Tamanishiki San'emon

was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kōchi. He was the sport's 32nd yokozuna. He won a total of nine top division yūshō or tournament championships from 1929 to 1936, and was the dominant wrestler in sumo until the emergence of Futabayama. He died whilst still an active wrestler.

Career

He was born . He joined Nishonoseki stable but the stable was very small at that time. Therefore, he often visited Dewanoumi stable and was trained by yokozuna Tochigiyama Moriya. He later became head coach of Nishonoseki stable whilst still active in the ring, and under his leadership the stable enjoyed one of its most successful periods in its history.

Tamanishiki was promoted to the rank of ōzeki in May 1930. At the time, he was the first wrestler from Kōchi Prefecture to be promoted to ōzeki since Kunimiyama, 25 years earlier. From October 1930 to March 1931, he won three consecutive championships but was not promoted to yokozuna. In January 1932, the broke out. The incident was the biggest walkout in sumo history, but Tamanishiki was one of the eleven top division wrestlers who remained in the Sumo Association. After the incident, he became the first head of the , or the association of active sumo wrestlers. He won his fifth top division championship in May 1932 and was finally awarded a yokozuna licence in November 1932. He was the first yokozuna in sumo since the retirement of Miyagiyama a year and a half earlier. His promotion was seen as a reward for staying with the Sumo Association and helping them through the Shunjuen Incident.

Tamanishiki often went to Tatsunami stable and trained wrestlers, such as later yokozuna Futabayama Sadaji. Tatsunami stable was small at that time, but the stable became stronger in the sumo world later on. Tamanishiki defeated Futabayama the first six times they met in competition, but he was never able to beat him again after Futabayama began his record winning run in 1936.

Tamanishiki was the first yokozuna to raise one leg high while performing yokozuna dohyō-iri (the yokozuna ring-entering ceremony). His style was said to have been beautiful and when Futabayama was promoted to yokozuna he emulated this style. This style is very popular now in yokozuna ceremonies.

In 1938, Tamanishiki died while an active sumo wrestler, following a delayed appendectomy.

Career Record

• In 1927 Tokyo and Osaka sumo merged and four tournaments a year in Tokyo and other locations began to be held.

1919 (Maezumo) (Maezumo) 1920 (Maezumo) West JonokuchiTemplate:Ifnumber
4–1
  1921 West JonidanTemplate:Ifnumber
3–2
  West SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber
2–3
  1922 West JonidanTemplate:Ifnumber
2–3
  West SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber
3–1
1h
  1923 East SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber
7–3
  West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
3–3
  1924 East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
4–1
  West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
4–2
  1925 East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber
5–1
  East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber
5–2
  1926 West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–3
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
5–6
  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

1927 West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
6–5
  West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
6–4–1
  West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
6–4–1
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
6–4
1d
  1928 East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
8–3
  West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
6–4
1d
  West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
6–5
  1929 East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
10–1
  East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
7–4
  1930 East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  East SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
8–3
  West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  1931 East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
10–1
  West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
8–3
  West ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  1932 East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
7–1
  East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
8–2
  East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
10–1
  East ŌzekiTemplate:Ifnumber
7–4
  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

1933 East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
9–1
1d
  East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
10–1
  Not held 1934 Sat out due to injury East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
9–2
  Not held 1935 East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
10–1
  East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
10–1
  Not held 1936 East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
11–0
  East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
10–1
  Not held 1937 East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
6–1–4
  East YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
9–4
  Not held 1938 West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
10–3
  West YokozunaTemplate:Ifnumber
10–3
  Template:Ifnumber
Retired
– Template:Sumo record box end 1890-1929

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of yokozuna

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