Takarafuji Daisuke

Takarafuji Daisuke - 宝富士大輔 (born February 18, 1987) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nakadomari, Aomori. He made his debut in January 2009 and currently wrestles for Isegahama stable. He reached the makuuchi division in July 2011 and has 1 special prize as well as 3 kinboshi. His highest rank as of 2025 is sekiwake.

Early Life[]

Daisuke Sugiyama was born on February 18, 1987, in Nakadomari, Aomori. Sugiyama began practicing sumo in his third year of elementary school at a local dojo where his father served as the coach. He would practice 2-3 times a week, but was at first not too enthusiastic about sumo.^[1]

Screen Shot 2020-12-20 at 1.39.42 PM — Sugiyama during his time in high school (c. 2003)

Sugiyama later attended Nakadomari Choritsu Nakasato Junior High School where he was also a member of the sumo club and participated in many national tournaments. This exposure soon had him being scouted by several sumo stables. However, he chose to continue his high school education at Goshogawara Commercial High School where he was also a member of their sumo club. In high school he also participated in many national tournaments and he was later recruited to the prestigious Kinki University's sumo club. At the collegiate level, Sugiyama won six collegiate titles and achieved second place at the national tournament. Upon his graduation, the former yokozuna Asahifuji, who had previously attended the same high school and university as Sugiyama, invited him to join Isegahama stable of which Asahifuji served as the head coach.^[1]

Career[]

Early Career[]

Sugiyama's professional sumo career began in January 2009. He took the shikona of Takarafuji from the beginning, following the practice at Isegahama of wrestlers taking a ring name at the beginning rather than waiting for a promotion opportunity as most stables do. He advanced quickly through the lower ranks.^[2]

He narrowly lost the jonokuchi championship in his debut, losing in a playoff. He then posted an impressive 6-1 in his jonidan division debut in the next tournament. In the following July 2009 tournament, he won the sandanme division championship with a perfect record and a playoff win. His progress slowed only slightly on entering the tougher makushita division. Through to July 2010 he posted only one losing tournament, and was promoted to the juryo second division in September 2010. His promotion from makushita 2 to juryo 12 was higher than normal due to seven other wrestlers being suspended for gambling on baseball.^[2]

Juryo Career[]

Regardless of being put at a higher rank than his record had yet warranted, he excelled. In his first two tournaments he produced two 9-6 records, which was followed by an 8-7, and he finished with a 9-6 record in May 2011. As a result he advanced to the top-tier makuuchi division in July 2011 at maegashira 10.^[2]

Makuuchi Career[]

His debut in the division would turn out to be the same tournament that his stablemate, ozeki Harumafuji would win the championship. This auspicious debut did little for his record, and an unimpressive 4–11 record had him demoted. For four tournaments, he alternated between losing records in makuuchi that bounced him down to juryo where he would post an impressive enough record to achieve top-tier promotion again.^[2]

Dhdehebsd — Takarafuji defeats Mitakeumi (c. 2019)

Though he only posted a 6–9 record at maegashira 14 in the March 2012 tournament, unimpressive performances by many wrestlers in nearby ranks allowed him to stay in the makuuchi division at the bottom maegashira 16 rank for the May 2012 tournament. In this tournament he would finally post his first winning record, being in the yusho race until late in the tournament before several consecutive losses knocked him out of the running. Since this time, he has been a managed to stay in the top division for the better part of three years, posting roughly alternating winning and losing tournaments, and was only demoted to juryo once in November 2012 before bouncing right back into the top division.^[2]

He earned his first kinboshi or gold star for defeating yokozuna Kakuryu in the January 2015 tournament, but he missed out on a first special prize and promotion to the san'yaku ranks after he failed to win on the final day and ended with a make-koshi 7–8 record. Winning records in March and May saw him promoted to komusubi for the first time but a 4–11 result in July saw him return to the rank and file. He managed only four wins in September but returned to form with ten wins in November and a winning record in January 2016 led to him being made komusubi again for the March tournament. In this tournament he defeated Hakuho on the opening day, his first win over the yokozuna in eleven attempts. He beat Hakuho again on the 5th day of the July tournament in Nagoya, ending the yokozuna's 33 bout winning streak.^[3] He ended the tournament with a 10–5 record and was awarded the special prize for Fighting Spirit. He was promoted to his highest rank to date of sekiwake for the following September 2016 tournament, but could only score 4–11 and was demoted. He has remained in the maegashira ranks since then. In November 2017, Takarafuji defeated Yokozuna Kisenosato for his third career kinboshi.^[2]

Even though he was defeated by fellow maegashira and former sekiwake Myogiryu, Takarafuji celebrated his 1200th match since his professional debut on the 12th day of the July 2023 tournament.^[4]

Takarafuji recorded only six wins against nine losses from maegashira 16 in the January 2024 tournament, meaning a likely fall to juryo for the following tournament for the first time since November 2012 and leaving him ten short of 1000 consecutive matches in the top division. Takarafuji confirmed that he would continue in juryo and would not be retiring.^[5]

After wrestling in the juryo division during the March 2024 tournament, Takarafuji found himself promoted to makuuchi thanks to a barely achieved kachi-koshi score of 8–7. During the following tournament, in May, he matched his career best opening performance, recording five consecutive victories from the first day of the competition for the first time in seven years. He therefore maintained his place in the group of wrestlers leading the tournament.^[2]

Personal Life[]

On his promotion to the top division, his passing resemblance to the celebrity Matsuko Deluxe was noted by the Japanese media.^[6]
He announced his marriage to a 24-year-old former dental assistant in December 2017, which had been registered in September.^[7]
Takarafuji's hobby is listening to music. His favorite food is omelet rice and he dislikes natto.^[8]

Fighting Style[]

Takarafuji is a yotsu–sumo wrestler who prefers a hidari-yotsu, or right hand outside and left hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi.^[9] His most common winning kimarite are the two most popular techniques in sumo, yorikiri or force out, and oshidashi or push out.^[10]