Wakanohana Kanji (born 1953)

Wakanohana Kanji - 若乃花幹士 (born April 3, 1953 - July 16, 2022) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Owani, Aomori. He made his debut in July 1968 and wrestled for Futagoyama stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 1973 and has six special prizes, three kinboshi and four top division championships. He was the 56th yokozuna and he retired in January 1983.

Early Life[]

Born as Katsunori Shimoyama (下山勝則), he began sumo wrestling in elementary school. He was of Korean descent. He was recruited for professional sumo by Futagoyama oyakata (the 45th yokozuna Wakanohana). He joined Futagoyama stable at the same time as another future yokozuna, Takanosato, who came from the same area of Japan.

Career[]

Early Career[]

Initially fighting under his real name, he took on the shikona or ring name surname of Asanohana (朝ノ花) in March 1971. He changed his ring name to Wakamisugi Kanji (若三杉幹士) in January 1973. He was promoted to sandanme in March 1969 and makushita in November 1969. In March 1973, he was promoted to the top of makushita, but he lost his final match to juryo-ranked Kaneshiro to finish with a 3-4 record. As a result he was demoted down to makushita 3 in May 1973. At this rank, he produced a 5-2 record which was good enough for a juryo promotion.

Juryo Career[]

In his first tournament as a sekitori in July 1973, Wakamisugi produced a solid 10-5 record and was promoted to the rank of juryo 5. There, he continued to impress and posted another 10-5 record and was promoted to makuuchi in November 1973 after two tournaments in juryo.

Makuuchi Career[]

In July 1974, he changed his shikona given name to Toshihito (壽人). From September 1974 to January 1975 he won three consecutive technique prizes and was promoted to sekiwake. Over the next two years he had some up and down results, but from September 1976 to January 1977 at sekiwake rank he put together three 11–4 marks, won three more special prizes and was promoted to ozeki.

Ozeki Career[]

Wakamisugi could only manage a 9-6 record in his first tournament as an ozeki. In the following May 1977 tournament, he won his first yusho with a strong 13-2 record. He then followed with three consecutive 10-5 records. In January 1978, he finished with a 13-2 record and was runner-up to Kitanoumi's 15-0 record.

Yokozuna Career[]

Wakanohana1982 — Wakanohana performs his yokozuna dohyo-iri (c. 1982)

In July 1978, he changed his ring name to Wakanohana Kanji, which was the shikona of his stablemaster at Futagoyama, the former Wakanohana Kanji I. That year he emerged as the chief rival to yokozuna Kitanoumi, as the other grand champion at the time, Wajima, was producing inconsistent results. Wakanohana finished runner-up to Kitanoumi in January 1978 and then fought two playoffs with him for the yusho in March and May. Although he was not able to win either, his record of 40 wins out of a possible 45 over the last three tournaments was enough for promotion to yokozuna. Indeed, it was the best postwar total for any yokozuna candidate.

Wakanohana had reached sumo's top rank at the age of just 25, and fans were naturally hoping for a long rivalry with Kitanoumi. But it was not to be. He did win three further tournaments, in November 1978 (with a perfect 15–0 score), May 1979 and September 1980. However he seemed burdened by the Wakanohana name, and in 1981 he was also pressured into marrying the daughter of his stablemaster. During this brief and unhappy marriage he won no tournament championships and was frequently absent from the dohyo due to injury and illness. The couple divorced shortly before Wakanohana announced his retirement from sumo in January 1983 at the relatively early age of 29. Later in 1983, he married his long-time girlfriend, a club hostess.

Retirement from Sumo[]

No longer able to take over Futagoyama stable due to his divorce, in 1984 Wakanohana instead established his own stable, Magaki, and became known as Magaki Oyakata. He was a senior member of the Japan Sumo Association, serving as a Director, where he was responsible for the running of the honbasho held in Osaka each year. He suffered a minor stroke in March 2007 and since then has used a wheelchair and was unable to take much of an active role in running the stable.

Ffc28089b22bab99bef58b43e20605a3ef2adb29.04.2.9.2 — Magaki Oyakata (c. 2008)

In May 2008 it emerged that he had beaten one of his wrestlers with a bamboo stick. Although such rough treatment of juniors was not uncommon at sumo stables in the past, since the death of trainee Takashi Saito at the Tokitsukaze stable in 2007 coaches have been instructed to cut out the practice. The Sumo Association reprimanded him by giving him a 30% pay cut for three months. Kokonoe-oyakata the former Chiyonofuji and head of the Sumo Association's public relations division, criticised Magaki for initially attempting to justify his actions, saying "In addition to his excessive punishment of the wrestler, he invited misunderstanding that such actions are common in all stables."

In August 2008 he resigned from the board of directors after the top ranking wrestler at Magaki stable, maegashira Wakanoho, was expelled from sumo after being arrested for possession of cannabis. He was, however, repromoted in February 2009.

Along with five other oyakata (Otake, Onomatsu, Otowayama, Tokiwayama and Futagoyama), he was forced to leave the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables in January 2010 after declaring his support for Takanohana's unsanctioned bid to be elected to the board of directors of the Sumo Association.

Due to his poor health, Magaki stable was wound up after the March 2013 honbasho and he, along with the remaining wrestlers transferred to Isegahama stable. In December 2013 it was announced that he would leave the Sumo Association, five years before the mandatory retirement age of 65. He subsequently sold the Magaki title to Tokitenku in May 2014, making Tokitenku the first Mongolian-born wrestler to acquire elder stock in the association.

Death[]

Wakanohana was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2021. He died on 16 July 2022 at a hospital in Osaka at the age of 69.

Fighting Style[]

Wakanohana's favored kimarite or techniques were yorikiri, with a hidari-yotsu (right hand outside and left hand inside) grip on his opponent's mawashi, uwatenage (overarm throw), and sotogake (outside leg trip).