View source for Azumafuji Kin'ichi

{{short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}}
{{hatnote|In this Japanese [[shikona]] name, the surname is Azumafuji.}}
{{Infobox sumo wrestler
| name        = {{nihongo2|東富士 欽壹}}<br />Azumafuji Kin'ichi
| image       = Azumafuji.JPG
| caption     = Azumafuji performing his ''yokozuna'' ring-entering ceremony, late 1948
| birth_name  = Inoue Kin'ichi
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1921|10|28}}
| birth_place = [[Tokyo]], Japan
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1973|7|31|1921|10|28}}
| height      = {{height|meters=1.79}} 
| weight      = {{convert|178|kg|lb st|abbr=on}}
| heya        = [[Takasago stable|Takasago]]
| rank        =
| record      = 335-137-54-1draws-1hold
| debut       = January 1936
| highestrank = [[Yokozuna]] (October 1948)
| retireddate = September, 1954
| eldername   = Nishikido
| yushos      = 6 (Makuuchi)<br />1 (Jūryō)<br />1 (Makushita)
| update      = June 2020
}}

{{nihongo|'''Azumafuji Kin'ichi'''|東富士 欽壹||October 28, 1921 – July 31, 1973|lead=yes}} was a Japanese professional [[sumo]] wrestler from [[Taitō, Tokyo]]. He was the sport's 40th ''[[Yokozuna (sumo)|yokozuna]]'', and later a [[professional wrestler]].

==Sumo career==
[[File:Azumafuji vs Tochinishiki 1953-10-29.jpg|thumb|left|Azumafuji defeating [[Tochinishiki Kiyotaka|Tochinishiki]] in the 1953 fall tournament]]
[[File:Sumo-Azumafuji-Kin'ichi-with-Emperors-Cup-c1950.png|thumb|Azumafuji Kin'ichi with the Emperor's Cup (天皇賜杯, Tennō shihai) (Top Division Champion of Natsu Basho 1950)]]
Azumafuji's real name was {{nihongo|Inoue Kin'ichi|井上 謹一}}. He made professional debut in January 1936, joining [[Takasago stable]]. He was promoted to the top ''[[makuuchi]]'' division in May 1943. On the sixth day of the November 1944 tournament, he defeated ''yokozuna'' [[Futabayama Sadaji|Futabayama]], the last wrestler ever to do so as Futabayama pulled out of the tournament the next day and only fought one more bout before his retirement. Azumafuji was promoted to ''[[Makuuchi#Ōzeki|ōzeki]]'' in June 1945 on the strength of two runner-up performances. He won his first top division championship in May 1948, and was promoted to the top ''yokozuna'' rank in October of that year after finishing as runner-up. Going against historical trends, he managed to win his debut ''yokozuna'' tournament, in January 1949.

On the 12th day of the September 1951 tournament, Azumafuji recorded an ''[[azukari]]'', or hold, a rare result. On that day, he had come down with acute [[pneumonia]] but he forced himself to continue in the tournament as he had only one loss. Azumafuji fought with then ''ōzeki'' [[Yoshibayama Junnosuke|Yoshibayama]] twice, but the outcome still could not be determined. After the second bout, Azumafuji could not stand up any more and conceded defeat, but the gentlemanly Yoshibayama insisted that the fairest result was to declare a hold, which was confirmed by the officials. Azumafuji went on to win the tournament, his fourth championship.

[[File:Azumafuji handprint.JPG|thumb|right|180px|Azumafuji's handprint displayed on a monument in [[Ryōgoku]], Tokyo]]
Azumafuji won his sixth and final championship in September 1953, and struggled with injuries after that. In September 1954, ''ōzeki'' [[Tochinishiki Kiyotaka|Tochinishiki]] seemed certain to win his second consecutive championship. Azumafuji suddenly announced his retirement at that tournament, not wishing to hinder Tochinshiki's promotion to ''yokozuna''.<ref name="kuroda">{{cite web|author=Kuroda, Joe|title=Tochinishiki Kiyotaka (1925–1990) the 44th Yokozuna Part 2|publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine|url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_15/Rikishi_of_Old.htm|date=October 2007|accessdate=2008-05-01}}</ref> Had he remained, Tochinishiki would have become the fifth active ''yokozuna'', an unprecedented situation. Tochinishiki reportedly asked Azumafuji to reconsider his decision, but to no avail.<ref name="kuroda"/>

