Kotogaume Tsuyoshi
Encyclopedia
Kotogaume Tsuyoshi is a former sumo
wrestler from Yatsuo
, Nei District
, Toyama Prefecture
, Japan
. He joined sumo in 1979 and made the top makuuchi
division in 1985. His highest rank was sekiwake, which he held on twelve occasions. After his retirement in 1997 he worked as a coach at Sadogatake stable
until 2007.
and was a black belt
, 1st dan. He made his professional sumo debut in March 1979, after finishing junior high school. Initially he fought under his own surname of Kitayama, before being given the shikona
of Kotogaume ("Harp of the Plum"). In his early career he served as a tsukebito or personal attendant to ozeki Kotokaze. He made his first appearance in the titled sanyaku ranks of the top division in November 1985, the same tournament in which Kotokaze announced his retirement. He reached his highest rank of sekiwake for the first time in September 1986. In 1989 he came close to ozeki promotion by producing two double figure scores at sekiwake in July and September, but he fell short with only eight wins in November 1989. In his later career he suffered increasingly from diabetes and fell to the second jūryō division. He made his last appearance in makuuchi in January 1995 and retired in May 1997.
Kotogaume earned two gold stars for defeating yokozuna whilst ranked as a maegashira, and at sekiwake in May 1988 he was also the last man to defeat Chiyonofuji
before the latter embarked on his 53 bout winning streak. He also received seven special prizes
. His best result in a tournament was third place in January 1988, behind Asahifuji and Konishiki.
elder stock and had to borrow from wrestlers still active. He used Terao
's Shikoroyama name until 2002, and then switched to Dejima
's Onaruto name, but had to leave the Sumo Association in November 2007 when it was needed by the retiring Buyuzan, a member of Dejima's stable.
for throws. Oshi-dashi, a straightforward push out, was the kimarite
used in exactly half of his victories at sekitori
level.
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 Yatsuo
Yatsuo, Toyama
was a town located in Nei District, Toyama, Japan. It is famous for Owara Kaze no bon festival.On April 1, 2005 Yatsuo, along with the towns of Ōsawano and Ōyama, both from Kaminiikawa District, the town of Fuchū, and the villages of Hosoiri and Yamada, all from Nei District, was merged into the...
, Nei District
Nei District, Toyama
was a district located in Toyama, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 61,601 and a density of 159.56 persons per km². The total area is 386.06 km².-Towns and villages:* Fuchū* Hosoiri* Yamada* Yatsuo-History:...
, Toyama Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
, 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...
. He joined sumo in 1979 and made 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 1985. His highest rank was sekiwake, which he held on twelve occasions. After his retirement in 1997 he worked as a coach at Sadogatake stable
Sadogatake stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its modern form it dates from September 1955, when it was set up by former komusubi Kotonishiki Noboru. Former yokozuna Kotozakura took over the running of the stable in 1974 following Kotonishiki's death. Over the next...
until 2007.
Career
In his youth he practiced judoJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and was a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
, 1st dan. He made his professional sumo debut in March 1979, after finishing junior high school. Initially he fought under his own surname of Kitayama, before being 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 Kotogaume ("Harp of the Plum"). In his early career he served as a tsukebito or personal attendant to ozeki Kotokaze. He made his first appearance in the titled sanyaku ranks of the top division in November 1985, the same tournament in which Kotokaze announced his retirement. He reached his highest rank of sekiwake for the first time in September 1986. In 1989 he came close to ozeki promotion by producing two double figure scores at sekiwake in July and September, but he fell short with only eight wins in November 1989. In his later career he suffered increasingly from diabetes and fell to the second jūryō division. He made his last appearance in makuuchi in January 1995 and retired in May 1997.
Kotogaume earned two gold stars for defeating yokozuna whilst ranked as a maegashira, and at sekiwake in May 1988 he was also the last man to defeat Chiyonofuji
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
, born June 1, 1955, as in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a former champion sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna of the sport. He is now the head coach of Kokonoe stable....
before the latter embarked on his 53 bout winning streak. He also received seven 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:...
. His best result in a tournament was third place in January 1988, behind Asahifuji and Konishiki.
Retirement from sumo
Kotogaume became an elder of the Sumo Association upon his retirement, but he did not own permanent toshiyoriToshiyori
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...
elder stock and had to borrow from wrestlers still active. He used Terao
Terao Tsunefumi
Terao Tsunefumi is a former sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable...
's Shikoroyama name until 2002, and then switched to Dejima
Dejima Takeharu
Dejima Takeharu is a former sumo wrestler from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1996, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year...
's Onaruto name, but had to leave the Sumo Association in November 2007 when it was needed by the retiring Buyuzan, a member of Dejima's stable.
Fighting style
Kotogaume throughout his career relied almost entirely on pushing and thrusting techniques, and seemed to have little interest in using his opponent's 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:...
for throws. Oshi-dashi, a straightforward push out, was the 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...
used in exactly half of 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.
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