Masuiyama Daishiro I

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername =増位山大志郎 Masuiyama Daishiro
image
birthname =Shinmatsu Sasada
dateofbirth =birth date|1919|11|3
placeofbirth =Himeji, Japan
dateofdeath =death date and age|1985|10|21|1919|11|3
placeofdeath =
height =height|meters=1.75
weight =convert|111|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya =Dewanoumi
rank =
record =199-126-23
debut =January, 1935
highestrank =Yokozuna (January, 1949)
retireddate =January, 1950
yushos =2 (Makuuchi) 1 (Juryo) 1 (Makushita)
prizes =Outstanding Performance (1) Technique (1)
goldstars =2
blogurl =
weburl =
email =
update =July 2008

Masuiyama Daishiro (3 November 1919 – 21 October 1985) was a sumo wrestler from Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was "ozeki." After his retirement he was the head coach of Mihogaseki stable and produced "yokozuna" Kitanoumi among other wrestlers.

Career

Born Kumiaki Sawaka, he joined Dewanoumi stable in 1935 and initially fought under the "shikona" of Hamanishiki, before changing to Masuiyama in 1937. After winning the "makushita" tournament championship or "yusho" in 1939 he was promoted to "juryo" and only two tournaments later, after picking up another championship, he was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division for the January 1941 tournament. In January 1942 he defeated "yokozuna" Haguroyama to earn his first gold star or "kinboshi." He finished with a losing record but good performances over the next three tournaments took him to "komusubi" and then "sekiwake" in 1944. In the first postwar tournament held in a bomb-damaged Kokugikan in June 1945 he could manage only two wins and dropped back to the "maegashira" ranks, but he was runner-up to Haguroyama in November 1946 with a fine 11-2 record. After earning his first "sanshō" or special prize for Technique he returned to the "sanyaku" ranks, and in October 1948 he won his first top division championship. He took advantage of the poor condition of the three "yokozuna" and finished with a 10-1 record, defeating "ozeki" Azumafuji in a playoff. After the tournament Azumafuji was promoted to "yokozuna" and Masuiyama was elevated to "ozeki". In his second tournament at "ozeki" rank Masuiyama took his second and final championship, defeating "yokozuna" Haguroyama, Azumafuji and Maedayama on three consective days to finish 13-2. He defeated "maegashira" Hajimayama, a fellow member of Dewanoumi stable, in another playoff on the final day.

Retirement from sumo

This was to be the last tourney Masuiyama was to complete. After pulling out of the next two tournaments through injury he retired in January 1950 at the age of 30, having spent only four tournaments at "ozeki" rank. He became head coach of the small Mihogaseki stable. After a long period without success,Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lorna |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |id=ISBN 0-8348-0283-x] he eventually managed to produce some strong sekitori, including Kitanoumi who reached "yokozuna" in 1974, and his eldest son, Masuiyama Daishiro II, who was born in 1948, entered his father's stable in 1967 alongside Kitanoumi and reached the "ozeki" rank in 1980. In November 1984 Masuiyama reached the mandatory retirement age set by the Japan Sumo Association and passed on control of Mihogaseki stable to his son. He died less than one year later. Kitanoumi, his most successful wrestler, missed his own father's funeral to attend Masuiyama's.

Top division record

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of sumo tournament winners

References

External links

* [http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=3832 Complete career record]