Shiranui Dakuemon

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername = 不知火 諾右衛門 Shiranui Dakuemon


realname = Shinji Chikahisa
dateofbirth = October 1801
placeofbirth = Uto, Kumamoto, Japan
dateofdeath = death date and age|1854|8|20|1801|10|1
height = convert|1.76|m|ftin|abbr=on|lk=on
weight = convert|135|kg|lb|abbr=on
heya = Urakaze
rank =
record = 48-15-65
3draws-2holds-1no result
(Makuuchi)
debut = November 1830
highestrank = Yokozuna (November 1840)
retireddate = January 1844
yushos = 1 (Makuuchi, unofficial)
goldstars =
update = October 2007

Shiranui Dakuemon (不知火 諾右衛門, October 1801 - August 20 1854; aka Shiranui Nagiemon) was a sumo wrestler from Uto, Kumamoto, Japan. He was the sport's 8th Yokozuna. He was the coach of Shiranui Kōemon.

Career

He married early to a woman at the age of 19 and had two sons. In 1823, he got into an argument with the head of his village. Forgetting his own strength, he pushed the village head too harshly. The village head fell to the floor and was knocked unconscious. Knowing the trouble this would cause him, he escaped from his hometown, leaving his family. [cite web|url=http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_joho_kyoku/yomu/004/075.html|title=故郷に妻子を残して相撲界へ（第8代横綱・不知火）|language=Japanese|publisher=Japan Sumo Association|accessdate=2008-07-04] He entered Osaka sumo and made his debut in May 1824. He didn't find much success in Osaka sumo and transferred to Tokyo sumo in November 1830. He was promoted to "ozeki" in March 1839.

In the top "makuuchi" division, Shiranui won 48 bouts and lost 15 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 76.2. He won only one tournament in February 1840 with an 8-0-2 record. He wasn't a particularly strong wrestler, but around the end of the Edo period the awarding a "yokozuna" licence had less to do with ability and more to do with the influence of one's backers. Shiranui was simply lucky to have powerful patrons.cite book|author=Newton, Clyde|title=Dynamic Sumo|publisher=Kodansha|year=1994|pages=51|id=ISBN 4-7700-1802-9] The actual date he was awarded the title is obscure, but the date is officially recognized as being in November 1840. His name wasn't written on the "banzuke" for the next tournament in January 1841 and he was absent from November 1841 tournament for unknown reasons. He was demoted to "sekiwake" in February 1842. At that time, "yokozuna" was not a rank but a title.

He stayed in sumo as an elder after his retirement, and was known as Minato Oyakata. The name of the "Shiranui Yokozuna Dohyo-Iri" (the yokozuna ring entering ceremony) came from not him but from the 11th "yokozuna" Shiranui Kōemon, who he trained.

Top Division Record

"*2 tournaments were held yearly in this period, though the actual time they were held was often erratic"
"*Championships from this period were unofficial "*Yokozuna were not listed as such on the ranking sheets until 1890
"*There was no fusensho system until March 1927
"*All top division wrestlers were usually absent on the 10th day until 1909

References

reflist

See also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of yokozuna
*List of past sumo wrestlers