Sumo obituaries

[Eikokurai 3,437]

5 hours ago, ryafuji said:

Any reporting on why it took over 10 months to be announced publicly? 

Since he was retired, I suppose he technically was technically no longer in the sumo world, so the Kyokai may feel it’s not their place to tell people without the consent of the family?

[Yamanashi 3,820]

1 hour ago, rokudenashi said:

In Buddhist tradition there are memorial services held on the 49th and 100th days following a person's death (reference: this article).

Perhaps it was the family's choice to delay the announcement.

I remember when Setsuko Hara died in 2015, the story came out on November 25th, but she died on September 5th.  Her relative explained that they wanted a period of privacy before they notified the press.

[ryafuji 814]

I understand the period of privacy but 10 months seemed unusually long, that's all.

[Akinomaki 40,271]

5 minutes ago, ryafuji said:

I understand the period of privacy but 10 months seemed unusually long, that's all.

Looks to me like the NSK simply got no notice about it, so the family did not tell them, nor the media

Edit: apparently he was not famous enough for the media to spot it, and the interest in sumo is fading

Edited December 14, 2021 by Akinomaki

[Kaiomitsuki 408]

Natsu 1957

Day 15

Komusubi 1W Annenyama wins against M20W Fusanishiki by Uwatenage. 

With a 13-2 record, Annenyama wins the Makuuchi Yusho. 

 

Natsu 1960

Day 2

Kinboshi for Annenyama who wins against Yokozuna Tochiniski by Yorikiri (the Yokozuna declares his Intai after this fight). 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Kaiomitsuki

[rhyen 1,833]

18 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

Looks to me like the NSK simply got no notice about it, so the family did not tell them, nor the media

Edit: apparently he was not famous enough for the media to spot it, and the interest in sumo is fading

Not to forget that at age 86, he was already far removed from the spotlight, whether as a rikishi or ex-oyakata (21 years).

it will probably be he opposite for Kitanofuji, who is a regular commentator. When he goes missing, everyone holds their breath for the announcement. 

[Akinomaki 40,271]

20 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

Looks to me like the NSK simply got no notice about it, so the family did not tell them, nor the media

A kyokai official told that it was a death from illness and that the NSK received the notice about it on the 13th, the day they announced it. https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/148922

[Akinomaki 40,271]

4 hours ago, rhyen said:

Not to forget that at age 86, he was already far removed from the spotlight, whether as a rikishi or ex-oyakata (21 years).

And it may be that he was not very popular after he lost at court against the present Tatsunami, Asahiyutaka - Oshima-beya, whom he had sued for payment of money for the toshiyori myoseki. http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUE13C5S0T11C21A2000000/

[Seiyashi 4,074]

3 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

7 hours ago, rhyen said:

Not to forget that at age 86, he was already far removed from the spotlight, whether as a rikishi or ex-oyakata (21 years).

And it may be that he was not very popular after he lost at court against the present Tatsunami, Asahiyutaka - Oshima-beya, whom he had sued for payment of money for the toshiyori myoseki. http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUE13C5S0T11C21A2000000/

Wasn't there also something about Futahaguro's reputation being rehabilitated a bit and Annenyama essentially having made unfounded allegations against him?

[Akinomaki 40,271]

Former yobidashi Saburo 三郎_(呼出) has died yesterday at age 94, from old age infirmity. He was known for his beautiful voice and as a sumo jinku expert. He joined ozumo at age 28 and thus only made it to juryo class till his retirement at age 65 in 1992. First in Hankago-beya, after the Wajima closure in Hanakago-beya. https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202112290000568.html

[Tamanaogijima 753]

On 29/12/2021 at 11:55, Akinomaki said:

He joined ozumo at age 28 and thus only made it to juryo class till his retirement at age 65 in 1992.

Sad to hear about his pass-away... He was rather prominent for a "minor" urakata and it is really heartwarming that after 30 years he is (was) still thought of such importance that he gets his own obituary in Nikkan Sports.

