Daiamami Genki

Daiamami Genki - 大奄美元規 (born December 15, 1992) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tatsugo, Kagoshima. He made his debut in January 2016 and currently wrestles for Oitekaze stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 2017. His highest rank as of 2025 is maegashira 11.

Early Life[]

Daiamami College — Sakamoto as corporate yokozuna (c. 2015)

Sakamoto began attending a local sumo dojo during his second year at Akatsu Elementary School. He attended Amami City Akagi Junior High School and Kagoshima Commercial High School. During his third year of high school, he won the Kanazawa Sumo Tournament during his third year of high school.^[1]

He enrolled in the Department of Commerce at Nihon University and also joined the university's prestigious sumo club. He won the Uwajima Tournament in the second year and also played an active role during team competitions, and became the captain of the sumo club during his fourth year.^[2] He injured his medial meniscus in his third year and had to undergo corrective surgery to fix it.^[3] After graduating he became a business association player after finding employment at Nihon University as a staff member.^[4] After winning the 2015 Japan Corporate Sumo Tournament^[5], one of the four tournaments that grants tsukedashi, he decided to join Oitekaze stable under fellow Nihon University graduate Daishoyama.^[6]

Career[]

Early Career[]

Sakamoto made his professional debut in January 2016 and due to his makushita tsukedashi status, he made his debut at the rank of makushita 15. He did not have spectacular records in his first few tournaments, but they were all consistent. He produced six consecutive 4-3 winning records which earned him a promotion to the salaried juryo division in January 2017, one year after making his professional debut.^[7]

Juryo Career[]

Daiamami12 — Daiamami during the makuuchi dohyo-iri (c. 2021)

Upon promotion to juryo, he changed his shikona to "Daiamami" (大奄美). The word "Dai" is in deference to his stablemaster, the former Daishoyama, and "Amami" comes from Amami Island, which is the island he grew up on.^[8]

In his first juryo tournament he achieved a spectacular 10-5 record, and the following March 2017 tournament, he produced an 8-7 record. However the following May 2017 tournament he posted a 7-8 record, his first ever make-koshi. He bounced back with an 11-4 record and the juryo yusho in the July 2017 tournament. In the following September 2017 tournament, he produced a 9-6 record which earned him promotion to the makuuchi division for the November 2017 tournament.^[7]

Makuuchi Career[]

He made his makuuchi debut in November 2017 at the rank of maegashira 14. After a 6–9 record he produced kachi-koshi or winning records in his second and third top division tournaments, and was promoted to his highest rank to date of maegashira 11 in May. However he scored only 4–11 in this tournament and was demoted back to juryo. He returned to makuuchi after the September 2018 tournament where he scored 11–4, losing a playoff for the championship to Tokushoryu. He was unable to get winning records in the November 2018 and January 2019 tournaments and was demoted to juryo again. He returned to makuuchi in March 2020 following an 11-4 record in the previous tournament. However, he scored a 5-10 record and was demoted back to juryo the following tournament. During the year 2022, Daiamami rose twice to a position to win the juryo championship with a score of 11–4. However, he failed both times, the first time against Nishikifuji in May and the second time against Oshoma in November. In 2023, Daiamami again found himself in a potential championship-winning situation at the July tournament, where he was, however, defeated on the final day in a playoff against Atamifuji.^[7]

Personal Life[]

Daiamami's favorite drink is Kokuto Shochu (Amami brown sugar shochu), which is a distilled spirit made exclusively in Amami Islands, Kagoshima, Japan. He enjoys singing karaoke in his free time.^[9]

Fighting Style[]

Daiamami is a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling techniques to pushing or thrusting. His favored grip on his opponent's mawashi is migi-yotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position.^[10] His most common winning kimarite is a straightforward yorikiri, or push out.^[11]