Chiyonoumi Meitaro

Chiyonoumi Meitaro - 千代の海明太郎 (born January 11, 1993) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kuroshio, Kochi. He made his debut in May 2015 and wrestled for Kokonoe stable. He reached the juryo division in July 2018. His highest rank was juryo 8 and he retired in July 2024.

Early Life[]

Hamamachi was born in Kuroshio, a small town in Kochi Prefecture. He attended Kochi Prefectural Sukumo High School and belonged to their sumo club. He enrolled in Nippon Sport Science University and joined their sumo club. His most memorable college match was against Endo, a future makuuchi division wrestler, who he beat in a team competition. Endo was a 4th year student (senior), and Hamamachi was only a 2nd year student (sophomore). As a senior, Hamamachi was team captain in the National Student Sumo Championship tournament and led them to a team championship.^[1]

Career[]

Early Career[]

Hamamachi2015 — Hamamachi during his early career (c. 2015)

Hamamachi announced his intention to enter professional sumo and joined Kokonoe stable in April 2015. He made his professional debut in May 2015 and defeated the Canadian Homarenishiki in maezumo (pre-sumo). In July 2015, he won the jonokuchi yusho with a perfect 7-0 record. In the following September 2015 tournament, he finished with another 7-0 record and defeated Sakae in a playoff to claim the jonidan yusho. In November 2015 tournament, he was given shikona"Chiyonoumi" (千代の海).^[2]

He lost his first match on the eighth day in the November 2015 tournament against Mitoyutaka, and finished with a 4-3 record. The following January 2016 tournament, he took the sandanme yusho with another perfect record of 7-0 which earned him promotion to makushita in March 2016. However, he pulled out before the March 2016 tournament even started, because he had an operation on his right elbow. He sat out for three consecutive tournaments and was demoted to the bottom of sandanme for the September 2016 tournament.^[2]

He returned to action in September 2016 and would bounce back with five consecutive kachi-koshi or winning records and remained in mid-makushita for around a year. In the March 2018 tournament, Chiyonoumi faced off against juryo wrestler Enho on the last day and defeated him. He finished with a 5-2 record and this boosted him to the top of makushita for the May 2018 tournament. In this tournament, he produced a 4-3 record and this earned him a promotion to juryo for the following July 2018 tournament.^[2]

Juryo Career[]

202105020000178-w500 0 — Chiyonoumi prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2021)

Chiyonoumi made his juryo debut in the July 2018 tournament. He produced an 8-7 record in his first tournament as a sekitori. In November 2018, he finished with a 6-9 record and was demoted to the bottom of juryo for the January 2019 tournament. He bounced back with 8 wins and 4 losses in the next tournament, but pulled out on the 13th day due to collateral ligament injury on his left knee. The following tournaments he produced two consecutive 7-8 records and was slowly falling towards the bottom of juryo. In the September 2019 tournament, he posted a disastrous 2-13 record and was demoted back down to the unsalaried makushita division for the November 2019 tournament.^[2]

After the demotion he produced two winning records in the makushita division and this earned him a promotion back to sekitori status for the March 2020 tournament. However his second juryo run did not last as long and after two straight make-koshi or losing record, he was demoted back down to makushita in September 2020. Chiyonoumi was promoted to juryo for a third time in November 2020, after a 4-3 record at the rank of makushita 2. Upon his return to juryo, Chiyonoumi finished with a career-best 9-6 record. Chiyonoumi was forced to sit out of the January 2021 after a wrestler in his stable tested positive for COVID-19.^[3] After two losing records, Chiyonoumi was demoted back down to makushita in July 2021.^[2]

After two years in makushita, Chiyonoumi secured a promotion back to juryo for the July 2023 tournament. However, his juryo return was short-lived as he was demoted back down to makushita in September 2023.^[2]

Retirement from Sumo[]

ChiyonoumiTeaching2024 — Chiyonoumi teaching a high school health class (c. 2024)

On June 3, after the May 2024 tournament, Chiyonoumi's retirement was announced. Since his retirement was announced after the banzuke meeting, his name still appeared on the July 2024 banzuke. During his time in college, he obtained a teaching license for middle and high school health and physical education.^[4] In September 2024, he began working as a part-time lecturer at Adachi Shinden High School before transitioning to a health and physical education teacher at Nosan High School in Katsushika, Tokyo, in October.^[5] Since his retirement ceremony, or danpatsu-shiki, had not yet taken place, he continued teaching with his topknot intact.^[6]

Chiyonoumi had his danpatsu-shiki, or retirement ceremony, on February 2, 2025, with around 300 guests, many of whom were related to his alma mater of Nippon Sport Science University.^[7]

Personal Life[]

On April 29, 2021, Chiyonoumi married a nurse.^[8]
Chiyonoumi's hobbies include playing games^[9] and drinking during the day. His favorite singer is ASAKI.^[10] According to the Japan Sumo Association's YouTube channel, Chiyonoumi said that he enjoys cleaning the room as a way of spending time at home.^[9]

Fighting Style[]

Chiyonoumi is a oshi-sumo specialist and prefers to thrusting and slap down attacks rather than fighting on the mawashi. Most of Chiyonoumi's wins come from oshidashi (push out) and hatakikomi (slap down). Chiyonoumi rarely wins on the mawashi and he only uses yorikiri (force out) 4% of the time (the average is around 25%).^[11]