Small nitpick: Those yobidashi ranks were introduced mid-1994 only. Before that they had the same ranks as tokoyama from 5th class up to 1st class - and both without the special class yet. They simply moved all 1st class yobidashi into the new ranks from tate down to juryo by seniority. He would have ended in the juryo group but never actually was there.

[Akinomaki 40,271]

The 34th Shikimori Inosuke (for 1 basho only), Yoshio Tanada has passed away on the 4th 11p.m. at the age of 80 due to liver cancer. The funeral took place with near relatives only. Hokkaido shusshin, joined the NSK Natsu 1955 and for Hatsu 2006 was appointed to tate-gyoji, 1 month before retirement.  http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022011300837&g=obt

[Tamanaogijima 753]

Oh no, not again one of my favourites...

He was the first gyoji I could identify despite wearing differently coloured garnments every day. Remember him also as rather tall, but that might be blurred memory just because he was so recognizeable for me. Learned only later that he was from my favourite Futagoyama-beya (the Hanada one), too.

Before almost missing out on being tate-gyoji he was know as the 2nd Kimura Mitsunosuke during his 5 sanyaku years and before that for the long time of 45 years as Kimura Mitsuhiko. I have no idea though why he didn't pick up a more prominent gyoji name earlier.

Today's 3rd Mitsunosuke and he have in common that they both started in a Hanakago-beya (different entities) and had to move heya more than once by mergers or branchouts.

[Kintamayama 44,988]

Wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa (64) has died of a stomach aneurism yesterday. He belonged to Isegahama beya and was an ex-Juryo rikishi back in the early 80s.

Edited February 18, 2022 by Kintamayama

[Akinomaki 40,271]

5 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa (64) has died of a stomach aneurism yesterday. He belonged to Isegahama beya and was an ex-Juryo rikishi back in the early 80s.

On March 5th he would have reached retirement age - he was a quite light rikishi. R.I.P.

A family funeral is planned.

1976.9 as Shiraiwa had just reached makushita, 2015.8.30

o

[Akinomaki 40,271]

23 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa (64) has died of a stomach aneurism yesterday. He belonged to Isegahama beya and was an ex-Juryo rikishi back in the early 80s.

After the closure of that Isegahama beya wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa switched to Kiriyama-beya, then Asahiyama-beya and since 2015 was in Asakayama-beya https://www.daily.co.jp/general/2022/02/19/0015075130.shtml

Edited February 19, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Yubinhaad 11,626]

7 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

On 18/02/2022 at 10:24, Kintamayama said:

Wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa (64) has died of a stomach aneurism yesterday. He belonged to Isegahama beya and was an ex-Juryo rikishi back in the early 80s.

After the closure of that Isegahama beya wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa switched to Kiriyama-beya, then Asahiyama-beya and since 2015 was in Asakayama-beya https://www.daily.co.jp/general/2022/02/19/0015075130.shtml

Sad news, particularly since he was so close to retirement age. He was a regular clipboard-wielder during maezumo along with Kotochitose until recently, when they seem to have handed that duty to their younger colleagues as their own retirement approached.

I think he was the last deshi of 38th Yokozuna Terukuni still in the Kyokai. His shikona was taken from the village of Shiraiwa, which was absorbed into an expanding Kakunodate-machi in 1955.

[Kaitetsu 288]

The NSK Youtube channel has posted a in memorian 30 minutes interview with the late Shiraiwa. 

They had interviewed him because he was going to retire soon, but probably decided to honor his work with this video.

[Yubinhaad 11,626]

I missed this at the time because the articles are behind a login. Former Makushita Aratakayama sadly died in hospital on February 1st, having been taken ill with chest pains while on a shinkansen journey from Tokyo to Osaka. He was 57.

He was scouted by Ozeki Takanohana while still active, and joined him as an uchideshi in Futagoyama-beya in 1980, branching out with Fujishima-beya two years later. He made gradual but promising progress up the banzuke, reaching a highest rank of Makushita 13 in 1992, but he had to retire early at the age of 28 due to a combination of heart disease and neck injury.

After retiring he opened a restaurant called Chanko Arata in Higashi-Osaka city, and got involved in coaching sumo for elementary and junior high school students. Some of his students have gone on to join ozumo, and his shikona lives on with one of them, the current Aratakayama.

