Japanese sumo wrestler
In this Japanese
shikona
name, the surname is Yoshibayama.
Yoshibayama Junnosuke
|
---|
|
Yoshibayama, circa 1954
|
|
Born
| Ikeda Junnosuke
(
1920-04-03
)
April 3, 1920
Hokkaid?, Japan
|
---|
Died
| November 26, 1977
(1977-11-26)
(aged 57)
|
---|
Height
| 1.79 m (5 ft
10
+
1
⁄
2
in)
|
---|
Weight
| 143 kg (315 lb)
|
---|
|
Stable
| Takashima
|
---|
Record
| 357-171-85-1hold
|
---|
Debut
| May, 1938
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Highest rank
| Yokozuna (January, 1954)
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Retired
| January, 1958
|
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Elder name
| Miyagino
|
---|
Championships
| 1 (Makuuchi)
1 (Makushita)
|
---|
Special Prizes
| Outstanding Performance (3)
|
---|
Gold Stars
| 2 (
Terukuni
)
|
---|
* Up to date as of June 2020.
|
Yoshibayama Junnosuke
(
Japanese
:
吉葉山 潤之輔
, April 3, 1920 ? November 26, 1977)
, real name
Ikeda Junnosuke
(
池田 潤之輔
)
, was a Japanese professional
sumo
wrestler from
Atsuta District, Hokkaido
. He was the sport's 43rd
yokozuna
. He suffered a number of injuries and only won one tournament championship, but was a popular wrestler. He was a runner-up five times, and earned three
special prizes
and two
gold stars
in his top division career. After his retirement in 1958 he revived and led the
Miyagino stable
until his death in 1977.
Career
[
edit
]
He entered sumo in a curious way. He had travelled to
Tokyo
on a train to attend school, but was met at the station by a sumo wrestler who was expecting a new recruit, who had in fact had second thoughts and not made the trip. The conspicuously large Ikeda was mistaken for him and taken back to
Takashima stable
before he even realised what was going on.
[1]
He made his professional debut in May 1938 using the
shikona
or ring name Hokutozan Junnosuke
(
北糖山 潤之輔
)
. After suffering
appendicitis
he had to undergo emergency surgery and changed his ring surname to Yoshibayama in May 1939 in honour of the doctor (Shosaku Yoshiba) who had saved his life.
[2]
He got to the verge of promotion to the
j?ry?
division in 1942 but was then drafted into the Japanese army and took part in
World War II
. He was seriously wounded in gunfights during his service. He was shot in the leg twice, and the second bullet permanently lodged itself in his foot.
[2]
He was actually reported as dead for some time. He came back alive, but was surprisingly thin when he returned to Japan. It is generally believed among sumo scholars that if he had not been conscripted and lost several years of his career, he could have become an even stronger and longer lasting wrestler than he was.
[3]
In spite of his war injury, Yoshibayama returned to sumo in 1947 and was promoted to the top
makuuchi
division in November of that year. He remained in the
maegashira
ranks until September 1950. He was promoted to
?zeki
in May 1951, after two successive runner-up performances of 13?2 at the rank of
sekiwake
. Yoshibayama recorded an
azukari
, or hold, on the 12th day of September 1951 tournament. The reason is that his opponent,
Azumafuji
, could not stand up any more. Yoshibayama could have been awarded a win, but sportingly insisted on a draw. In May 1953 he finished with 14 wins and only one loss, but the championship went to undefeated
maegashira
Tokitsuyama
whom Yoshibayama had not been paired against.
[2]
Yoshibayama was promoted to
yokozuna
after winning his first championship with a perfect 15?0 record in January 1954, but did not win a single bout at the rank until the autumn tournament of that year. He was unable to win any championships in his
yokozuna
career and had only one runner-up result. Although he was popular with the public, he ate and drank to excess and had several internal ailments, including
kidney
problems.
[2]
Having finally reached his physical limit, he announced his retirement during the January 1958 tournament. His old rival
Kagamisato
, who had been promoted to
?zeki
alongside him in May 1951, also decided to retire on the final day, the first time that two
yokozuna
had quit in the same tournament.
Fighting style
[
edit
]
Because of the bullet in his ankle, Yoshibayama's style of fighting was erratic. It also did not help that his favourite
technique
was the controversial
ketaguri
, or leg kick,
[4]
which was considered to be unacceptable at his top
yokozuna
rank. Scholars conceded however that Yoshibayama had had little time to master acceptable sumo techniques because of his time out of sumo due to the war.
Retirement from sumo
[
edit
]
After his retirement, Yoshibayama became the 8th head coach of
Miyagino stable
. The previous head coach was the 24th
yokozuna
?tori
, but Miyagino stable was closed once after his death in 1956. While still an active wrestler, he managed his own stable, a practice no longer permitted. ?tori's son-in-law
Fukunosato Ushinosuke
belonged to his stable. He officially renamed his stable to Miyagino stable in 1960. He developed a number of top division wrestlers, such as
My?budani
. He was also a
judge
of tournament bouts, and on the
Japan Sumo Association
's board of directors. He also opened a number of
chankonabe
restaurants that still operate today.
[2]
Future
makuuchi
wrestler
Chikubayama
also joined his stable, but could not reach the top
makuuchi
division by 1977 when Yoshibayama died. Chikubayama accepted future
yokozuna
Hakuh?
when he was the Miyagino stablemaster. Yoshibayama performed the
yokozuna dohy?-iri
(ring entering ceremony) in the
shiranui
style. When Hakuh? was promoted to
yokozuna
, he succeeded Yoshibayama's style. At the
Meiji Jingu
shrine on June 1, 2007, Hakuh? performed the ring entering ceremony wearing Yoshibayama's
kesh?-mawashi
and used a sword (
tachi
) of another
yokozuna
, ?tori.
