Former Ozeki Takanonami has passed away

[Yubinhaad 11,741]

Awful news. Former Ozeki Takanonami died earlier today. He was 43 years old. I don't know what else to say so I'll stop here.

[Akinomaki 40,703]

I couldn't believe what I read:

Otowayama-oyakata died at 43 from sudden heart failure.

[Akinomaki 40,703]

@mods: please merge this with the other thread

[Akinomaki 40,703]

The articles mention his heart disease and a crisis in 2006, which he barely survived at the time.

http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/sumo/2015/06/20/0008140127.shtml

The news on the forum from that time:

Ex- Ozeki Takanonami (current Otowayama Oyakata, 34) has been in hospital in Aomori since late January with heart problems. He has been diagnosed with no less than 7 illnesses - acute respiratory failure, 心房細動 (something with the heart atrium), blood poisoning, and other unnamed stuff. He will be kyujo from Haru basho of course. He had some chronic problems with his heart since his active days. He starting feeling bad after Hatsu and was hospitalized immediately. Takanohana Oyakata reports that at one point his heart stopped and he underwent emergency surgery. He is now reported to be in stable condition. "He was in serious danger at one point, but all that is behind him. I hope to see his speedy return to the heya", added Takanohana Oyakata. According to the hospital report, he is undergoing treatment and should be released around the beginning of April.

[Akinomaki 40,703]

Tospo mentions his heart problems since being an ozeki, leading to his intai.

He was hospitalized before the Natsu basho 2004 with a heart condition, took part in the basho but called it quits halfway.

http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/sports/sumou/413564/

the forum has some older news:

I did some trawling through the vast files at SML archive and found these tidbits

In Dec 1997 he had heart troubles

According to a Japanese report, the reason of him visited hospital was

"irregular heart beat". He stayed over night for the exam and

precautious purposes, then he went back. He said that it's "nothing

serious" and he will start practicing as soon as the new year break is

over.

He has only a week to prepare for Hatsu-basho. Certainly it's not a

great news to him. But then he is very unusual type of rikishi and he is

very much unpredictable. When he won yusho in Kyushu, his knee condition

was far from perfect, but you know the result.

For regular rikishi, visiting hospital is a bad news, but this might be

a good sign for Takanonami to stay in his own "my-pace". And he is "my

pace" type of rikishi.

-Toshiyori Masumiriki

Edited June 20, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Masumasumasu 902]

This world is a hell disguised as a decent place. I am very sad.

[inhashi 2,363]

Shocked and heart feels heavy after hearing of Takanonami's sudden death. Very sad.

[Akinomaki 40,703]

FNN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOpxvNXv8OE
Shimpan scenes from last basho

[Pandaazuma 1,310]

Ah, shit...this is really awful. The lad is a year younger than I am. What a nightmare.

I have a special place in my sumo heart for Takanonami, not just for his excellent sumo, but also for the fact that he won the yusho in the first basho I ever saw in Japan, back in Hatsu 1996. He beat his more illustrious stablemate Yokozuna Takanohana in a play-off - and it was great stuff. Still remember how he used his height to such great advantage, often swiveling his opponents round at the edge. A great ozeki and a ridiculously early death.

He won one more yusho later, of course, but this is the one I remember:

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=5&b=199601

And here's that yusho kettei-sen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pwL93r2dHU

Edited June 20, 2015 by Pandaazuma

[Nekonishiki Banji 378]

He was one of my favorites. It was always a pleasure to watch his bouts.

I remember I had also some videos about his everydays, both sumo and private.

Like when his Mom prepared his favorite dishes and traveled to him to the heya in Tokyo, etc.

I am very sorry and sad.

[Mukonoso 273]

My wife gave me this news when I woke up. I didn't know much about him but I'm still sad to hear this.

[Kishinoyama 596]

I remember him being great at defensive sumo and many times turning defense into offense. It is so sad that he has died at such a young age. :-(

[Asameshimae 220]

I am a bit shy sometimes, but I finally walked up to him in a convenience store outside the Osaka venue in March this year and gushed about how awesome I have always thought he was. I also asked if I could get a pic with him, to which he kindly obliged. He even at least pretended to sound interested that we were only 3 days apart in age. A sad day in the world and the world of sumo.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Asameshimae

[Naganoyama 5,945]

I'm very sad and shocked.

[Usagi 36]

The Tower of Power has crumbled.

Not really a big suprise, but a sad sad day. :(

One of his typical bouts versus his arch enemy Musashimaru (though he lost that one) from the tournament, that started it all for me:

Edited June 21, 2015 by Usagi

[Swami 245]

Truly truly shocking. Only two years older than me.

He certainly had a unique fighting style, very defensive and probably made him vulnerable to injuries later in his career. Like others have said, I still have vivid memories of his two yusho. And when the mood carried him, he could be surprisingly tough to beat.

Swami

[krindel 673]

Terribly sad news... A very premature farewell for sure.

(Sad goodbyes...)

[WAKATAKE 2,671]

I remember watching him while I was in Japan the first time, needless to say I was shocked by this news. And his hometown is just as shocked.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/sumo/20150620-OYT1T50191.html?from=ycont_top_txt (article in Japanese)

Very unfortunate and it hurts the sumo world.

[Akinomaki 40,703]

In Takeshi's weekly news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWRSb0vXrCI

[Akinomaki 40,703]

Last year Otowayama-oyakata had surgery for stomach cancer, being in hospital for about 3 months.
After that he stopped his habits of drinking 5.4 liters of sake and smoking 40 cigarettes a day, drinking only moderately then and no smoking and instead having to take many medicine.
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2015/06/21/kiji/K20150621010584030.html

The wake today in Nagoya with about 300 taking part, his wife Youko as chief mourner

3 different photos of him ? looks like the papers edited the pics

Edited June 21, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Asojima 2,874]

3 different photos of him ? looks like the papers edited the pics

Using a media player inside the photo frame?

[Akinomaki 40,703]

3 different photos of him ? looks like the papers edited the pics

Using a media player inside the photo frame?

A special digital photo frame for tsuya usage? One can't see the actual size, but it strikes me as odd in any case.

[kuroimori 1,634]

Really sad news indeed, 43 is not an age to pass away.

It is shocking and tragic, but I was also shocked when I read about his incredible daily intake of cigarettes and alcohol.

I don't have any personal memories as I started to follow Ozumo at Hatsu 2004, so I have surely watched his last bouts on NHK but without realizing he was a former Ozeki.

May he rest in peace.

Edited June 21, 2015 by kuroimori

[Flohru 176]

What a shame - over the last couple of years I got accustomed to seeing the rikishi of my early days of watching sumo retire, but I thought it would take 20+ more years until the first die... RIP Takanonami.

[Saburo 18]

What a shock. But people who met him on the Hawaii jungyo in the early 1990s said he was a really cool guy in person.

I was never enamored with his sumo style but heck, ozeki and two yusho? I totally forgot he had a second.