Wakanami Jun

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername = 若浪 順
Wakanami Jun


realname = Jun Tomiyama
dateofbirth = birth date|1941|3|1
placeofbirth = Ibaraki, Japan
dateofdeath = death date and age|2007|4|17|1941|3|1
height = height|meters=1.78
weight = convert|103|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Tatsunami
rank =
record = 568-557-20
debut = March, 1957
highestrank = Komusubi (July, 1964)
retireddate = March, 1972
yushos = 1 (Makuuchi) 1 (Juryo) 2 (Makushita)
prizes = Fighting Spirit (2) Technique(2)
goldstars = 3
update = July 2007

Wakanami Jun (born Jun Tomiyama, 1 March 1941 - 17 April 2007) was a sumo wrestler from Iwai, Ibaraki, Japan. His highest rank was "komusubi." He won a top division tournament championship in March 1968. He was also a sumo coach.

Career

He joined the Tatsunami stable in March 1957 and reached the top "makuuchi" division in May 1963. He was small, at just 178cm and 103kg, but he was very popular with sumo fans. In July 1964 he reached his highest rank of "komusubi", which he was to hold on three occasions. He was runner-up to Kashiwado in the July 1967 tournament. In March 1968, ranked as a "maegashira", he won the championship in the top division with a 13-2 record. Yokozuna Taihō and Sadanoyama were absent through injury, and he did not have to face anyone ranked higher than "sekiwake" during the tournament. He was promoted to "komusubi" for the following tournament but could manage only two wins there. He fought in the "makuuchi" division for 52 tournaments in total. He won four special prizes, two for fighting spirit and two for technique. He fell briefly to the "juryo" division in 1969 and won the second division championship, becoming the first wrestler to do this "after" winning the top division championship. He retired in March 1972.

Retirement from sumo

He stayed in the sumo world after retirement as a coach at his stable, and was known as Onaruto and then Tamagaki Oyakata. His nephew is also a sumo wrestler in the Tatsunami stable, and has reached a highest rank of "makushita" 2. He has also used the Wakanami "shikona," although he is currently using the similar sounding Wakainami.

Wakanami died in a Tokyo hospital following complications from pneumonia.

Top division record

References

ee also

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