Ichinoya Mitsuru
Encyclopedia
Ichinoya Mitsuru is a former sumo
wrestler from Tokunoshima
, Ōshima
, Kagoshima Prefecture
, Japan
. His highest rank was sandanme 6.
was just three years old.
Ichinoya was interested in sumo from a very young age. He grew up on Tokunoshima
island, which was the birthplace of the 46th Yokozuna Asashio Tarō III
. He studied physics
at Ryukyu University in Okinawa, and started up a sumo club there. He joined Takasago
stable upon graduating. He never rose higher than the fourth sandanme division, but he was much admired simply for his longevity and his determination in fighting opponents more than twenty years his junior. At the tournament in May 2007, ranked at Jonidan 87, he fought back from 0-3 down to achieve a 4-3 score and kachi-koshi
. In November 2007, having completed 1000 professional bouts, he announced that he was retiring after 24 years in sumo. He also announced his intention to marry.
Ichinoya will remain as the general manager of Takasago stable, looking after its day to day running. He is also a keen computer enthusiast and keeps a regular blog
on the heya
's website.
In February 2008 Ichinoya had his retirement ceremony, or danpatsu-shiki, at a hotel in Tokyo
, along with his wedding reception. Asashoryu was among the attendees.
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 Tokunoshima
Tokunoshima, Kagoshima
left|thumb|Kametoku Port in the town. is a town in Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Japan. It is located on the island of Tokunoshima.As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 12,656 and the density of 121 persons per km²...
, Ōshima
Oshima District, Kagoshima
is a district located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of the March 20, 2006 merger but with 2003 population statistics, the district has an estimated population of 78,882 and a density of 84.4 persons per km²...
, Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
, 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 sandanme 6.
Career
At 46 years of age, Ichinoya was the oldest man in professional sumo since the start of the Showa era in 1926. When he began his sumo career in November 1983 his stablemate, current yokozuna AsashōryūAsashōryū Akinori
is a former sumo wrestler from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He was the 68th yokozuna in the history of the sport in Japan and became the first Mongol to reach sumo's highest rank in January 2003. He was one of the most successful yokozuna ever. In 2005 he became the first man to win all six official...
was just three years old.
Ichinoya was interested in sumo from a very young age. He grew up on Tokunoshima
Tokunoshima
is an island in the Amami Islands of southwestern Japan. Administatively it belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture. Three towns are located on the island: Tokunoshima, Isen, and Amagi...
island, which was the birthplace of the 46th Yokozuna Asashio Tarō III
Asashio Taro III
Asashio Tarō III was a sumo wrestler from Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. He was the sport's 46th Yokozuna. He was also a sumo coach and head of Takasago stable.-Career:...
. He studied physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at Ryukyu University in Okinawa, and started up a sumo club there. He joined Takasago
Takasago
Takasago may refer to:*Takasago, Hyōgo, a city located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan*Takasago International Corporation, a company producing chemical flavorants and fragrances*Takasago , a Noh play by Zeami, or one of the lead characters in it...
stable upon graduating. He never rose higher than the fourth sandanme division, but he was much admired simply for his longevity and his determination in fighting opponents more than twenty years his junior. At the tournament in May 2007, ranked at Jonidan 87, he fought back from 0-3 down to achieve a 4-3 score and kachi-koshi
Glossary of sumo terms
The 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...
. In November 2007, having completed 1000 professional bouts, he announced that he was retiring after 24 years in sumo. He also announced his intention to marry.
Ichinoya will remain as the general manager of Takasago stable, looking after its day to day running. He is also a keen computer enthusiast and keeps a regular blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
on the heya
Heya
In sumo wrestling, a heya , usually translated into English as stable, is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live. All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 49 heya , all but four of which belong to one of five ichimon...
's website.
In February 2008 Ichinoya had his retirement ceremony, or danpatsu-shiki, at a hotel in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, along with his wedding reception. Asashoryu was among the attendees.
External links
- Japan Sumo Association profile
- Ichinoya's tournament results
- http://sumobaba.vox.com/library/photo/6a00d4141b9ca03c7f00e398a92ed70001.html
- http://sumobaba.vox.com/library/video/6a00d4141b9ca03c7f00e398a954a70005.html