Sumo obituaries

[Kintamayama 47,278]

Ex-Makuuchi Youtsukasa has died at the age of 51on the 11th at a hospital in Saitama Prefecture. He was  originally from Mie Prefecture. A graduate of Nihon University, he joined former sekiwake Tochitsukasa's Irumagawa beya and made his debut in Hatsu 1996. Using his thrusting and pushing techniques, he was promoted to Juryo in May1998. At the same time, he changed his shikona from his real name, Suzuki, to Youtsukasa. He made his debut in Makuuchi in May of 1999. His highest rank was East Maegashira 11. He retired after Aki  of 2005.and served as an Oyakata at Irumagawa beya, where he trained the next generation of rikishi, but retired from the Kyokai in January 2012. He had reportedly been battling illness in recent years.

Edited August 13 by Kintamayama

[Jakusotsu 6,396]

Very sad to hear that. He played the belly drum most impressively before his bouts.

I also (perhaps wrongly) remember him to have a tattoo removed before being allowed to join.

[Akinomaki 41,839]

On 12/08/2025 at 14:54, Kintamayama said:

Ex-Makuuchi Youtsukasa has died at the age of 51on the 11th

Yotsukasa pics from the papers

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[Akinomaki 41,839]

On 10/08/2025 at 07:17, Kintamayama said:

Ex-Sekiwakei Kotofuji has passed away at the age of 60 of a cerebral infarction.

Kotofuji pics from the papers - nearly all from the yusho Nagoya 1991

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Hatsu 1994

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[Akinomaki 41,839]

NSK Hyogiin-kai top (still listed on the NSK page), former head of the YDC and former NSK external riji Ebizawa Katsuji (ex-NHK top) has passed away on the 19th at age 91 due to pneumonia

As YDC top in 2008

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the Hyogiin-kai top at Hoshoryu's ozeki promotion party Feb. 2024

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Edit: not one of the articles mentions his actual post in the NSK now, only the former ones, NikkanSP only in the capture from the 2024 photo

Edited October 20 by Akinomaki