Daiju Hisateru
Encyclopedia
Daiju Hisateru is a former sumo
wrestler from Hokkaidō
, Japan
. His highest rank was ozeki, but he held the rank for only five tournaments, fewer than any ozeki in the modern era. He won eleven sansho
or special prizes during his top division career which lasted from 1970 to 1977. He is now head coach of Asahiyama stable
.
, he joined the small Takashima stable run by former ozeki Mitsuneyama in March 1965. He reached the top makuuchi
division in May 1970 after winning the juryo division championship with a 14-1 record. He was awarded the Technique Prize in his first top division tournament. He was to win a total of eleven special prizes
in his career, which at the time was second only to Tsurugamine's fourteen. His six prizes for Technique put him in equal sixth place on the all-time list, as of 2009. In March 1971 he made his sanyaku debut at sekiwake and defeated his first yokozuna, Taiho
.
He earned promotion to ozeki in 1973 after three consecutive double figure scores. He was a runner-up in the May 1973 tournament to Wajima
with a score of 11-4 and defeated two more yokozuna, Kotozakura and Kitanofuji (the latter for the first time in twelve attempts). He did even better in July, defeating Kitanofuji again and finishing in third place on 13-2. He had a clean sweep of all three special prizes, the first wrestler ever to achieve this, and ozeki promotion was confirmed. However, he was unable to prove himself worthy of champion class. He had to pull out injured from his debut ozeki tournament and held the rank for only five tournaments before being demoted. He was never able to return, and though he remained at sekiwake for four tournaments he then fell back to the maegashira ranks.
After a 4-11 score in March 1977 he finished his career back in the juryo division, the first former ozeki ever to compete a such a low rank. After three straight losses he pulled out of the May 1977 tournament and announced his retirement at the age of just 27.
or belt. His most common winning kimarite
by far was oshi dashi, a simple push out, which accounted for half his victories at sekitori
level.
of the Japan Sumo Association
under the name Tateyama, and worked as a coach at his old stable until it closed in 1982 due to the ill health of his old coach. He then worked at Kumagatani stable until it too shut down in 1996, upon which he was transferred to Tatsunami stable
. After twenty years as an assistant coach, in May 1997 he was asked to become head coach of the Asahiyama stable
after the sudden death of the previous stablemaster, and he adopted the name Asahiyama. Daimanazuru briefly made the top division in 2006, and for a short time in 2011 Tokusegawa was a member of the stable after it absorbed Kiriyama stable
, but there are no current sekitori
. Asahiyama has also worked as a shimpan
or judge of tournament bouts.
He has a pronounced dome on his head, due to him injecting silicone
to meet the Sumo Association's height requirements when he was first recruited as a wrestler.
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 Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, 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, but he held the rank for only five tournaments, fewer than any ozeki in the modern era. He won eleven sansho
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:...
or special prizes during his top division career which lasted from 1970 to 1977. He is now head coach of Asahiyama stable
Asahiyama stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It has a long history. As of April 2008 it had 11 sumo wrestlers.-History:...
.
Career
Born in SetanaSetana, Hokkaido
is a town located in Kudō District, Hiyama, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of December 2008, the town has an estimated population of 10,190 and a density of 15.96 persons per km²...
, he joined the small Takashima stable run by former ozeki Mitsuneyama in March 1965. He reached 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 May 1970 after winning the juryo division championship with a 14-1 record. He was awarded the Technique Prize in his first top division tournament. He was to win a total of eleven special 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:...
in his career, which at the time was second only to Tsurugamine's fourteen. His six prizes for Technique put him in equal sixth place on the all-time list, as of 2009. In March 1971 he made his sanyaku debut at sekiwake and defeated his first yokozuna, Taiho
Taiho Koki
Taihō Kōki is the 48th Yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. He became a yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time, and he won a record 32 tournaments between 1960 and 1971...
.
He earned promotion to ozeki in 1973 after three consecutive double figure scores. He was a runner-up in the May 1973 tournament to Wajima
Wajima Hiroshi
is a former sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan. He was sumo's 54th Yokozuna. He won a total of 14 tournament championships or yusho during his career and retired in March 1981....
with a score of 11-4 and defeated two more yokozuna, Kotozakura and Kitanofuji (the latter for the first time in twelve attempts). He did even better in July, defeating Kitanofuji again and finishing in third place on 13-2. He had a clean sweep of all three special prizes, the first wrestler ever to achieve this, and ozeki promotion was confirmed. However, he was unable to prove himself worthy of champion class. He had to pull out injured from his debut ozeki tournament and held the rank for only five tournaments before being demoted. He was never able to return, and though he remained at sekiwake for four tournaments he then fell back to the maegashira ranks.
After a 4-11 score in March 1977 he finished his career back in the juryo division, the first former ozeki ever to compete a such a low rank. After three straight losses he pulled out of the May 1977 tournament and announced his retirement at the age of just 27.
Fighting style
Daiju was very much an oshi-sumo specialist, preferring pushes and thrusts to the opponent's chest rather than 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:...
or belt. His most common winning 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...
by far was oshi dashi, a simple push out, which accounted for half his victories at sekitori
Sekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
level.
Retirement from sumo
After his retirement he became an elderToshiyori
A toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
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...
under the name Tateyama, and worked as a coach at his old stable until it closed in 1982 due to the ill health of his old coach. He then worked at Kumagatani stable until it too shut down in 1996, upon which he was transferred to Tatsunami stable
Tatsunami stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, and the head stable of the Tatsunami ichimon or group.-History:The stable is one of the most prestigious in sumo. It was originally founded in 1876 by Onigazaki, but the current incarnation dates from 1915...
. After twenty years as an assistant coach, in May 1997 he was asked to become head coach of the Asahiyama stable
Asahiyama stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It has a long history. As of April 2008 it had 11 sumo wrestlers.-History:...
after the sudden death of the previous stablemaster, and he adopted the name Asahiyama. Daimanazuru briefly made the top division in 2006, and for a short time in 2011 Tokusegawa was a member of the stable after it absorbed Kiriyama stable
Kiriyama stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon of group of stables. It was set up in January 1995 by the former komusubi Kurosegawa, who branched out from the now defunct Isegahama stable and took with him the remaining members of the Onaruto stable which closed at the end of 1994....
, but there are no current sekitori
Sekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
. Asahiyama has also worked as a 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...
or judge of tournament bouts.
He has a pronounced dome on his head, due to him injecting silicone
Silicone
Silicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
to meet the Sumo Association's height requirements when he was first recruited as a wrestler.
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 second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers