Kotoshoho Yoshinari

Kotoshoho Yoshinari - 琴勝峰吉成 (born August 26, 1999) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kashiwa, Chiba. He made his debut in November 2017 and currently wrestles for Sadogatake stable. He reached the makuuchi division in July 2020. His highest rank as of 2025 is maegashira 3.

Early Life[]

Toshiki Tebakari was born on August 26, 1999, in the city of Kashiwa in Chiba Prefecture. His father is an izakaya owner who was still actively bodybuilding as of his 58th birthday on January 23, 2023.^[1] He joined the local Kashiwa City's boys sumo club in kindergarten and achieved third place at the National Wanpaku Sumo Championship during his fourth year at Kashiwa Shiritsu Matsuba Daini Elementary School.^[1]

During his third year at Kashiwa Shiritsu Matsuba Junior High School, Tebakari won the National Junior High School Championship.^[2] He went to Saitama Sakae High School, famous for its sumo program, and was classmates with Tsukahara and Naya.^[3] He became a regular in team competitions during his first, second and third year. Even though he was active in team competitions for most of his high school career, he never won an individual championship.^[4]

After graduating from high school he joined Sadogatake stable and was recruited by ex-sekiwake Kotonowaka, to whom he had a connection as Kotonowaka's eldest son was a fellow member of Kashiwa City's boys sumo club.^[4]

Career[]

Early Career[]

He made his professional debut in November 2017, using the shikona of Kototebakari Toshiki (琴手計富士紀), based on his own name. In his first tournament on the banzuke in January 2018 he took part in a playoff with Tsukahara for the jonokuchi division championship after both finished with a 6–1 record. He continued his strong run and produced three consecutive winning records which boosted him up to the makushita division for the September 2018 tournament.^[5]

KototebakariNaya — Kototebakari battles Naya in sandanme (c. 2018)

Upon promotion to makushita, Kototebakari suffered his first losing record and was regulated back down to the sandanme division for the November 2018 tournament. After one tournament in sandanme, Kototebakari was promoted back to makushita in January 2019, and after five straight kachi-koshi, or winning records, Kototebakari was promoted to juryo for the November 2019 tournament.^[5]

Juryo Career[]

Upon promotion to sekitori status, Kototebakari was given the shikona to "Kotoshoho" (琴勝峰). He produced a satisfactory 9-6 record in his first tournament and would achieve another 9-6 record in the following January 2020 tournament. Kotoshoho won the juryo division yusho or championship with a 12–3 record in March 2020, only his third tournament in the division, and this earned him promotion to the top division for the Natsu tournament scheduled for May 2020.^[5]

Makuuchi Career[]

Kotoshoho was only 20 years old in his makuuchi debut and he produced a solid 8-7 record. In the following tournament, Kotoshoho achieved his first double-digit makuuchi record with a 10-5 score. He continued his streak of winning records (12 straight winning records) after finishing the November 2020 tournament with an 8-7 record. However, he posted a disastrous 2-13 record in January 2021 and he missed several days of the March 2021 tournament due to injury, only managing to record one win, and he was demoted back to juryo for the May 2021 tournament. He returned to makuuchi in March 2022 after winning his second juryo yusho in the January 2022 tournament. He had to withdraw from Day 11 of the July 2022 tournament after a COVID outbreak at Sadogatake stable.^[6]

KotoshohoChiyomaru — Kotoshoho defeats Chiyomaru (c. 2023)

He secured a winning record of 9–6 in March 2022, but then had losing records in the next four tournaments. From the rank of maegashira 13 in January 2023, he entered the final day level with ozeki Takakeisho on 11–3, and fought him for the championship in the final match of the tournament, the first maegashira to be in such a position since 15-day tournaments were established in 1949.^[1] Although he was defeated and missed out on the Outstanding Performance award, he did receive the Fighting Spirit award for his 11–4 performance, the best of his career. Kotoshoho withdrew on Day 10 of the May 2023 tournament due to a patellar subluxation in his left knee, after having suffered eight consecutive defeats.^[7] He also had sprained his right ankle during the spring jungyo. He nevertheless expressed his desire to return to the competition and was later scheduled to return on Day fourteen.^[8]

Kotoshoho was demoted to the juryo division after suffering ten losses at the rank of maegashira 14 in September 2023. He won the November 2023 juryo title–his third career title in that division–with ten wins and a playoff victory over 2023 tsukedashi entrant Onosato. As the top-ranked juryo competitor at the time, Kotoshoho appeared likely to return to the top division for the next tournament in January 2024.^[5]

Kotoshoho spent 2024 competing in the maegashira ranks, securing winning records in his first four tournaments before suffering eight losses in September. In November he won three matches before pulling out near the end of the tournament, with his medical certificate indicating a toe dislocation and avulsion fracture requiring two months of treatment.^[9]

Kotoshoho sat out the first five days of the May 2025 tournament, with his stablemaster Sadogatake announcing that Kotoshoho injured his right bicep during the Yokozuna Deliberation Council training session earlier in the month.^[10]

Personal Life[]

He has been praised by commentators for his calm demeanor and his maturity in the dohyo despite being only 20 years of age at the time of his promotion.^[11]
Kotoshoho's younger brother wrestles in the same stable under the shikona Kotoeiho. He was promoted to the juryo division in November 2024.^[12]
In June 2023, Kotoshoho held a press conference at Ryogoku Kokugikan to announce his engagement to a woman of the same age, living in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, to whom he proposed after the May 2023 tournament.^[13] The following month it was announced that the couple were expecting their first child.^[14] Their son was born on 24 October 2023, and the wedding ceremony took place on 9 June 2024.^[15]
Kotoshoho's hobby is reading manga, his favorite food is yakiniku, his favorite artist is Dai Hirai, and his favorite manga is One Piece.^[16]

Fighting Style[]

Kotoshoho is a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling to pushing and thrusting techniques. He favors a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) position when gripping his opponent's mawashi (belt).^[16] He won most of his bouts with a straightforward yorikiri, or force out. His second most common kimarite in oshidashi, or push out.^[17]