==Professional wrestling career==
Azumafuji was the first ''yokozuna'' to turn to Western-style [[Professional wrestling in Japan|professional wrestling]], in 1955. This occurred after a dispute in the [[Japan Sumo Association]] between two other elders, [[Maedayama Eigorō|Takasago]] and [[Haguroyama Masaji|Tatsunami]], which he wished to escape.<ref name="kuroda"/> In April 1955 he won the [[NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship]] in [[Honolulu]] alongside another former sumo wrestler turned professional wrestler, [[Rikidōzan]]. In 1956 he defeated former [[judoka]] Toshio Yamaguchi to win the Japanese Heavyweight tournament.<ref>[http://www.puroresu.com/history/jwa-riki.html History of Puroresu : The Rikidozan Era<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This tournament was supposed to give him a shot at Rikidozan, at the time the [[Japanese Heavyweight Champion]], but the match never took place.

==Championships and accomplishments==
* '''[[National Wrestling Alliance|Mid-Pacific Promotions]]'''
:* [[NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) - with [[Rikidōzan]]

==Sumo top division record==

*''From 1953 a New Year tournament was added and the Spring tournament began to be held in Osaka.''
{{Sumo record box start 1933-1952|Azumafuji<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Azumafuji Kinichi Rikishi Information| publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=3850 | date= | accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref>}}
  {{Sumo record year start |1943}}
    {{Basho}}
    {{Basho|m|8|e|10|5}}
    {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1944}}
    {{Basho|m|1|w|7|4|4}}
    {{Basho|m|2|e|6|4}}
    {{Basho|s||w|9|1||j}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1945}}
    {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}}
    {{Basho|s|1|e|6|1||j}}
    {{Basho|o|1|e|9|1}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1946}}
    {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}}
    {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}}
    {{Basho|o|1|e|7|6}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1947}}
    {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}}
    {{Basho|o|2|w|9|1|P|j}}
    {{Basho|o|1|w|6|5}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1948}}
    {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}}
    {{Basho|o|2|w|10|1||y}}
    {{Basho|o|1|w|10|1|P|j}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1949}}
    {{Basho|y|2|w|10|2<br>1d||y}}
    {{Basho|y|1|e|8|7}}
    {{Basho|y|2|w|10|5}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1950}}
    {{Basho|y|1|w|6|6|3}}
    {{Basho|y|1|w|14|1||y}}
    {{Basho|y|1|e|11|4}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1951}}
    {{Basho|y|1|w|10|5}}
    {{Basho|y|2|e|12|3||j}}
    {{Basho|y|1|e|13|1<br>1h||y}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1952}}
    {{Basho|y|1|e|7|4|4}}
    {{Basho|y|2|w|13|2||y}}
    {{Basho|y|1|e|7|7|1}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
{{Sumo record box end}}
{{Sumo record box start 1953-1956}}
{{Sumo record year start|1953}}
    {{Basho|y|1|w|2|5|8}}
    {{Basho|y|2|w|12|3||j}}
    {{Basho|y|1|e|11|4}}
    {{Basho|y|1|w|14|1||y}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
  {{Sumo record year start|1954}}
    {{Basho|y|1|e|3|7|5}}
    {{Basho|y|2|w|5|3|7}}
    {{Basho|kyujo|rank=y|r-no=2|tozai=e}}
    {{Basho|INTAI|rank=y|r-no=2|tozai=e|win=4|loss=4|absent=7}}
  {{Sumo record year end}}
{{Sumo record box end}}
''*d = [[Glossary of sumo terms#hikiwake|draw (引分)]]  /  h = [[Glossary of sumo terms#azukari|hold (預り)]]''

==See also==
*[[Glossary of sumo terms]]
*[[List of past sumo wrestlers]]
*[[List of sumo tournament top division champions]]
*[[List of yokozuna]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070809014024/http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/kiroku_daicho/mei_yokozuna/azumafuji.html Japan Sumo Association profile]
* [http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_26/Rikishi_of_Old.pdf Article on Azumafuji]
* {{professional wrestling profiles}}

{{Yokozuna box | previous = [[Maedayama Eigorō]] | number = 40th | active = 1948–1954 | next = [[Chiyonoyama Masanobu]]}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Azumafuji, Kinichi}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:1973 deaths]]
[[Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers]]
[[Category:Yokozuna]]
[[Category:Japanese male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:People from Taitō]]
[[Category:Sumo people from Tokyo]]
[[Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen]]