Yutakayama Hiromitsu

Yutakayama Hiromitsu (豊山広光, (22 October 1947 – 19 September 2020), born Hiromitsu Nagahama (長濱廣光, Nagahama Hiromitsu)) was a sumo wrestler from Shibata, Niigata, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1970. His highest rank was komusubi. He wrestled for Tokitsukaze stable and took his shikona or fighting name from the head coach who recruited him, former ozeki Yutakayama Katsuo. After his retirement in 1981 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, and founded the Minato stable which he led from 1982 until 2010. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2020.

Yutakayama Hiromitsu
豊山広光
Personal information
BornHiromitsu Nagahama
(1947-10-22)22 October 1947
Shibata, Niigata, Japan
Died19 September 2020(2020-09-19) (aged 72)
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight127 kg (280 lb)
Career
StableTokitsukaze
Record491-505
DebutMarch, 1970
Highest rankKomusubi (September, 1972)
RetiredMay, 1981
Elder nameMinato
Championships2 (Jūryō)
2 (Makushita)
Special PrizesOutstanding Performance (1)
Fighting Spirit (2)
Gold Stars8
Wajima (4)
Kitanofuji (2)
Kotozakura (2)
* Up to date as of September 2020.

Career

He began sumo from a young age and became a high school yokozuna.[1] He graduated in 1966 and then became an amateur champion at Tonodai University.[1] He came from a poor family of farmers, and having to work to support himself as well as study, he had less time for training and did not win as many amateur titles as his rival at the time, Nihon University's Wajima Hiroshi. He had plans to become a teacher, but was persuaded to join the professional sport in March 1970, debuting in the third highest makushita division. His head coach at Tokitsukaze stable was ex-ōzeki Yutakayama Katsuo, also from Tonodai University. Wajima had joined professional sumo one tournament earlier, and such was the interest in their rivalry that when the two met in the jūryō division during the November 1970 tournament, sponsors placed kensho money on the bout, which normally is only allowed in the top division.

He initially fought under his own surname of Nagahama, and continued to use it upon reaching the top division in November 1971, but in July 1972 he persuaded his stablemaster to let him use his old shikona of Yutakayama. He fought in the top division for 51 tournaments,[1] earning three special prizes and earning eight gold stars for defeating yokozuna, including four from Wajima, his rival from his amateur days. He first reached the sanyaku ranks in September 1972 when he was promoted to komusubi. Although he was to hold the rank on two further occasions, he never managed a winning record there. Despite his success against several yokozuna he was never able to defeat Kitanoumi in the top division, losing to him 21 times in 21 matches.[2] He also had a poor record against ozeki Takanohana, beating him only once in 22 matches.

He did not miss a single bout in his career, fighting 996 consecutive matches. This is the second longest streak for former collegiate competitors, after Asanowaka's 1145.

Retirement from sumo

He retired in May 1981 and became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Minato Oyakata.[1] He founded Minato stable in 1982 and remained head coach there until 2010, when he passed control of the stable over to former maegashira Minatofuji, and took the name Tatsutagawa. He was also a Deputy Director of the Sumo Association.[3] He reached the mandatory retirement age for elders of 65 in October 2012.[1]

Fighting style

Yutakayama was a yotsu-sumo specialist who liked to fight on the mawashi or belt and his most common winning kimarite were yori-kiri (force out), tsuri-dashi (lift out) and uwatenage (overarm throw).

Personal life and death

He was married with two daughters. His stablemaster did not allow him to get married until he reached the jūryō division in September 1970. The wedding reception took place in October 1971.

He died of pancreatic cancer on 19 September 2020 at the age of 72.[4]

Career record

Yutakayama Hiromitsu[5]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo
March
Haru basho, Osaka
May
Natsu basho, Tokyo
July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya
September
Aki basho, Tokyo
November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1970 x Makushita tsukedashi #59
52
 
West Makushita #42
70
Champion

 
East Makushita #3
70P
Champion

 
West Jūryō #9
96
 
West Jūryō #5
114
Champion

 
1971 West Jūryō #1
510
 
West Jūryō #8
123P
Champion

 
East Jūryō #2
96
 
East Jūryō #2
69
 
West Jūryō #5
105
 
East Maegashira #13
69
 
1972 West Jūryō #2
96
 
East Maegashira #11
105
 
West Maegashira #1
87
East Maegashira #1
105
 
East Komusubi #1
510
 
East Maegashira #3
69
 
1973 West Maegashira #7
87
 
West Maegashira #4
411
 
East Maegashira #11
96
 
West Maegashira #5
96
 
West Komusubi #1
78
 
East Maegashira #2
411
1974 East Maegashira #7
96
 
West Maegashira #2
78
West Maegashira #3
114
F
West Komusubi #1
78
 
West Maegashira #1
510
 
West Maegashira #7
78
 
1975 West Maegashira #8
87
 
East Maegashira #7
96
 
West Maegashira #2
411
 
West Maegashira #9
96
 
West Maegashira #3
411
 
West Maegashira #10
114
 
1976 East Maegashira #2
510
 
West Maegashira #7
87
 
West Maegashira #2
69
 
East Maegashira #5
87
 
East Maegashira #2
69
 
East Maegashira #6
87
 
1977 East Maegashira #3
411
 
Maegashira #e
96
 
West Maegashira #6
87
 
East Maegashira #3
69
 
West Maegashira #6
105
F
East Komusubi #1
411
 
1978 East Maegashira #5
96
O
East Maegashira #1
510
 
West Maegashira #5
411
 
East Maegashira #13
411
 
West Jūryō #7
105
 
West Jūryō #3
114
 
1979 East Maegashira #11
510
 
West Jūryō #1
105
 
East Maegashira #12
87
 
East Maegashira #11
87
 
West Maegashira #5
312
 
East Maegashira #13
105
 
1980 East Maegashira #3
510
West Maegashira #8
69
 
East Maegashira #12
87
 
East Maegashira #9
87
 
East Maegashira #8
78
 
West Maegashira #8
312
 
1981 East Jūryō #4
69
 
West Jūryō #8
78
 
East Jūryō #9
Retired
510
x x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: =Kinboshi(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi Jūryō Makushita Sandanme Jonidan Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna Ōzeki Sekiwake Komusubi Maegashira

See also

References

  1. "元小結・豊山で先代・湊親方の長浜広光さん死去 72歳 膵臓がん". Hochi (in Japanese). 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  2. Yutakayama had two wins over Kitanoumi when both were ranked in jūryō.
  3. "Oyakata (Coaches) - goo Sumo". Japan Sumo Association. 28 February 2009.
  4. "元小結豊山の先代湊親方が死去72歳、膵臓がん". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 24 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  5. "Yutakayama Hiromitsu". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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