[5]
Pre-modern career record
[
edit
]
- Through most of the 1940s only two tournaments were held a year. In 1953 the New Year tournament was begun and the Spring tournament began to be held in Osaka. The Kyushu tournament was first held in 1957, and the Nagoya tournament in 1958.
Yoshibayama Junnosuke
[6]
-
|
Spring
Haru basho,
Tokyo
|
Summer
Natsu basho,
Tokyo
|
Autumn
Aki basho,
Tokyo
|
1938
|
x
|
(
Maezumo
)
|
Not held
|
1939
|
East Jonokuchi #11
2–5
|
West Jonidan #68
6–2
|
Not held
|
1940
|
West Jonidan #12
7–1
|
East Sandanme #29
7–1
|
Not held
|
1941
|
East Makushita #28
7–1
|
West Makushita #5
3–5
|
Not held
|
1942
|
East Makushita #10
5–3
|
East Makushita #1
7–1
Champion
|
Not held
|
1943
|
Out of sumo
|
Out of sumo
|
Not held
|
1944
|
Out of sumo
|
Out of sumo
|
Out of sumo
|
1945
|
Not held
|
Out of sumo
|
Out of sumo
|
1946
|
Not held
|
Not held
|
Out of sumo
|
1947
|
Not held
|
East J?ry? #4
9–1–P
|
East Maegashira #13
8–3
|
1948
|
Not held
|
East Maegashira #7
8–3
|
East Maegashira #2
5–6
★
|
1949
|
East Maegashira #3
7–6
|
East Maegashira #3
2–13
|
East Maegashira #10
10–5
|
1950
|
East Maegashira #3
10–5
O
★
|
East Maegashira #1
10–5
O
|
East Sekiwake #2
13–2
O
|
1951
|
East Sekiwake #1
13–2
|
West ?zeki #1
10–5
|
East ?zeki #1
9–5–1hold
|
1952
|
West ?zeki #1
12–3
|
East ?zeki #1
10–5
|
West ?zeki #1
12–3
|
Record given as
wins?losses?absencies
Top division champion
Top division runner-up
Retired
Lower divisions
Non-participation
Sansh?
key:
F
=Fighting spirit;
O
=Outstanding performance;
T
=Technique Also shown:
★
=
Kinboshi
;
P
=
Playoff
(s)
Divisions:
Makuuchi
—
J?ry?
—
Makushita
—
Sandanme
—
Jonidan
—
Jonokuchi
Makuuchi
ranks:
Yokozuna
—
?zeki
—
Sekiwake
—
Komusubi
—
Maegashira
|
-
|
New Year
Hatsu basho,
Tokyo
|
Spring
Haru basho,
Osaka
|
Summer
Natsu basho,
Tokyo
|
Autumn
Aki basho,
Tokyo
|
1953
|
West ?zeki #1
6–3–6
|
West ?zeki #1
10–5
|
West ?zeki #1
14–1
|
East ?zeki #1
11–4
|
1954
|
East ?zeki #1
15–0
|
West Yokozuna #1
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15
|
West Yokozuna #2
0–1–14
|
West Yokozuna #2
11–4
|
1955
|
West Yokozuna #2
5–2–8
|
East Yokozuna #3
3–2–10
|
West Yokozuna #2
0–2–13
|
West Yokozuna #2
9–6
|
1956
|
East Yokozuna #2
9–6
|
West Yokozuna #1
11–4
|
East Yokozuna #1
8–7
|
East Yokozuna #2
12–3
|
Record given as
wins?losses?absencies
Top division champion
Top division runner-up
Retired
Lower divisions
Non-participation
Sansh?
key:
F
=Fighting spirit;
O
=Outstanding performance;
T
=Technique Also shown:
★
=
Kinboshi
;
P
=
Playoff
(s)
Divisions:
Makuuchi
—
J?ry?
—
Makushita
—
Sandanme
—
Jonidan
—
Jonokuchi
Makuuchi
ranks:
Yokozuna
—
?zeki
—
Sekiwake
—
Komusubi
—
Maegashira
|
Modern top division record
[
edit
]
- Since the addition of the Kyushu tournament in 1957 and the Nagoya tournament in 1958, the yearly schedule has remained unchanged.
Year
|
January
Hatsu basho,
Tokyo
|
March
Haru basho,
Osaka
|
May
Natsu basho,
Tokyo
|
July
Nagoya basho,
Nagoya
|
September
Aki basho,
Tokyo
|
November
Ky?sh? basho,
Fukuoka
|
1957
|
West Yokozuna #1
10–5
|
East Yokozuna #2
3–3–9
|
West Yokozuna #2
5–6–4
|
Not held
|
East Yokozuna #2
9–6
|
West Yokozuna #1
11–4
|
1958
|
West Yokozuna #1
Retired
3–6–6
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Record given as
wins?losses?absencies
Top division champion
Top division runner-up
Retired
Lower divisions
Non-participation
Sansh?
key:
F
=Fighting spirit;
O
=Outstanding performance;
T
=Technique Also shown:
★
=
Kinboshi
;
P
=
Playoff
(s)
Divisions:
Makuuchi
—
J?ry?
—
Makushita
—
Sandanme
—
Jonidan
—
Jonokuchi
Makuuchi
ranks:
Yokozuna
—
?zeki
—
Sekiwake
—
Komusubi
—
Maegashira
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Preceded by
|
43rd
Yokozuna
1954?1958
|
Succeeded by
|
Yokozuna
is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once
|