 

On 24/06/2021 at 18:32, Yubinhaad said:

Now that I know the inspiration behind it, this is a really good shikona. The new Aratakayama was a member of Higashi Osaka Sumo Dojo in his youth, where he was coached by Kimiyasu Chiba, who was once an ozumo rikishi called... you guessed it... Aratakayama. He was a kohai of Tokiwayama-oyakata (ex-Takamisugi) at Futagoyama-beya in the early 1980s, before branching out as a member of Fujishima-beya. He is now president of the Higashi Osaka Sumo Association and also runs a chanko restaurant there called Arata.

The middle kanji of the new Aratakayama's shikona comes from Tokiwayama himself, so it's a nice way to pay tribute to both his childhood sensei and his ozumo shisho.

Aratakayama and Takamisugi in the 1980s.

 

A number of oyakata sent floral tributes to the funeral, including Musashigawa-oyakata (former Yokozuna Musashimaru) whose latest recruit likely has a tribute to his late coach with his shikona given name.
 

20 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

Joining Musashigawa-beya is 15-year-old Koki Jo (城 皓貴) from Higashi-Osaka city, Osaka. Now graduated from Wakae Junior High School in the city, he has been active in sumo throughout his school years as a member of Higashi-Osaka Sumo Dojo.

His full name has been merged to create his shikona, with a new given name - he will compete as Jokoki Arata (城皓貴　新,　じょうこうき　あらた).

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Yubinhaad

[WAKATAKE 2,650]

Former Wakanohana II who was Terunofuji's original shisho during his Magaki stable days has passed away at age 69 on July 16th.

He was the 56th Yokozuna, winning 4 yusho during his career, and compiled a total record of 656-323-85. After retirement he was elected to the board of directors the first opportunity he had. In 2007 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was confined to a wheelchair. Unable to continue, he left the NSK in 2013, resulting in the closure of Magaki stable, with the wrestlers being absorbed into Isegahama stable, with Wakamisugi Wakamisho becoming Terunofuji.

Wakanohana II was also a supported of Takanohana Koji during his bid to make changes in the NSK during the Takanohana ichimon days.

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202207180000273.html

Edit - adding cause of death attributed to lung cancer

Correction pointed out by @code_number3

Edited July 19, 2022 by WAKATAKE

[code_number3 698]

57 minutes ago, WAKATAKE said:

with Wakamisugi becoming Terunofuji.

Excuse me, it was Wakamisho.

[Kenneth Minami 60]

2 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

Former Wakanohana II who was Terunofuji's original shisho during his Magaki stable days has passed away at age 69 on July 16th.

He was the 68th Yokozuna, winning 4 yusho during his career, and compiled a total record of 656-323-85. After retirement he was elected to the board of directors the first opportunity he had. In 2007 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was confined to a wheelchair. Unable to continue, he left the NSK in 2013, resulting in the closure of Magaki stable, with the wrestlers being absorbed into Isegahama stable, with Wakamisugi Wakamisho becoming Terunofuji.

Wakanohana II was also a supported of Takanohana Koji during his bid to make changes in the NSK during the Takanohana ichimon days.

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202207180000273.html

Edit - adding cause of death attributed to lung cancer

Correction pointed out by @code_number3

He was 56th Yokozuna and one of those who didn’t manage to show his full potential on dohyo, in my opinion.

I was quite worried when Magaki-beya rikishi had difficult times when he was ill and could not look after them properly..

Rest In Peace!

[Seiyashi 4,074]

Oh yeah whoops. 68 is Asashōryū. 

[Swami 245]

I remember a few years ago they had a photo of virtually all surviving former yokozuna and it is quite scary to think now how few are left:

Kitanofuji, Mienoumi, Hokutoumi, Onokuni, Asahifuji, Akebono, Takanohana II, Wakanohana III, Musashimaru, Asashoryu, Hakuho, Harumafuji, Kakuryu and Kisenosato.

Swami

[Jakusotsu 5,905]

Among all younger than 80 (including Kitanofuji), 14 out of 21 doesn't strike me as particularly few.