Asahikuni Masuo

Asahikuni Masuo - 旭國斗雄 (April 25, 1947 - October 22, 2024) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aibetsu, Hokkaido. He made his debut in July 1963 and last wrestled for Tatsunami stable. He reached the makuuchi division in July 1969 and has seven special prizes as well as two kinboshi. His highest rank was ozeki and he retired in September 1979.

Early Life[]

Ota was born the third son of a farmer in the town go Aibetsu in Hokkaido. In junior high school, he was a member of the baseball club. During his third year in junior high school, he served as a replacement for his school's sumo club as there was a shortage of members and he won a tournament in his first try. In 1962, he was recruited for professional sumo by Oshima Oyakata (former maegashira Wakanami) who was a coach at Tatsunami stable. Initially, he was too small and was unable to pass the physical exam until his fifth attempt.

Career[]

Early Career[]

He made his professional debut in July 1963 and was given the shikona "Asahikuni" (旭國). He was promoted to sandanme in January 1964 and makushita in July 1964. In March 1967 he won the makushita yusho with a perfect 7-0 record and was promoted to the "juryo-promotion range", however, he could only manage a 3-4 record. After two years of contention for a juryo promotion he finally achieved this in January 1969 where he produced a 5-2 record at the rank of makushita 3 and was promoted to juryo in the following March 1969 tournament.

Juryo Career[]

Asahikuni made his juryo debut alongside stablemate Kurohimeyama. In his first tournament as a sekitori, he finished with a strong 10-5 record. He followed up with an 11-4 record in May 1969 and was promoted to makuuchi in July 1969 after only two tournaments in juryo.

Makuuchi Career[]

Asahikuni did not make a strong impact in his first makuuchi run and this was mainly because of pancreas problems. During his time in makushita he underwent appendicitis surgery, but began training before his wounds completely healed and his pancreas took more damage after he began drinking excessive amounts of heavy alcohol. As a result, he was hospitalized on ten separate occasions. He sat out of the January 1972 tournament due to pancreatitis and did not establish himself in the top division until May 1972.

20210604-00019797-bbmv-000-1-view — Asahikuni prepares for his upcoming match

In September 1972, he produced a 10-5 record at the rank of maegashira 3 and was warded his first Technique prize. He was promoted to sekiwake int he following November 1972 tournament, but could only manage four wins. In March 1974, he produced an 11-4 record and this was his first runner-up performance to Wajima's 12-3 record. In the following two tournaments, he defeated yokozuna Kitanofuji and Kotozakura to earn his two career kinboshi. In May, July and September 1975, Asahikuni won three consecutive Technique prized and was a noted technician. In January 1976, Asahikuni was runner-up for the second time to Kitanoumi's 13-2 record as he finished with a 12-3 record and was awarded his first Fighting Spirit prize. He followed up with a 13-2 record in March and was runner-up after losing the playoff to yokozuna Wajima. Nevertheless, he had accumulated 33 wins in the previous three tournaments which earned him the rank of ozeki for the following May 1976 tournament. It had taken him 77 tournaments from his professional debut to reach ozeki, which at the time was the slowest ever.

Ozeki Career[]

Due to his ongoing pancreatitis problems, Asahikuni was unable to contend for the yusho on a regular basis. His best tournament result came in July 1977 when he lost just one bout, but he finished as runner-up to Kitanoumi who won with a perfect record. Asahikuni was never able to win a top division championship, this being his fourth and final runner-up performance. He remained in the rank of ozeki for another two years, but was did not contend for the championship, and at best, finished with a 10-5 record.

Retirement from Sumo[]

Sek121-jpp018403633 — Oshima Oyakata celebrates Mongolian Kyokushuzan's promotion to juryo (c. 1995)

He retired in September 1979 after 21 tournaments as an ozeki. His retirement was enforced, as he had broken his shoulder in a bout with Mienoumi. The two wrestlers had been friends as well as rivals, having made their professional debuts in the same month, and their friendship survived the incident. Asahikuni stayed in the sumo world as an elder under the name of Oshima Oyakata. In 1980 he established Oshima stable, despite strong opposition from his old stable boss Tatsunami, who did not want him to break away from the stable even though Asahikuni did not take any high ranking wrestlers with him. Oshima stable eventually produced Asahifuji, who reached the yokozuna rank in 1990, and in 1992 Oshima became the first stablemaster to recruit Mongolians, with six joining for the March 1992 tournament. Two of them, Kyokushuzan and Kyokutenho, reached the top division, rising to komusubi and sekiwake respectively, and another Kyokutenzan served as a pioneer for ensuring Mongolian success in sumo. In all Oshima produced ten sekitori, including komusubi Kyokudozan and Asahiyutaka. He also worked as a judge of tournament bouts and was on the Japan Sumo Association's board of directors until 2010 when he lost an election to Takanohana. Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 in April 2012 Oshima stable was dissolved with its wrestlers moving to Tomozuna stable. Kyokutenho, who had once been considered a future head of Oshima stable, instead became head of Tomozuna stable in 2017.

Family[]

Asahikuni has two sons, both of whom joined his stable, but neither reached the elite sekitori ranks. His eldest, Tomō, born in 1978, joined in 1994 and was known as Kyokuhoten. He retired in November 1999 after a long injury layoff, with a highest rank of sandanme 26. His younger son Kunihiro, born in 1979, made his debut in 1995 and fought under the similar ring name of Kyokushoten. He had a much longer and marginally more successful career, reaching a highest rank of makushita 46 before retiring in January 2011.

Fighting Style[]

Asahikuni was an extremely skilful wrestler, earning the nickname "the PhD of sumo", such was his knowledge of a wide variety of techniques. He won the prestigious Gino-sho, or Technique prize, on six occasions. He achieved this despite the fact that he suffered regularly from pancreatitis and was known even to commute to tournaments from hospital. He specialised in a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi, migi-yotsu, from which he regularly won by shitatenage, or underarm throw. He was also one of very few wrestlers to use tottari, or arm pull.