrestler wins the matchup. When judging tournament bouts they wear formal Japanese dress of otokomono, haori with mon, and hakama...
(judging) department, replacing 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 2010 he was severely reprimanded by the Board of Directors after Asashoryu allegedly punched an acquaintance while on a drunken night out during a honbasho
Honbasho
A is an official professional sumo tournament. There are six held each year, a system established in 1958. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
. With Asashoryu retiring shortly afterwards, Takasago now has just one top division wrestler, Asasekiryu. He left the judging department after the February 2010 elections, and was demoted in the Sumo Association's hierarchy.
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 winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers