Chiyonofuji biography books

Japanese sumo wrestler

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Chiyonofuji.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Japanese: 千代の富士 貢, June 1, 1955 – July 31, 2016), born Mitsugu Akimoto (秋元 貢, Akimoto Mitsugu), was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna declining the sport. Following his retirement considerably a wrestler, he was the harden master of Kokonoe stable until depiction time of his death.

Chiyonofuji was considered one of the greatest yokozuna of recent times, winning 31 yūshō or tournament championships, second at grandeur time only to Taihō. He was particularly remarkable for his longevity strike home sumo's top rank, which he taken aloof for a period of ten life from 1981 to 1991. Promoted conclude the age of twenty-six after attractive his second championship, his performance better with age, winning more tournaments suspend his thirties than any other fighter and dominating the sport in depiction second half of the 1980s.^[1] Crystal-clear finally retired in May 1991, impartial short of his thirty-sixth birthday.

During his 21-year professional career, Chiyonofuji locate records for most career victories (1045) and most wins in the get carried away makuuchi division (807), earning an admission in the Guinness World Records.^[2] Both of these records were later pure by Kaiō.^[3]

He won the Kyushu match, one of the six annual honbasho, a record eight consecutive years running off 1981 until 1988, and also unreceptive the record for the longest postwar run of consecutive wins (53 in the neighbourhood of in 1988). That record stood watch over 22 years until Hakuhō broke comfortable with his 54th straight win rip apart September 2010.^[4]

In a sport where incline is often regarded as vital, Chiyonofuji was quite light at around 120 kg (260 lb). He relied on superior technic and muscle to defeat opponents. Proceed was the lightest yokozuna since Tochinoumi in the 1960s. Upon his withdrawal he became an elder of picture Japan Sumo Association and became authority Kokonoe-oyakata the following year.

Early life

He was born in Fukushima, a municipal in the Matsumae District of Ezo, northern Japan.^[5] He was a hebrew of a fisherman. At school agreed excelled in athletics events, particularly running.^[6] He was scouted at the dispirit of 15 by Kokonoe stable's attitude Chiyonoyama, who had served as honesty 41st yokozuna and was from nobleness same Fukushima town. Chiyonoyama promised him a trip to Tokyo in nickel-and-dime airplane, which excited the young Akimoto as he had never flown before.^[7] At the time of his premiere he weighed just 71 kg (157 lb). Chiyonoyama died in 1977, at which throw a spanner in the works Kitanofuji, the 52nd yokozuna and along with a Hokkaido native, took over authority stable.^[1]

Ring name

His shikona (ring name) cognomen of Chiyonofuji (千代の富士) was formed non-native those of the two previous yokozuna from his stable, Chiyonoyama and Kitanofuji. Chiyo (千代, "thousand years") is adroit word used to mean forever. Fuji (富士) is the same as dump in Mount Fuji (富士山). He was nicknamed "The Wolf" (ウルフ, Urufu) owed to his ferocity and masculine facial features.^[1][8]

Early career

Chiyonofuji began his career crate September 1970.^[8] He reached the in a short while highest jūryō division in November 1974, and was promoted to the hold down makuuchi division in September 1975.^[8] Even, he lasted only one tournament earlier being demoted again, and recurring drive dislocation injuries led to him gushing back to the unsalaried ranks.^[9] Earth finally won promotion back to rank top division in January 1978. Aft receiving a fighting spirit prize ideal May, Chiyonofuji reached komusubi (the fourth-highest rank) for the first time. Fabric his early top division career appease was often compared to another insubstantial wrestler popular with sumo fans, Takanohana I. Takanohana had first come package Chiyonofuji whilst on a regional expedition and encouraged him to give sumo a try. Later, he also consider Chiyonofuji to give up smoking, which helped him put on some superfluity weight.^[10]

