Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu - 佐田の山晋松 (born February 18, 1938 - April 27, 2017) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Arikawa, Nagasaki. He made his debut in January 1956 and last wrestled for Dewanoumi stable. He reached the makuuchi division in January 1961 and has 3 special prizes, 2 kinboshi and 6 top division championships. He was the 50th yokozuna and he retired in March 1968.

Early Life[]

Shinmatsu Sasada was born on February 18, 1938, in the town of Arikawa in Nagasaki Prefecture. He was of Korean descent. His father was a big sumo fan and they looked up to ozeki Itsutsushima who came from the same area. He went on to attend Nagasaki Kenritsu Kamigoto High School where he was a member of the sumo club. After a strong showing in the Nagasaki prefectural sumo tournament, he gained confidence and wanted to join professional sumo. After graduating high school, he joined Dewanoumi stable.

Career[]

Early Career[]

He made his debut in January 1956 and initially wrestled under his surname of Sasada. He was promoted to sandanme in January 1957 and makushita in March 1958. He changed his shikona to "Sadanoyama" (佐田の山). He was incredibly efficient and was promoted to juryo in March 1960 without finishing with a single losing record in any of the previous tournaments.

Juryo Career[]

In his first tournament as a sekitori, Sadanoyama finished with a strong 11-4 record and he followed with a 10-5 record. In July 1960, he produced his first losing record of 7-8 after losing his last four matches (at the time he was on a 23 tournament kachi-koshi streak). Nevertheless, he bounced back with two additional winning records and was promoted to makuuchi in January 1961.

Makuuchi Career[]

Sadanoyama produced a solid 10-5 record in his top division debut, but had to sit out of the following tournament due to a sprained right ankle. He returned in the following May 1961 tournament and won his first yusho with a 12-3 record in only his third top division tournament.

F 10147354 — Sadanoyama performs the yokozuna dohyo-iri (c. 1965)

In the following July tournament, Sadanoyama defeated yokozuna's Wakanohana I and Asashio to earn his first and second kinboshi and he finished with a strong 11-4 record and was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. He was promoted straight to sekiwake, skipping pass the komusubi rank, for the following tournament and he posted three winning records consisting of 8-7 and 9-6 performances. In March 1962 he won his second yusho with a 13-2 record and was promoted to ozeki for the following May 1962 tournament. At the time of his ozeki promotion, he had only wrestled in the top divison for eight tournaments.

Ozeki Career[]

In his very first tournament as ozeki he finished with a strong 13-2 record and was runner-up to Tochinoumi's 14-1 performance. in September 1962, he finished with another 13-2 record, but missed out on the yusho after losing to Taiho in the playoff. In March 1963 he lost his first four matches and withdrew on the fifth day due to a lumbar sprain which made him kadoban (in danger of losing ozeki rank) for the first time. Nevertheless, he bounced back with an 11-4 record and in July 1963, he finished with a 13-2 record, but lost to Kitabayama in the playoff. In September and November 1964, Sadanoyama finished with a 13-2 record and was runner-up in both performances. In the following January 1965 tournament, Sadanoyama posted another 13-2 record and won his third top division championship. He was promoted to yokozuna for the following March 1965 tournament.

Yokozuna Career[]

Sadanoyama finished with a 12-3 record and was runner-up to Taiho's 14-1 performance. In his second tournament as yokozuna, he won his fourth yusho with a 14-1 record. He followed with two runner-up 12-3 records in July and September 1965. In 1966, he sat out of three straight tournaments due to an allergic gastroenteropathy. In January 1967, he posted an outstanding 14-1 record, but missed out on the yusho since Taiho finished with a perfect 15-0 record. In November 1967, he won his fifth yusho with a 12-3 record and in January 1968, he won his sixth yusho with a 13-2 record. This was the only time that he won two top division championships consecutively.

Retirement from Sumo[]

Sadanoyama announced his retirement suddenly in March 1968, despite having won the previous two tournaments, two days after a surprise loss to a new maegashira, the Hawaiian born Takamiyama. It has been suggested that the shock of losing to a foreigner may have prompted a premature retirement.

Hh280 AS20170501001783 comm — Dewanoumi Oyakata served as the chairman of the JSA (c. 1992)

Sadanoyama remained in the sumo world after his retirement, as an elder. Having married the daughter of the previous stable boss, former maegashira Dewanohana Kuniichi, he became head coach of the Dewanoumi stable. One of the most powerful heya in sumo, he produced a string of top division wrestlers, including Mienoumi, Dewanohana Yoshitaka, Washuyama, Onishiki, Ryogoku, Oginishiki and Mainoumi.

In February 1992 he became head of the Japan Sumo Association. He was chosen ahead of his contemporaries Taiho and Kashiwado partly because he was in better health than either of them. He changed his toshiyori name to Sakaigawa in 1996, handing over the Dewanoumi name and the day-to-day running of his stable to the former Washuyama. He did not run for re-election in 1998, after it became clear he lacked enough support, and was replaced by former ozeki Yutakayama from the rival Tokitsukaze faction. He subsequently became head of the judging department, an unusual move for a former head of the Sumo Association. He stood down as an elder in 2003 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five.

Death[]

He died in a Tokyo hospital of pneumonia on April 27, 2017 at the age of 79.

Personal Life[]

He made a cameo appearance in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, as himself. Although more attention was focused on yokozuna Taiho and Kashiwado, with their rivalry referred to as the Hakuho era after a combination of their shikona, Sadanoyama in fact ended up winning more tournament championships than Kashiwado.

Fighting Style[]

Sadanoyama was known for employing pushing and thrusting techniques such as tsuppari (a series of rapid thrusts to the chest) and regularly won by such kimarite as oshidashi (push out) and tsukidashi (thrust out). However he was also good on the mawashi where he preferred a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip, and often won by yorikiri (force out) and uwatenage (overarm throw).