Sanyaku-Gyoji Kimura Masanao passed away

[Itachiyama 115]

Sanyaku-Gyoji Kimura Masanao lost his fight against cancer and passed away today at the age of 59. Those who watched him closer will certainly agree that he was kind of "weird", the Takamisakari under the gyoji. I will miss him a lot.

[Swami 245]

Sorry to hear this news. He was very distinctive among the gyoji.

Swami

[Koorifuu 924]

Unpleasant news. :(

What bouts was he on? I never really distinguished the gyoji.. this seems a fitting time to begin doing so.

[Akinomaki 40,231]

This is the pic the NSK published with the announcement. As a sanyaku gyoji he would have been in the latter half of the daily makuuchi torikumi - the Japanese NSK pages of every basho list the gyoji for each makuuchi bout, should be easy to find him.

[Itachiyama 115]

With Sanyaku Gyoji Kimura Tamamitsu missing he was 3rd in line. Highest Sanyaku Gyoji (Aki Basho 2012), leading the 4th and 5th last bouts. Would have become probably the 40th Shikimori Inosuke for the coming Nagoya Basho.

[Akinomaki 40,231]

This must have been his last bout,

Last completed basho's last bout Kyokutenho-Goeido, Aki 2012 day 15.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Akinomaki

[Masumasumasu 902]

Jesus Christ! This is terrible news. Why do Japanese men seem to have such a high rate of cancer? 59 is too young!!

Why does Ha-Shem always seem to punish the good and reward evil?

[Yubinhaad 11,615]

Very sad to hear about this. They are often overlooked, but sumo wouldn't be sumo without the man in the middle.

Actually Masanao officiated in the Kyushu basho up to Day 9; he then received his diagnosis/prognosis the next day and went kyujo. So his last bout was Kotoshogiku vs. Shohozan (he was probably there for the next bout too but that was a fusen, so no video)

If there are no objections, may I request today's Masanao posts to be a separate thread, please? It's become much more than gyoji kyujo now.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Yubinhaad

[Jakusotsu 5,894]

Never knew his name before today, but he was my favourite among the Makuuchi gyoji. Very sad.

If there are no objections, may I request today's Masanao posts to be a separate thread, please? It's become much more than gyoji kyujo now.

Done.

[Orion 431]

Sanyaku-Gyoji Kimura Masanao lost his fight against cancer and passed away today at the age of 59. Those who watched him closer will certainly agree that he was kind of "weird", the Takamisakari under the gyoji. I will miss him a lot.

At makushita-kaku (and below) where the gyoji are barefoot and wear cotton outfits, his costume was regularly pretty unkempt, as I recall.

And one eye always looked different from the other (and some people who knew him well murmured that he was actually blind in that eye, which would have disqualified him for gyoji work). But he was a pleasant and goodnatured young man, with one or two comic songs for parties. One I recall started each line with "It is easy for..." and would then describe something impossible; the final verse went "And it's just as easy for a sumo apprentice to make sekitori."

One of the photos I carry in my pocket diary is of him and the gyoji who is now Shikimori Kindayu, next in line but a few years younger. Both are in good suits and entertaining a sumo party. The photo is dated January 1979.

Orion

[Akinomaki 40,231]

Today was the tsuya for Kimura Masanao. Harumafuji and Kitanoumi-rijicho took part. Asahiyama-oyakata was in charge of the service.

[Akinomaki 40,231]

Also named as present at the tsuya were Kakuryu and Kisenosato - Hakuho is in Mongolia.


3 bouts he was proud of, selected by himself, were played there. (NSK: big on click)





Today the funeral service was held - no pics yet.

[Yubinhaad 11,615]

Nice picture of a young Kimura Masanao, or Kimura Masayoshi as he was then, circa 1977: