Akua Shoma - 天空海 翔馬 (born November 6, 1990) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oarai, Ibaraki. He made his debut in November 2010 and currently wrestles for Tatsunami stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 2020. His highest rank as of 2025 is maegashira 10.
Early Life[]
Yuki Takahata was born into a family that operated a car dealership. His father came from a combat sports background and won a national wrestling competition in junior high school. Takahata attended Ibaraki Prefectural Nakaminato Daiichi High School and was a member of the judo club.[1]
After high school graduation, Takahata enrolled at the Mito Industry Technical Institute. While attending Mito Industry Technical Institute, Takahata saw future yokozuna Kisenosato and was inspired to give professional sumo a try. He joined Tatsunami stable in November 2010, but was at first reluctant to do so. Initially Takahata wanted to become an automobile mechanic and was already working on passing his automobile mechanic examination. Then the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami hit, and his hometown of Oarai was heavily damaged. Oarai suffered from the tsunami, and the aftershocks of the earthquake continued to damage his hometown. Takahata decided to postpone his sumo career and help remove debris from his hometown, but his father convinced him that he should continue with his sumo career.[1]
Career[]
Early Career[]
Toyononami during his time in jonidan (c. 2011)
Takahata made his professional debut in November 2010 and began his career using the shikona "Toyononami" (豊乃浪) and he breezed through the jonokuchi and jonidan divisions. Toyononami spent around two years in sandanme, gradually going up the ranks. In March 2013, he achieved a 6-1 score and was promoted to the makushita division for the May 2013 tournament.
In March 2014, he was given the shikona "Akua" (天空海) which was derived from the aquarium Aqua World, located in his hometown of Oarai, Ibaraki.[2] After his shikona change he achieved 5 consecutive winning scores and reached a then career-best of makushita 8 in January 2015. He subsequently became an upper-level makushita regular and on Day 10 of the March 2016 tournament, he faced off against juryo wrestler Asabenkei which he lost. He still achieved a 4-3 record and was promoted to makushita 2 for the May 2016 tournament. In this tournament, Akua failed to capitalize on a juryo promotion and lost his first four matches including a match against juryo wrestler Ura and finished with a 1-6 record. Akua would spend the next two years in the upper levels of makushita. In November 2017, Akua achieved a 5-2 record at the rank of makushita 4 and beat juryo wrestler Yago on the final day. He was subsequently promoted to juryo for the following January 2018 tournament.
Juryo Career[]
Akua was the first wrestler promoted to juryo from Ibaraki prefecture since Takayasu in November 2010. His stablemates and top division wrestler Endo hoped he would compete in the makuuchi division soon. In his very first tournament he lost in the first four days, and ended up with a poor 4-11 record. He was demoted to the makushita division for the March 2018 tournament, but he returned to juryo four tournaments later in September 2018.
Akua prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2020)
In his return he lost again in the first four days and withdrew on the 12th day. He ended up with a 3-9-3 record and was demoted back down to makushita for the November 2018 tournament. He would spend the next year in makushita. After achieving three winning records in a row, including two consecutive 6-1 records, he was re-promoted to the juryo division in November 2019. He achieved his first winning-record as a sekitori in November 2019 with an 8-7 record. The next tournament he improved with a 9-6 record. However the following tournament, at a then career-best rank of juryo 6, Akua posted a disastrous 4-11 record. In July 2020, he would bounce back with a strong 10-5 record which also qualified him for a six-man playoff for the juryo yusho. He beat Mitoryu in the first round, but lost to stablemate Meisei in the second round.
Makuuchi Career[]
In the September 2020 tournament, Akua produced another 10-5 record at the rank of juryo 6. This earned him a promotion to the top division for the November 2020 tournament at the age of 30. He posted a satisfactory 9-6 record in his makuuchi debut, but followed with a 5-10 record which resulted in a fall back down to juryo in March 2021. He returned to makuuchi in the following May tournament, but could only manage a 5-10 record and was demoted back down to juryo. He was promoted back to makuuchi in November 2021 and reached a career-best maegashira 10 in January 2022.
Later Career[]
Akua was demoted back down to juryo in May 2022. Akua went on a slump in 2023, only managing one winning record that year. 2024 was no better for Akua as he continued to post losing records and was demoted back down to makushita in May 2024.
Personal Life[]
- In February 2018, Akua posted on his twitter account a picture of him and a stablemate posing on the steps of Suga Shrine located in Yotsuya, Tokyo. They were mimicking a scene from anime film, "Your Name". The post went viral and received over 100,000 retweets and 200,000 likes.[3]
- Akua is close friends with stablemate and former juryo wrestler Rikishin. In September 2018, Rikishin (who retired in 2017) gave Akua his bright green mawashi which he never used before in his career. When putting on his new belt, Akua told reporters that he, "wants to stay strong and continue to win."[4]
- Ever since the spring jungyo tournament of 2017, Akua has been in charge of comic sumo displays (初っ切り, shokkiri) on regional tours and exhibition tournaments. His partner in the performances is Takakento of the Tokiwayama stable. He stopped performing shokkiri upon reaching sekitori status in January 2018.
- Akua contracted the COVID-19 virus on December 10, 2020, after there was an outbreak in his stable. He became the third sekitori after Hakuyozan and Fujiazuma to contract the virus.[5]
- He has twice been involved in car accidents while a passenger traveling to the Ryogoku Kokugikan, being rear-ended on the fifth day of the November 2020 tournament and suffering whiplash, and being hit by an uninsured car while leaving a toll booth on the expressway during the March 2021 tournament, resulting in a sprain of his cervical spine.[6]
- Starting from the July 2023 tournament, Akua began throwing large amounts of salt, inspired by former sekiwake Mitoizumi.[7]
Fighting Style[]
Akua defeats Wakamotoharu by kakenage (hooking inner thigh throw)
Akua is an oshi-sumo specialist, who prefers pushing and thrusting techniques. He also has experience in judo, and is fond of kakenage, or "hooking inner thigh throw." In the September 2021 tournament, four of his seven wins through Day 8 were by this technique.[8] He admitted after the tournament that he may have overused the move and that his opponents were beginning to read him.[9]
Record[]
Division Results[]
- Total: 397-391-3/787 (82 basho)
- Makuuchi: 36-54/90 (6 basho)
- Juryo: 150-177-3/326 (22 basho)
- Makushita: 155-125/280 (40 basho)
- Sandanme: 41-29/70 (10 basho)
- Jonidan: 9-5/14 (2 basho)
- Jonokuchi: 6-1/7 (1 basho)
Shikona History[]
- Toyononami Yuki (2010.11 - 2014.01)
- Akua Shoma (2014.03 - )
Gallery[]
JSA Profile Pictures and Tegata[]
Career Overview[]
(c. 2017)
(c. 2025)
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nikkan Sports: Toyonami Powers Through
- ↑ Nikkan Sports: Toyonami Changes Name to Akua
- ↑ IT Media: Sumo Wrestlers Mimick "Your Name"
- ↑ Nikkan Sports: Two Rikishi And Their Mawashi
- ↑ Hochi News: 10 People Infected At Tatsunami Stable
- ↑ Nikkan Sports: Akua Continues To Win Despite Car Accident
- ↑ Baseball Magazine - Reiwa 6 Grand Sumo Wrestler Directory
- ↑ Akua Kimarite Information
- ↑ Nikkan Sports: Akua Talks About His Struggles