Nishinoumi Kajirō II

Nishinoumi Kajirō II (Japanese: 西ノ海 嘉治郎, February 6, 1880 – January 27, 1931) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 25th yokozuna.

Nishinoumi Kajirō II
西ノ海 嘉治郎
Nishinoumi Kajirō II, ca. 1916
Personal information
BornMakise Kyūhachi
(1880-02-06)February 6, 1880
Kagoshima, Japan
DiedJanuary 27, 1931(1931-01-27) (aged 50)
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight139 kg (306 lb)
Career
StableIzutsu
Record106-38-70-27draws-9holds (Makuuchi)
DebutJanuary, 1900
Highest rankYokozuna (February, 1916)
RetiredMay, 1918
Elder nameIzutsu
Championships1 (Makuuchi)
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Career

His real name was Makise Kyūhachi (牧瀬 休八), but he later changed his surname to Kondō (近藤). He entered sumo in January 1900, using the shikona name Tanegashima (種子ヶ島). He changed it to Nishikinada Yosaburō (錦洋 与三郎) in May 1905, and was promoted to the top makuuchi division in May 1906. A month later he changed his ring name again, this time to Nishinoumi Nadaemon (西ノ海 灘右エ門). He changed his shikona for the last time in January 1914, when he took the given name Kajirō.

Nishinoumi was awarded a yokozuna licence by the house of Yoshida Tsukasa in February 1916 after winning a championship at January 1916 tournament. He was 36 years old at the time of his promotion, making him the oldest wrestler to be promoted to yokozuna in the 20th century.[1] In the top makuuchi division, he won 106 bouts and lost 38 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 73.6. He was the only wrestler to defeat Tachiyama between 1909 and 1916, his victory in January 1912 preventing Tachiyama from recording 100 straight wins (he had a winning streak of 43 before, and 56 after their bout). Tachiyama claimed many years later that Nishinoumi's win over him had been yaocho (fixed), but there is little evidence for this.

He favoured the yokozuna dohyō-iri (yokozuna ring-entering ceremony) style that has come to be known as Unryū .[1]

After his retirement, he was an elder known as Izutsu and produced many top division wrestlers, such as yokozuna Nishinoumi Kajirō III. During his tenure Izutsu's influence in the Japan Sumo Association increased, but he was accused of using his position unfairly by his opponents after he added a director to the Sumo Association's board from his own ichimon or stable group. He eventually committed suicide by hanging on January 27, 1931.

His adopted daughter's grandsons are Sakahoko Akihiro and Terao Tsunefumi.

Top division record

Nishinoumi[2]
- Spring Summer
1906 x West Maegashira #10
341
1d 1h

 
1907 West Maegashira #7
316
 
West Maegashira #8
611
2d

 
1908 West Sekiwake
421
3d

 
West Sekiwake
711
1d

 
1909 East Sekiwake
307
 
East Sekiwake
521
2d

 
1910 East Ōzeki
212
3d 2h

 
East Ōzeki
117
1h

 
1911 East Ōzeki
61
2d 1h

 
East Ōzeki
125
1d 1h

 
1912 West Ōzeki
71
2d

 
East Ōzeki
72
1d

 
1913 East Ōzeki
43
2d 1h

 
West Ōzeki
53
2d

 
1914 West Ōzeki
62
1d 1h

 
East Ōzeki
63
1d

 
1915 East Ōzeki
413
1d 1h

 
East Ōzeki
621
1d

 
1916 East Ōzeki
801
1d

 
East Yokozuna
82
 
1917 West Yokozuna
226
 
West Yokozuna
217
 
1918 Sat out East Yokozuna
Retired
0010
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Key:d=Draw(s) (引分);   h=Hold(s) (預り)
Divisions: Makuuchi Jūryō Makushita Sandanme Jonidan Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna Ōzeki Sekiwake Komusubi Maegashira

References

  1. Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
  2. "Nishinoumi Kajiro Rikishi Informetion". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2007-10-16.

See also

Preceded by
Ōtori Tanigorō
25th Yokozuna
1916–1918
Succeeded by
Ōnishiki Uichirō
Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once
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