Sumowrestling Wiki
in: Japanese Sumo Wrestlers, Makushita, Sumo Wrestlers from Saitama Prefecture,
and 9 more

Tochikamiyama Ryuichi

Edit

Tochikamiyama Ryuichi - 栃神山 龍一 (born January 11, 2001) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Iruma, Saitama. He made his debut in January 2019 and wrestled for Kasugano stable. His highest rank was makushita 3 and he retired in March 2024.

Early Life[]

Ryuichi Kamiyama was born on January 11, 2001, in Iruma, Saitama. He initially played soccer and was often placed as the goalkeeper due to his size. Kamiyama later stopped attending soccer practice and his parents recommended that he try out martial arts. Kamiyama initially tried out karate but was disliked the sport and found sumo to be much more suited for him. In addition to sumo, Kamiyama was also a member of a local swimming club and can still swim comfortably for several hundred meters without any problems.[1]

TochikamiyamaJY

Kamiyama as the Junior High School Yokozuna (c. 2015)

He began sumo wrestling during his second year at Kaneko Elementary School and was a member of a local sumo club in Iruma, Saitama. His first official sumo match was at the Ise Jingu Shrine where he faced off against the future Onosato. In addition to regional sumo tournaments, Kamiyama also participated at the Hakuho Cup during his time in elementary school. He went on to attend Iruma Shiritsu Kurosu Junior High School where he mastered his sumo wrestling ability. Upon graduating junior high school, he had won 100 consecutive matches in his prefecture and even earned the title of Junior High School Yokozuna in 2015 after winning the National Junior High School Sumo Championship.[2]

Kamiyama then attended Saitama Sakae High School which is known for its strong sumo program. His high school classmates included the future Kitanowaka, Nishinoryu, and Nihonyanagi. In his second year, he injured his right ankle in a match against Amartuvshin Amarsanaa. His achievements in the high school sumo scene include winning the team championship at the Inter-High School Athletic Sumo Competition, 3rd place at the Individual High School Inter-High Competition, the team championship at the National Sports Festival, and runner-up at the National Sports Festival Individual Competition.[3]

Career[]

After graduating high school, Kamiyama joined Kasugano stable because Kasugano Oyakata (former sekiwake Tochinowaka) had been keeping track of him since the second grade. He made his professional debut in January 2019 and was given the shikona "Tochikamiyama" (栃神山). In May 2019, Kamiyama won the jonidan yusho with a perfect 7-0 record. He breezed through the bottom three divisions and was promoted to makushita in September 2019 after only one tournament in each of the previous divisions. However, upon reaching makushita, Tochikamiyama struggled to progress up the rankings at a swift pace. He still gradually progressed up the ranks, reaching makushita 8 by July 2021.[4]

In November 2021, Tochikamiyama defeated Nishikawa who was his senior at Saitama Sakae High School. Despite winning, Tochikamiyama injured his left hand and his sumo became lackluster afterwards. In September 2022, he faced off against returning former ozeki Asanoyama, but was easily forced out. In January 2023, he was promoted to the rank of makushita 3 and juryo promotion was finally within grasp. In this tournament, he faced off against juryo-ranked Hakuyozan, but lost and subsequently finished with a 3-4 record. Prior to the May 2023 tournament, Tochikamiyama had suffered a ligament injury during practice and barely managed two wins in the tournament. He was demoted to the lower half of makushita in July 2023 where he finished with a strong 6-1 record. He reached as high as makushita 7 in November 2023, but went on a slump afterwards and fell back down to the mid-level makushita ranks.[4]

Retirement from Sumo[]

Controversial Retirement[]

Tochikamiyama's abrupt retirement was announced after the March 2024 tournament. His retirement coincides with allegations that he was the victim of bullying from stablemate Tochimusashi.[5] However, according to the tabloid Daily Shincho, on February 13, Tochikamiyama, who was serving as Tochimusashi's personal servant or tsukebito, was found sleeping instead of doing his assigned work. Tochimusashi, who was a sekitori at the time, then woke him up with his foot. Despite giving further instructions, Tochikamiyama still did not work, so Tochimusashi grabbed him by the collar. In response to this, Tochikamiyama caused an uproar, claiming he was subjected to violence, and ran out of the stable. His retirement papers were subsequently submitted by Kasugano Oyakata.[5]

Fighting Style[]

Tochikamiyama's Fighting Style

Tochikamiyama defeats Chiyoarashi by oshidashi (push out)

Tochikamiyama is proficient in both yotsu-sumo (grappling) and oshi-sumo (pushing and thrusting) techniques. His most often used winning kimarite are oshidashi (push out) and yorikiri (force out), followed by uwatenage (overarm throw).[6]

Record[]

Division Results[]

  • Total: 114-89/203 (30 basho)
  • Makushita: 95-87/182 (26 basho)
  • Sandanme: 6-1/7 (1 basho)
  • Jonidan: 7-0/7 (1 basho)
  • Jonokuchi: 6-1/7 (1 basho)

Championships[]

  • 1 Jonidan Championship (May 2019)

Shikona History[]

  • Tochikamiyama Ryuichi (2019.01 - 2024.03)

Gallery[]

External Links[]

References[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.