Tsurugamine Akio

Tsurugamine Akio (26 April 1929 – 29 May 2006), real name Akio Fukuzono, was a sumo wrestler from Aira, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was twice runner-up in a tournament and won 14 special prizes, including a record ten for Technique, and earned ten gold stars for defeating yokozuna. After his retirement he was the head of Izutsu stable and coached two of his sons, Sakahoko and Terao, to the top division.

Career

Fukuzono was in the navy during World War II, but had an interest in joining sumo. He began his professional career in June 1947, recruited by a fellow Kagoshima Prefecture native, former maegashira Tsurugamine Michiyoshi, who had just retired and become Izutsu Oyakata. He began under his own surname of Fukuzono but in his first official tournament on the banzuke he switched to Kakureizan. He won the jonokuchi yūshō or championship in this tournament. In November 1947 he followed Izutsu Oyakata in leaving Tokitsukaze stable to a newly re-established Izutsu stable. After winning the jūryō championship in September 1952 and following up with a 9–6 record in January 1953, he was promoted to the top makuuchi division. To mark the occasion he adopted his stablemaster's old shikona of Tsurugamine.

He had an exceptionally long top division career, which lasted fourteen years from March 1953 to his retirement in July 1967 at the age of thirty eight. He fought in the top division for 77 tournaments and won 550 bouts there. Both were records at the time, although his makuuchi wins record was surpassed by Taiho (who had fought all of his bouts in the six tournaments per year system) in the following September 1967 tournament and his makuuchi tournaments record was surpassed by Takamiyama in November 1980. His best result was in January 1956 when he lost only one bout and took part in a playoff for the tournament championship with yokozuna Kagamisato. He was also runner-up in the July 1962 tournament. He earned ten kinboshi (gold stars) for defeating yokozuna, four over Tochinishiki, three over Wakanohana and three over Asashio. His highest rank was sekiwake, which he held twice in May 1956 and September 1962.

Retirement from sumo

Following his retirement from active competition Tsurugamine became an elder of the Sumo Association under the toshiyori name of Kimigahama, and set up his own Kimigahama stable. However, he really coveted the stock of his old Izutsu stable, but was unable to come to agreement with the widow of his old boss, who had died in March 1972. In 1977 he was able to purchase the stock from former yokozuna Kitanofuji and became head coach of the renamed Izutsu stable. He was well-known for insisting on intense training or keiko. His wife was the adopted daughter of the adopted daughter of the 25th yokozuna Nishinoumi II, who had founded Izutsu stable in 1909, and all three of his sons joined the stable as new recruits. Two of them, Sakahoko and Terao, emulated their father by having successful top division careers. He also oversaw the promotion of Kirishima to ōzeki in 1990. In 1994 he reached the mandatory retirement age and passed on ownership of the stable to his middle son Sakahoko. Terao founded his own Shikoroyama stable in 2004. His oldest son, who used three different shikona in his career (Fukuzono, Template:Interlanguage link multi and Tsurunofuji) never got beyond the juryo division and did not qualify to become an elder. Instead he ran a chankonabe restaurant after his retirement in 1990.

Death

Tsurugamine died of sepsis in May 2006 at the age of seventy seven.

Fighting style

Tsurugamine was a light but extremely skilful wrestler. His ten sanshō (special prizes) for Technique remain a record to this day. He specialized in morozashi, or getting a mawashi grip with both hands inside his opponent's. (This technique was also a favourite of his son Sakahoko.) His most common winning kimarite were yori-kiri (force out), yori-taoshi (force out and down) and soto-gake (outer leg trip).

Career record

The New Year tournament began and the Spring tournament returned to Osaka in 1953. Template:Sumo record box start 1933-1952

1947 x ShinjoTemplate:Ifnumber
3–2
  West JonokuchiTemplate:Ifnumber
5–1
Champion
  1948 Not held East JonidanTemplate:Ifnumber
4–2
  West SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber
4–2
  1949 West SandanmeTemplate:Ifnumber
7–5
  West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
9–6
  West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  1950 East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  1951 West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
6–9
  West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
11–4
  West MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
9–6
  1952 East MakushitaTemplate:Ifnumber
11–4
  East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber
11–4
Champion
  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 West JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber
9–6
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
3–12
  West JūryōTemplate:Ifnumber
10–5
  1954 East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
8–7
  1955 West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
9–6
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
10–5
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
6–9
  East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
5–10
★ 1956 East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber
14–1–P
T East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
9–6
T West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber
7–8
  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 KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6 ★	East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10	Not held	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–9	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6
1958	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 3–12	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6 O★★	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 1–6–8	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10
1959	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6 T	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6 O★	East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 2–13
1960	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5 ★	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7 ★	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–9	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–9	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5
1961	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5 T★	East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 4–11	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8 ★	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7 ★	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10
1962	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 1–5–9	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 T	West SekiwakeTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 4–11
1963	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 10–5 T	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6 T	East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East KomusubiTemplate:Ifnumber 4–11	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10
1964	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 T	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–9	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 3–12	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 3–12
1965	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 3–12	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 9–6	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 7–8	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 T
1966	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 TF	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 2–8–5	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 11–4 F
1967	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 5–10	West MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 6–9	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber 8–7	East MaegashiraTemplate:Ifnumber Retired 2–13	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

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