Futabayama Sadaji
Template:Short description {{#invoke:Hatnote|hatnote}} Template:Infobox sumo wrestler Template:Nihongo was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oita Prefecture. Entering sumo in 1927, he was the sport's 35th yokozuna from 1937 until his retirement in 1945. He won twelve yūshō or top division championships and had a winning streak of 69 consecutive bouts, an all-time record. Despite his dominance he was extremely popular with the public.<ref name="Newton">Template:Cite book</ref> After his retirement he was head coach of Tokitsukaze stable and chairman of the Japan Sumo Association.
CareerEdit
Born Template:Nihongo in Usa, he worked on fishing boats as young boy.<ref name="Sharnoff">Template:Cite book</ref> He joined professional sumo in March 1927 at the age of 15, recruited by Tatsunami stable. He entered the top makuuchi division at the beginning of 1932. He was promoted from the middle of the second jūryō division to maegashira 4, as many top division wrestlers had just gone on strike in the Shunjuen Incident, and the Japan Sumo Association needed to fill the gaps in the ranks.<ref name="Sharnoff"/> However, he soon proved himself worthy of the promotion, finishing as runner-up in his second top division tournament.
Futabayama is particularly remembered for achieving the longest run of consecutive victories in sumo bouts, with 69, a record that still stands today.<ref name="gunning0120">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This represents an unbeaten run which stretched over three years. In a sport where matches often last a few seconds, and a brief lapse in concentration can lead to a loss, this is an exceptional achievement. It began on January 7, 1936 at the rank of sekiwake. During this run he was promoted from maegashira 3 to yokozuna.<ref name="gunning0120"/> It generated such excitement among the public that the Sumo Association extended the number of days per tournament from 11 to 13, and then to 15. He was finally defeated on January 3, 1939 by maegashira Akinoumi (later a yokozuna himself).<ref name="Sharnoff"/> He lost more to illness than to a superior opponent, as he was suffering from amoebic dysentery at the time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Futabayama won a total of twelve tournament championships, during a period in which there were only two tournaments held each year. His total remained a record until the number of tournaments was increased to six a year in the 1950s. However, the percentage of championships won in his makuuchi career still compares favorably to the wrestlers who have surpassed his total in the six tournament a year era.<ref name="Sharnoff"/>
After his retirement Futabayama revealed he was actually blind in one eye, due to an injury suffered in his youth, making his achievements even more remarkable.<ref name="Sharnoff"/><ref name="gunning0120"/>
He was one of the first top wrestlers to break away from the tradition of marrying his stablemaster's daughter, instead choosing a young heiress from a rich Kansai family. Their reception was held in April 1939 at the Tokyo Kaikan.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> (His coach's daughter married Haguroyama instead.)<ref name="Sharnoff"/>
Fighting styleEdit
Futabayama was noted for being exceptionally good at the initial phase of a sumo match, the tachi-ai. He was an expert at the gonosen no tachiai or receiving his opponent's charge and immediately countering it.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He is believed to have never made a false start.<ref name="Sharnoff"/> Although he was not particularly large, he had excellent balance. One of his most feared techniques was uwatenage,<ref>Futabayama, Sadaji | Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures</ref> or overarm throw.
Retirement from sumoEdit
The June 1945 tournament was held in a bomb-damaged Kokugikan with barely any spectators, and Futabayama dropped out after the first day. He did not take part in the November 1945 tournament and announced his retirement during it, claiming that he objected to the newly enlarged dohyō that the Sumo Association had introduced with hopes to make the sport more pleasing to the occupying forces.<ref name="Newton"/> However, he had actually made a decision to retire a year earlier, having suffered a loss to Azumafuji, another future yokozuna.<ref name="Newton"/>
Futabayama had become head of his own stable, Futabayama Dojo, in 1941 whilst still an active wrestler (a practice now forbidden), and upon his retirement he adopted the Tokitsukaze elder name and renamed his heya Tokitsukaze stable.<ref name="gunning0120"/> It grew to become one of sumo's largest stables by the 1950s, and Futabayama produced several strong wrestlers including yokozuna Kagamisato and ōzeki Kitabayama and Yutakayama.<ref name="Newton"/> He remained in charge of the stable until his death from hepatitis in 1968. From 1957 he was also chairman (rijichō) of the Japan Sumo Association. In his time as chairman he introduced a number of important reforms, such as giving monthly salaries to wrestlers ranked in the top two divisions, and enforcing a mandatory retirement age of 65 for elders and referees.<ref name="Newton"/>
Career recordEdit
- Four tournaments a year, in Tokyo and other locations, were held from 1927–1932. For most of the 1930s and 1940s only two tournaments were held a year in Tokyo only.
Template:Sumo record box start 1927-1932
Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho
Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho
Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho
Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho
Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho
Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho
Template:Sumo record box end Template:Sumo record box start 1933-1952
Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end Template:Sumo record year start Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Basho Template:Sumo record year end
Template:Sumo record box end 1930-1946
See alsoEdit
- List of sumo record holders
- List of sumo tournament top division champions
- List of yokozuna
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of past sumo wrestlers
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Yokozuna box Template:S-start Template:S-sports Template:Succession box Template:S-end