# Katayama Shinji

Katayama Shinji (born September 6, 1979) is a former sumo wrestler from Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan. His highest rank was maegashira 13.

## Career

Katayama practised amateur sumo at Senshu University, finishing third at the All Japan Sumo Championships. He made his professional debut in March 2002 at the age of 22, joining Onomatsu stable. He did not have enough amateur titles to enter at the makushita level, instead beginning his career at the lowest level of sumo entry, maezumo. Nevertheless, he moved through the divisions quickly, reaching sekitori status upon promotion to the second highest jūryō division in July 2004.
Katayama was promoted to the top makuuchi division in May 2005. He earned eight wins against seven losses in that tournament, but did not manage to achieve kachi-koshi in the top division again. He could manage only a 7-8 score at the rank of jūryō 13 in March 2008, leaving him dangerously close to demotion to the unsalaried ranks. He maintained his sekitori status with a 9-6 mark in May 2008, but a disastrous 2-13 in July meant he was demoted to makushita for the September tournament. He retired in January 2009.
Unlike most sumo wrestlers, Katayama never adopted a traditional shikona, instead using his own surname as his fighting name. Other recent sekitori to use their own names include Shimotori, Satoyama, Kakizoe and Ichihara.
He was admired for the quality of his stamps during the pre-bout rituals, known as shiko, as he was able to raise his leg straight up in the air.

## Fighting style

He was an oshi-sumo specialist who referred pushing and thrusting techniques. His most common winning kimarite was a straightforward oshidashi, or push out.

## Career record

Katayama Shinji :
| 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 |
| 2002 | x | (Maezumo) | East Jonokuchi #30 7–0 Champion | West Jonidan #26 6–1 | West Sandanme #63 5–2 | West Sandanme #33 4–3 |
| 2003 | East Sandanme #19 5–2 | East Makushita #58 6–1 | East Makushita #29 0–7 | West Sandanme #4 4–3 | East Makushita #54 6–1 | East Makushita #24 4–3 |
| 2004 | West Makushita #15 4–3 | West Makushita #12 5–2 | West Makushita #6 6–1 | West Jūryō #12 8–7 | West Jūryō #7 6–9 | East Jūryō #11 7–8 |
| 2005 | East Jūryō #12 10–5 | East Jūryō #5 10–5 | West Maegashira #16 8–7 | West Maegashira #13 4–11 | East Jūryō #2 8–7 | East Maegashira #16 7–8 |
| 2006 | West Maegashira #16 6–9 | East Jūryō #2 9–6 | East Maegashira #14 5–10 | West Jūryō #1 6–9 | West Jūryō #3 8–7 | West Maegashira #15 6–9 |
| 2007 | East Jūryō #2 6–9 | West Jūryō #6 7–8 | West Jūryō #7 5–10 | West Jūryō #12 7–8 | East Jūryō #13 8–7 | West Jūryō #11 9–6 |
| 2008 | East Jūryō #9 5–10 | East Jūryō #13 7–8 | West Jūryō #14 9–6 | East Jūryō #9 2–13 | West Makushita #5 4–3 | East Makushita #2 2–5 |
| 2009 | East Makushita #16 Retired 0–0–6 | 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 |||||||