Asashio Tarō III

was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. He was the sport's 46th yokozuna. He was also a sumo coach and head of Takasago stable.

Career

He was born on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. Due to the Amami Islands being occupied by the United States, in 1948 he stowed away on a cargo ship and was supported by a relative in Hyogo Prefecture. Making his professional debut in October 1948, he at first fought under his real name. He was billed in sumo as being from Kobe in Hyogo until the United States returned the Anami Islands to Japan in 1953, and was thereafter billed as being from Kagoshima Prefecture.

In September 1950 he reached the second highest jūryō division and won the championship with a 14–1 record. This earned him immediate promotion to the top makuuchi division in January 1951. He adopted the shikona or ring name of Asashio Tarō in 1952. In his early career he earned seven kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna, three of them coming in one tournament in January 1955 when he beat Yoshibayama on Day 5 and then Chiyonoyama and Tochinishiki on Days 8 and 9. In January 1956 he changed the spelling of his ring name to Template:Category handler, but changed it back in July 1960.

File:Asashio III and Maedayama (Takasago) 1956 Scan10012.jpg

With coach Takasago celebrating Asashio's tournament win in March 1956

Asashio won five top division tournament championships, all but one of them in Osaka. He won this tournament three years in a row from 1956 to 1958. His first title was won at sekiwake rank in a three way playoff that also involved future yokozuna Wakanohana Kanji I and maegashira Wakahaguro. He earned promotion to ōzeki a year later after winning his second championship. In November 1958 he won the tournament in Kyūshū with a 14–1 record. After runner-up honours in the next two tournaments he was finally promoted to yokozuna at nearly 30 years of age. His time at sumo's highest rank was difficult as he missed many bouts through injury. He had to sit out the three tournaments following his yokozuna debut and was only able to win one further tournament, in March 1961. He did not take part in the January 1962 tournament and announced his retirement at the age of 32.

Asashio was known for his thick chest hair and eyebrows. In 1959, he appeared on the cover of the first issue of Weekly Shōnen Magazine and in Hiroshi Inagaki's film The Three Treasures.

Retirement from sumo

Asashio remained in the sumo world as an elder under the name of Furiwake, and became head coach of Takasago stable in 1971 after the death of the previous stablemaster, former yokozuna Maedayama. As Takasago-oyakata he coached Asashio Tarō IV and Konishiki to the rank of ōzeki. He predicted that Konishiki would reach the rank of yokozuna before his 25th birthday, but it did not happen. He also recruited the Samoan wrestler Nankairyū but after a heated argument with Takasago, Nankairyū ran away from the stable in September 1988. Takasago died of a stroke a few weeks later.

Pre-modern top division record

• The New Year tournament began and the Spring tournament returned to Osaka in 1953.

1951 West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
10–5
  1952 East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
10–5
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
10–5
O★★ 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

1953 East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
11–4
O East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
10–5
  West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  1954 West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
6–9
  1955 East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
O★★★ East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
10–5
★★ East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
9–6
  1956 West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
9–6
  East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
12–3–P
O East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  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

Modern top division record

• Since the addition of the Kyushu tournament in 1957 and the Nagoya tournament in 1958, the yearly schedule has remained unchanged.

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
1957	East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 13–2	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	Not held	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5
1958	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 13–2–P	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 5–4–6	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 14–1
1959	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 13–2	West Yokozuna-ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber Sat out due to injury 0–0–15	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber Sat out due to injury 0–0–15	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber Sat out due to injury 0–0–15
1960	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 4–6–5	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4
1961	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 13–2	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 0–4–11	West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 12–3	East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 0–4–11	West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber 2–5–8
1962	West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber Retired 0–0	x	x	x	x	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 past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• List of sumo tournament second division champions
• List of yokozuna

External links

• Japan Sumo Association profile

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