Tochinowaka Kiyotaka

Tochinowaka Kiyotaka - 栃乃和歌清隆 (born May 22, 1962) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Shimotsu, Wakayama. He made his debut in March 1985 and wrestled for Kasugano stable. He reached the makuuchi division in January 1987 and has 6 special prizes as well as 4 kinboshi. His highest rank was sekiwake and he retired in July 1999.

Early Life[]

He was born in Shimotsu, Kaiso District, Wakayama Prefecture. He was named Kiyotaka after the great yokozuna of the 1950s, Tochinishiki Kiyotaka. He played baseball in junior high school and ambitions to be a professional, but switched to sumo in high school due to his size. He was an amateur champion at Meiji University, and finished runner-up in the national collegiate yokozuna competition.

Career[]

Early Career[]

He made his professional debut in March 1985 in the makushita division, having been given makushita tsukedashi status because of his amateur achievements. The first graduate of Meiji University to have a major impact in professional sumo, he quickly moved up the ranks and winning the makushita yusho in July 1986 which earned him a juryo promotion in September 1986.

Juryo Career[]

Upon promotion to juryo he changed his shikona from his surname Kaseda to Tochinowaka. He posted a strong 10-5 record in his juryo debut and was promoted to the rank of juryo 3 where he produced yet another 10-5 record and he defeated both Chikubayama and Kobayashiyama to claim the juryo yusho. As a result, he was promoted to makuuchi in the following January 1987 tournament.

Makuuchi Career[]

He was the first top division wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture for nearly 40 years. He reached his highest rank of sekiwakein September 1987, and defeated a yokozuna and two ozeki in his first three bouts at the rank.

Tochinowaka remained in the top division for 76 tournaments, winning six special prizes and earning four gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He was runner-up to Konishiki in the tournament of March 1992 and looked set to launch a drive for ozeki promotion, but he was injured in the next tournament and had to withdraw. He made his last appearance in the san'yaku ranks in March 1994. He carried on fighting until the age of 37, retiring in July 1999 when he was the oldest man in the top division.

He was utterly unable to defeat Musashimaru, losing to him 23 times in 23 meetings, and he also lost all 14 bouts he contested with Chiyonofuji. His wins over yokozuna were against Futahaguro in September 1987, Onokuni in January 1988, September 1988 and September 1989, Hokutoumi in January 1990, July 1991 and November 1991, and finally Takanohana in January 1997.

Retirement from Sumo[]

Spo1705310029-p2 — Kasugano Oyakata (c. 2017)

Tochinowaka remained in the sumo world as a toshiyori or elder, initially under the name of Takenawa. In February 2003 his former stablemaster, ex yokozuna Tochinoumi, retired and passed on ownership of the Kasugano name and stable to him. Tochinowaka produced his first top division wrestler, Tochiozan, in May 2007, and Tochinoshin and Kimurayama followed in May and July 2008. In 2009 Kasugano passed on his Tochinowaka shikona to Lee Dae Won, a Korean born wrestler with Japanese citizenship, who reached juryo in September 2010 and makuuchi in May 2011. Kasugano also works as a judge of tournament bouts. He is on the board of directors of the Japan Sumo Association, and has been the head of the public relations department. and the regional tour department.

In October 2011 he was severely reprimanded by the Sumo Association for beating Tochinoshin and two other wrestlers with a golf club after they repeatedly broke stable rules on curfews and wearing Western style clothes instead of kimono in public. Kasugano admitted responsibility and said, "I honestly think I went too far and I regret it."

He took over the responsibility for running the regional tour department after Takanohana was removed from the position because of the assault by Harumafuji on Takanoiwa which occurred on a tour in October 2017. However Kasugano was himself severely warned after a top gyoji resigned over a sexual assault which happened on another tour in December 2017. In December 2019 his department ordered Takagenji to take part in an exhibition while suffering from influenza, which prompted the Sumo Association's board to announce that in future affected wrestlers would be kept in isolation instead.

Fighting Style[]

Tochinowaka was at his strongest when he could get a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi, or migi-yotsu. His most commonly used techniques were yorikiri, oshidashi and uwatenage.

Record[]

Divison Results[]

Total: 588-621-24/1207 (87 basho)
Makuuchi: 525-591-24/1114 (76 basho)
Juryo: 20-10/30 (2 basho)
Makushita: 43-20/63 (9 basho)

Championships[]

1 Juryo Championship (November 1986)
1 Makushita Championship (July 1986)

Achievements[]

Special Prizes: Fighting Spirit Prize (3), Outstanding Performance Prize (1), Technique Prize (1)
Kinboshi: 4: (2) Hokutoumi, (1) Takanohana, (1) Onokuni