Featured Club / Dojo - Anamizu Junior Sumo Club

[mikawa 1,794]

Birth of a Star

Location - Anamizu Town Sumo Ground (穴水町営相撲場), Anamizu, Ishikawa
Keiko - Unknown

Situated about halfway between Anamizu High School and Anamizuya Baseball Field, Anamizu Junior Sumo Club (穴水少年相撲教室) are a big name on the amateur sumo circuit, having been national club champions back in 2008.

 

Below are 2 videos of Anamizu's club members doing keiko, followed by a video where they state their aspirations for 2011. The third and final video also celebrated their ace rikishi, Sato Atsushi (佐藤 淳史), becoming Primary School Yokozuna. Sato Atsushi has been a prominent rikishi during his high school years, and is currently a second year student at Nihon University.

 

 

 

When it comes to Anamizu Junior Sumo Club, there's one member we simply have to talk about, although he could easily have been part of the basketball club instead (thanks to Slam Dunk).

 

Born in Anamizu, a town that has produced the likes of Oeyama, Kiyoenami and Daishoyama (the current Oitekaze-oyakata), this boy started sumo during his first year at primary school. Through sumo, his dad hoped that his mind and body can be properly trained.

However, this boy hated sumo at first, even refusing to go to keiko, but soon gave in to his father. However, he would always leave the house when sumo matches started on TV, and when he avoided practice, he would always go and hide inside his grandfather's home. The then vice-president of Anamizu Sumo Association, Ueno Katsuhiko, commented that "He was bigger than other children around him, but used to cry a lot, and more than once wanted to quit sumo."

He was so afraid of his coach Ueno that there has been times when he would not go to keiko because of this. However, every time Ueno gave him advice about his sumo, he would always correct them immediately. This honesty would take him far, said Ueno.

His former classmate recalled that "He had a sister who was 3 years younger than him, and I remember him being moved to tears by his sister. He was that gentle a person. There were only 13 people in our year group, so we spent 6 whole years together. I have never seen him get angry, not even once".

Things started to change when he saw Asashoryu's bouts on TV during Grade 5, and was inspired by the spirit, speed and skill that the Yokozuna has always shown. He began to appreciate sumo more and more. It was during this period that he had the opportunity to meet the Yokozuna face-to-face during a Jungyo in Kanazawa, and so, from then on, he has always set himself the goal to become as great a rikishi as Asashoryu.

The turning point however, came when he lost a bout during a tournament in Suzu City, and he started crying. See this, Ueno scolded him loudly, and told him to "don't come to keiko anymore if you carry on crying". After that, he would practise harder and harder, and results began to show. Also, he would no longer cry in front of other people.

This boy would go on to become a major name in amateur sumo during middle school and high school, and during his final year at university, he would simultaneous hold the Amateur Yokozuna and Kokutai Yokozuna titles, quite an achievement. Since turning pro, he has set the record for the fastest top division debut of all time (4 bashos), and has been a fan favourite even since.

But who could he be?

Edited July 5, 2018 by mikawa

[Akinomaki 41,858]

Since you left out Endo in the list above ...