Jonidan rikishi passes away

[Kintamayama 45,974]

Wakatozakura (33, Shikihide, jonidan 52 w) has died of vulvar necrotizing fascitis. This disease is an infectious disease that causes rapid inflammation around the genitals and anus. If treatment is delayed, gangrene will develop in the affected area, so early detection and treatment are necessary. If proper treatment is delayed, the symptoms will progress rapidly and there is a high possibility of death within a few days.

 

Edit-Akinomaki beat me to this in the sumo obituary thread, but I think an active riikishi dying deserves its own thread..

Edited April 20 by Kintamayama

[Akinomaki 41,179]

23 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

an active riikishi dying deserves its own thread.

I thought so, too, but out of habit used the obituary thread

23 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

Shikihide-beya's Wakatozakura has died yesterday 14:43h JST in a hospital in Ibaraki pref. at age 33 due to necrotizing fasciitis

o

The NSK announced it today https://www.sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=691

day 11 last basho

o o

Rikishi who died while being active are recently Shobushi from Corona May 2020 and Hibikiryu Apr. 2021 from respiratory failure in hospital after the fall from the dohyo.

2 tsukebito of Hoshoryu on loan from Shikihide-beya have withdrawn from the jungyo. All rikishi and oyakata today at the jungyo did a silent prayer towards the dohyo.

[Koorifuu 1,079]

Typically, the infection enters the body through a break in the skin such as a cut or burn.[3] Risk factors include recent trauma or surgery and a weakened immune system due to diabetes or cancer, obesity, alcoholism, intravenous drug use, and peripheral artery disease.

From the Wikipedia article.

Sadly it sounds like there's multiple reasons as to why rikishi are especially vulnerable to this. Skin injuries, trauma, diabetes, alcoholism.

Too late for poor Wakatozakura and his close ones, but I sure hope this raises awareness amongst the others. Go to the hospital immediately if you notice early signs.

Edited April 15 by Koorifuu

[Kintamayama 45,974]

1 minute ago, Koorifuu said:

Sadly it sounds like there's multiple reasons as to why rikishi are especially vulnerable to this. Skin injuries, trauma, diabetes, alcoholosm.

 

And a tendency to brush things away, saying, "It's nothing keiko won't heal. It's fine," till it isn't.

[rhyen 1,852]

It is hard to identify the early symptoms unless the fasciitis develops on the epidermis of the skin and becomes visible to everyone (like gangrene). And the amount of microbes frenzy caused by the rotting flesh in the body will overwhelm any cocktail antibacterial medication used to treat post-surgery.

[Akinomaki 41,179]

On 15/04/2025 at 09:23, Akinomaki said:

Rikishi who died while being active are recently Shobushi from Corona May 2020 and Hibikiryu Apr. 2021 from respiratory failure in hospital after the fall from the dohyo.

All rikishi and oyakata today at the jungyo did a silent prayer towards the dohyo.

Jungyo chief Sakaigawa and Hoshoryu made comments to the media, Hoshoryu: "I haven't fought against him, but he was a rikishi like me, a fellow member of the kyokai. That he died is a very sad thing. We have to take carer of our bodies." o  "The rikishi who died lately was also from Dewanoumi-ichimon, also for the ichimon it's very sad."

o

- this time I couldn't post this with the big pic, only with the one from my overview

Edited April 16 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 41,179]

On 15/04/2025 at 09:23, Akinomaki said:

Rikishi who died while being active are recently Shobushi from Corona May 2020 and Hibikiryu Apr. 2021 from respiratory failure in hospital after the fall from the dohyo.

Sekitori who died while active are in 1998 Kenko (after dropping to ms while kyujo), due to pulmonary haemorrhage, and in 1971 yokozuna Tamanoumi due to appendicitis  o

Edited April 16 by Akinomaki

[rokudenashi 336]

Also Ryūkōzan in February 1990 following his makuuchi debut

[Churaumi 749]

Not a doctor and really none of my business but I highly doubt it was "vulvar."

I hope they steam-clean everything. This stuff is hard to kill once it's gnawing away on someone. Sad, I never considered this as a risk for rikishi but they get a lot of stuff rubbed into a lot of wounds.

Edited April 20 by Churaumi
Probably has a different name in men

[Koorifuu 1,079]

2 hours ago, Churaumi said:

Not a doctor and really none of my business but I highly doubt it was "vulvar."

I overlooked this bit earlier, but yes, that revelation would've raised an entirely different kind of drama in ozumo.

2 hours ago, Churaumi said:

I hope they steam-clean everything. This stuff is hard to kill once it's gnawing away on someone. Sad, I never considered this as a risk for rikishi but they get a lot of stuff rubbed into a lot of wounds.

That was the reasoning behind my first comment. Looking at how banged up rikishi generally look and after watching some keiko sessions on the internet, I get the feeling disinfecting wounds is low on their priority list.

Adding that to severely compromised immune systems due to the weight and lifestyle... I'm rather surprised major issues don't come up more often.

Edited April 20 by Koorifuu

[Akinomaki 41,179]

Another try at a full post

Today was the tsuya (wake) for Wakatozakura, at the Small Forest House (小さな森の家) funeral hall in Ryugasaki, Ibaraki, where the heya is located

o

Wakatozakura was suffering from haemorrhoids. The oyakata told him on the 10th at keiko: "Tsuyoshi, if it hurts don't do go on unreasonably, it's OK to rest.", but he said "Gambarimasu" and went on with training. On the 11th he did no keiko and went to a hospital and had emergency surgery the same day. The doctors had told him, that if he can hold on for 3 days it would get better, but he died on the 14th. Because he had the strength from keiko, he could hold on for 3 days, is what the doctors afterwards told the shisho. 

Checking again the name of the cause of death: Necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum, Fournier gangrene

Still in the jungyo break, Hoshoryu was there. The rikishi went by bus to the jungyo location in Joso, Ibaraki - on the 23rd, when the funeral service will be held - Hoshoryu changed clothes and came to the tsuya

o 

Hakkaku

o 

main list of oyakata attending

o

[Akinomaki 41,179]

On 22/04/2025 at 23:13, Akinomaki said:

Today was the tsuya (wake) for Wakatozakura, at the Small Forest House (小さな森の家) funeral hall in Ryugasaki, Ibaraki, where the heya is located

Wakatozakura was suffering from haemorrhoids. The oyakata told him on the 10th at keiko: "Tsuyoshi, if it hurts don't do go on unreasonably, it's OK to rest.", but he said "Gambarimasu" and went on with training. On the 11th he did no keiko and went to a hospital and had emergency surgery the same day. 

Shikihide today was at the rikishi-kai and thanked them for the flowers they sent to the tsuya and funeral service. Wakatozakura on the 11th went to a hospital and due to the diagnosis was sent to another hospital for surgery.

  o