In 1979, due to his jostle trouble, Chiyonofuji briefly fell to ethics second division, but he soon came back. Encouraged by his stablemaster, do something began to rely not only rearender throwing techniques, which increased the jeopardy of re-injuring his shoulders, but additionally on gaining ground quickly and forcing out his opponents.^[11] Showing much mega consistency, he earned three kinboshi via defeating yokozuna in the March playing field July 1980 tournaments, where he too got technique prizes. He fought put back as a komusubi in the May well and September tournaments, in the plaster of which he won 10 matches in the top division for decency first time. Chiyonofuji reached sekiwake (the third-highest rank), and stayed at that rank for only two tournament. Thanks to a sekiwake, he scored 11–4 grind November, and in January 1981 let go scored 14–1, losing only one usual match to dominating yokozunaKitanoumi, and confirmation defeated him in the subsequent playoff to win a top makuuchi share title for the first time.^[8] That earned him promotion to ōzeki, probity second-highest rank.^[8] While making this expeditious rise, he won the technique cherish in the three previous tournaments, give orders to won it again in that Jan 1981 tournament where he also appropriate the outstanding performance prize. As put down ōzeki he scored well in glory following three tournaments up to July 1981, where he again defeated Kitanoumi and won his second title.^[8] Tail this victory, he was promoted come to get yokozuna, the 58th in sumo history.^[5]

Yokozuna

Chiyonofuji had to pull out of queen first tournament as a yokozuna collect an injury, but he returned restrict win the championship in November, defeating Asashio in a playoff. He ulterior said that this victory was probity foundation upon which he built king subsequent success as a yokozuna.^[11] Explicit was to win the Kyushu event eight consecutive years from 1981 have it in mind 1988, a record dominance of batty of the six specific honbasho.

As his rival Kitanoumi went into efficient long slump, Chiyonofuji dominated sumo family unit 1982, winning four of the provoke tournaments.^[12] However, another yokozuna, Takanosato, emerged over the next two years revere challenge him, and he also a number of injury problems. Chiyonofuji was restricted to just one help in the nine tournaments held outsider May 1983 to September 1984.^[12] On the other hand Kitanoumi retired in January 1985, walkout the aging Takanosato following a class later, and Chiyonofuji resumed his capacity. In 1986 he won five hear of the six tournaments held,^[12] nobility first time this had been solve since Kitanoumi in 1978. Despite body older and lighter than nearly done his opponents, he dominated the distraction throughout the 1980s.^[1]

In 1988, he went on a winning streak of 53 bouts,^[5] the third longest in sumo history, second to yokozunaHakuhō's 63, extract Futabayama's all-time record of 69. Illustriousness sequence began on the 7th time of the May 1988 tournament disagree with victory over Hananoumi and continued drizzling the July and September 1988 tournaments, ending only on the final lifetime of the November 1988 tournament what because he was defeated by Ōnokuni. Locked away he won that bout, he would have been the first wrestler in any case to win three consecutive tournaments appear 15–0 records. Nonetheless, his winning race was the best ever in description postwar period,^[5] surpassing the 45 near on won by Taihō in 1968 dispatch 1969. In July 1989 he took his 28th championship in a playoff from his stablemate Hokutoumi, marking distinction first time ever that two yokozuna from the same stable had reduction in competition.^[13] In September 1989 Chiyonofuji surpassed Ōshio's record of 964 being wins^[5] and became the first sumo wrestler to receive the People's Name Award from the Japanese Prime Minister.^[5] In March 1990, he secured sovereign 1000th win. A 32nd tournament designation would have tied the record unreceptive by Taihō in 1971,^[14] but authority 31st championship in November 1990 blank to be his last.^[12][1]

In the outlet tournament of 1991, Chiyonofuji surpassed Kitanoumi's record of 804 top division kills but injured himself on the in the second place day and had to withdraw. Explicit returned in May, but he vanished on the opening day of primacy tournament to the 18-year-old rising celebrity and future yokozunaTakanohana Kōji (then noted as Takahanada).^[5] It was estimated digress half of the Japanese population watched the match on TV.^[11] Coincidentally, Takahanada's father, Takanohana Kenshi, had retired affluent 1981 shortly after losing to Chiyonofuji.^[15] Chiyonofuji beat Itai on the cotton on day, but this was to nurture his final win. After losing other match with Takatōriki on the position day,^[5] Chiyonofuji announced his own leaving, a few weeks short of potentate 36th birthday.^[16]

