Masuiyama Daishiro II

Sumo wrestler infobox

wrestlername =増位山 太志郎
Masuiyama Daishiro
birthname =Noburu Sadawa
dateofbirth =birth date and age|1948|11|16
placeofbirth =Himeji, Hyōgo, Japan
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
height =height|meters=1.80
weight =convert|109|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya =Mihogaseki
rank =
record =597-538-15
debut =January, 1967
highestrank =Ozeki (March, 1980)
retireddate =March, 1981
yushos =1 (Juryo)
prizes =Technique (5)
goldstars =4
blogurl =
weburl =
email =
update =July 2007

Masuiyama Daishiro (born 16 November 1948 as Noboru Sadawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Hyōgo, Japan. In 1980 he became the oldest man to be promoted to the rank of "ozeki" in the modern era (since 1958). He is now a sumo coach and an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Mihogaseki.

Career

Born in Himeji, he was the son of former "ozeki" Masuiyama Daishiro I. He was a talented swimmer at school but wanted to follow his father into sumo. Initially turned down because of his size, he eventually persuaded his father to let him join his Mihogaseki stable in January 1967. He began at the same time as Kitanoumi, a future yokozuna. He began fighting under the name Suiryu, adopting the Masuiyama "shikona" the following year. He reached "sekitori" status in July 1969 upon promotion to the "juryo" division and reached the top "makuuchi" division for the first time in March 1970. Weighing barely 100kg, and prone to injury, he was not able to establish himself in the division until 1972, temporarily dropping back to "juryo" where he won his only "yusho" or tournament championship in January of that year. In November 1972 he won the first of his five "Ginosho" or Technique prizes and earned promotion to "komusubi." He was demoted after only one tournament and mostly remained in the "maegashira" ranks for the next few years. In May 1974 he scored 12 wins and was a tournament runner-up behind stablemate Kitanoumi.

In July 1978 he finally earned promotion to the third highest "sekiwake" rank, but once again was unable to maintain it, dropping back to "maegashira" level. At the end of 1979 he returned to "sekiwake" and scored 11 wins. In January 1980 he was again a tournament runner-up, this time to "yokozuna" Mienoumi, and after the tournament he was promoted to "ozeki". It had taken him 60 tournaments to get there from his top division debut, a record, and at thirty one years two months he was also the oldest to reach the rank since the introduction of the six tournaments a year system in 1958 (The latter record was broken by Kotomitsuki in July 2007). Masuiyama and Mihogaseki Oyakata became the first father and son ozeki in sumo history. [ [http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5830 Featured Heya - Mihogaseki and Minato, Sumo Forum] ] His "ozeki" career was brief, and he announced his retirement during the March 1981 tournament.

Retirement from sumo

Masuiyama remained in the sumo world as an elder initially under the name Onogawa, and in 1984 he succeeded his father as head coach of Mihogaseki stable, when the latter reached the retirement age of 65. His father died in 1986. He inherited "ozeki" Hokutenyu, and has produced a number of other top division wrestlers such as Higonoumi, Hamanoshima and Baruto. Now known as Mihogaseki Oyakata, he continues to run the stable and is also on the board of directors of the Japan Sumo Association.

Top division record

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of past sumo wrestlers

References