Asahikuni Masuo

, born , was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was ōzeki. After his retirement he set up Ōshima stable which he ran from 1980 until he left the Japan Sumo Association in 2012 upon reaching the age of 65.

Career

Born in Aibetsu, Kamikawa District, Asahikuni made his professional debut in July 1963, joining Tatsunami stable. He reached the second highest jūryō division in March 1969 and the top makuuchi division just two tournaments after that. In 1970 he dropped to jūryō once again but he returned to the top division in 1972, reaching sekiwake in November.

At the beginning of 1976 Asahikuni put together two strong records of 12–3 and 13-2, finishing as runner-up in both tournaments, and this earned him promotion to the rank of ōzeki. It had taken him 77 tournaments from his professional debut to reach ōzeki, which at the time was the slowest ever. His best tournament result came in July 1977 when he lost just one bout, but he finished as runner-up to Kitanoumi who won with a perfect record. Asahikuni was never able to win a top division championship, this being his fourth and final runner-up performance.

He retired in September 1979 after 21 tournaments as an ōzeki. His retirement was enforced, as he had broken his shoulder in a bout with Mienoumi. The two wrestlers had been friends as well as rivals, having made their professional debuts in the same month, and their friendship survived the incident.

Fighting style

Asahikuni was an extremely skilful wrestler, earning the nickname "the PhD of sumo", such was his knowledge of a wide variety of techniques. He won the prestigious Ginō-shō, or Technique prize, on six occasions. He achieved this despite the fact that he suffered regularly from pancreatitis and was known even to commute to tournaments from hospital. He specialised in a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi, migi-yotsu, from which he regularly won by shitatenage, or underarm throw. He was also one of very few wrestlers to use tottari, or arm pull.

Retirement from sumo

Asahikuni stayed in the sumo world as an elder at Tatsunami stable under the name of Ōshima Oyakata. In 1980 he established Ōshima stable, despite strong opposition from his old stable boss Tatsunami, who did not want him to break away from the stable even though Asahikuni did not take any high ranking wrestlers with him. Ōshima stable eventually produced Asahifuji, and when he was promoted to ōzeki in 1987 Ōshima exchanged some words with his former stablemaster for the first time since he left Tatsunami stable seven years previously. Asahifuji went on to reach the yokozuna rank in 1990.

In 1992 Ōshima became the first stablemaster to recruit Mongolians, with six joining for the March 1992 tournament. Two of them, Kyokushūzan and Kyokutenhō, reached the top division, rising to komusubi and sekiwake respectively. In all Ōshima produced ten sekitori, including komusubi Kyokudōzan and Asahiyutaka. He also worked as a judge of tournament bouts and was on the Japan Sumo Association's board of directors until 2010 when he lost an election to Takanohana. Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 in April 2012 Ōshima stable was dissolved with its wrestlers moving to Tomozuna stable. Kyokutenhō, who had once been considered a future head of Ōshima stable, instead became head of Tomozuna stable in 2017.

Personal life and death

Asahikuni had two sons, both of whom joined his stable, but neither reached the elite sekitori ranks. His elder son, Tomō, born in 1978, joined in 1994 and was known as Kyokuhoten. He retired in November 1999 after a long injury layoff, with a highest rank of sandanme 26. His younger son Kunihiro, born in 1979, made his debut in 1995 and fought under the similar ring name of Kyokushoten. He had a much longer and marginally more successful career, reaching a highest rank of makushita 46 before retiring in January 2011.

Asahikuni died on October 22, 2024, at the age of 77.

Career record

Asahikuni Masuo

Year	January Hatsu basho, Tokyo	March Haru basho, Osaka	May Natsu basho, Tokyo	July Nagoya basho, Nagoya	September Aki basho, Tokyo	November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1963	x	x	x	(Maezumo)	West JonokuchiTemplate:Ifnumber 6–1	West JonidanTemplate:Ifnumber 6–1
1964	West SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	West SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	East SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 2–5	West SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3
1965	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 3–4	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 1–6	East SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	East SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2
1966	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 2–5	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 3–4
1967	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 7–0 Champion	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 3–4	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 2–5	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3
1968	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 3–4	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 2–5	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–3	East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2
1969	West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber 5–2	West JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–9
1970	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–7–2	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 4–11	East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber Sat out due to injury 0–0–15
1971	East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 12–3 Champion	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7
1972	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 0–1–14	East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5 T	West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 4–11
1973	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–9	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 0–3–12	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6
1974	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 4–11	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 T	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6 ★	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7 ★	West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8
1975	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 4–2–9	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 T	East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 T	West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6 T	West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7
1976	East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 12–3 F	East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 13–2–P T	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5
1977	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 0–3–12	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 14–1	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7
1978	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 3–12	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6
1979	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 3–6–6	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber Retired 4–4	x
Record given as wins–losses–absences    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• List of sumo tournament second division champions
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of ōzeki

External links

• Oshima beya guide