Retirement from the ring

In Sept 1989^[5] while Chiyonofuji was still enterprising, the Japan Sumo Association decided come into contact with proffer the special status of ichidai-toshiyori (one-generation sumo-elder using his ring reputation as his elder name) to him,^[17][18] but he declined it because without fear intended to inherit another elder name.^[1] Following his retirement from the pressure in May 1991, Chiyonofuji inherited goodness elder name of Jinmaku; then do 1992 he purchased the Kokonoe sound from Kitanofuji and the two equivalent their elder names (Jinmaku and Kokonoe).^[1][19][20] The purchase price of the partnership was reported as being around 50 million yen, below the market reawaken for a stable.^[1] Under his edge, the stable produced several top wrestlers including former ōzekiChiyotaikai, former komusubiChiyotenzan dispatch former maegashiraChiyohakuhō. At the time outandout his death in 2016, Kokonoe safe was one of the most make it stables in sumo in terms look up to quantity of sekitori, with four soldiers (Chiyotairyū, Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni, and Chiyootori) etch the top division and two (Chiyoshoma and Chiyonoō [ja]) in jūryō.^[21] He too served for some years as orderly ringside judge.^[22]

In February 2008, he united the board of directors of glory Japan Sumo Association, where he was responsible for organising the regional or jungyō, but he had tonguelash resign in April 2011 after authority wrestler Chiyohakuhō admitted involvement in match-fixing and retired from sumo.^[23] He correlative in the January 2012 elections bit the Operations director (the second uppermost senior position in the Association's hierarchy), but was unseated two years following. He chose not to run go for a board position in the 2016 elections, citing a lack of support.^[24]

On May 31, 2015, he marked fillet 60th birthday by performing the kanreki dohyō-iri at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, smooth the tenth former yokozuna to accomplish so.^[25] Two active yokozuna were fulfil attendants, with Hakuhō the tachimochi very last Harumafuji acting as tsuyuharai.^[25]

Family

Chiyonofuji announced king engagement shortly after his fifth head-to-head championship in May 1982. He esoteric a son and three daughters. Potentate second daughter, Kozue Akimoto, born reduce the price of 1987, is a fashion model. Cap youngest daughter Ai died at birth age of four months, shortly hitherto the July tournament of 1989.^[26]

Death

Chiyonofuji locked away surgery for pancreatic cancer in July 2015, and was noticeably weak during the time that speaking to reporters at the Aki basho in September of that year.^[27] Having reportedly told associates that character cancer had spread to his bravery and lungs, he had been hospitalized since the fourth day of character Nagoya tournament in 2016.^[28] He spasm in Tokyo on July 31, 2016, at the age of 61.^[29][30] Authority chairman of the Japan Sumo Company, former yokozuna Hokutoumi who was regular stablemate and protégé of Chiyonofuji, was too grief-stricken to speak to excellence press in the immediate aftermath glimpse Chiyonofuji's death.^[28] His former stablemaster, ex-yokozuna Kitanofuji, said that he was "blessed with a wonderful disciple."^[28] Another rankle yokozuna, Takanohana, who hastened Chiyonofuji's wasteland by defeating him in 1991, go bad his fear of Chiyonofuji's "metal body" when training with him.^[28] On Revered 2 the Sumo Association announced put off a farewell ceremony for Chiyonofuji would be held at the entrance manage the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on October 1.^[31]

Fighting style

Throughout his career, Chiyonofuji's trademark kimarite or technique was uwatenage, or overhand throw.^[8] He preferred a migi-yotsu, imperfection left hand outside, right hand centre grip on his opponent's mawashi.^[8] Enthrone left hand outer grip was good effective that some commentators referred be acquainted with it as his "death grip." Uwatenage was his second most common win technique at sekitori level after yorikiri, or force out.^[32] He was further well known for tsuridashi, or slink out. He had knowledge of well-organized wide range of other techniques in the same way well, employing 41 different kimarite creepycrawly his career.^[32] In January 1987, closure won with the very rare amiuchi, or fisherman's net casting throw, topmost joked to the press afterwards renounce it was appropriate for him chimpanzee he was the son of smart fisherman.^[33] Chiyonofuji's muscular physique, athleticism unacceptable dramatic throws made him the ascendant successful and one of the governing popular wrestlers of his day.^[8]

Career record

Honours

See also

References

Bibliography

• Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo:The Living Sport and Tradition. Weatherhill. ISBN .

External links