Sadogatake stable
Hasegawa joined professional sumo in March 1960 at the age of 15, recruited by the former "sekiwake" Kotonishiki. Unusually, he fought under his own surname for his entire career (he is the only top division wrestler from Sadogatake stable not to have adopted a "shikona" or fighting name with the prefix "Koto"). He made the "jūryō" division in January 1963 and was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division two years later in January 1965.