Arase Nagahide

Arase Nagahide - 荒勢 永英 (born June 20, 1949 - August 11, 2008) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ino, Kochi. He made his debut in January 1972 and wrestled for Hanakago stable. He reached the makuuchi division in July 1973 and has 4 special prizes as well as 2 kinboshi. His highest rank was sekiwake and he retired in September 1981.

## **Early Life**

Arase was born in the town of Ino in Kochi Prefecture to farmers. He began sumo wrestling at Kochi Senior High School and continued his amateur career to the collegiate level at Nihon University. His best performance came when he finished third in the All Japan Sumo Championships during his third year. After graduating, he joined Hanakago stable where fellow Nihon University graduate Wajima was training at.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Due to his amateur accomplishments, Arase was granted makushita tsukedashi status which allowed him to start at the bottom of the makushita division. He made his professional debut in January 1972 where he produced five consecutive winning records and was promoted to juryo in November 1972.

### **Juryo Career**

Arase produced an 8-7 record in his first tournament as a sekitori. His rise was so quick, his hair was not even long enough to tie into a proper oichomage. He followed with more winning records and in May 1973, while ranked at juryo 2, he finished with a 10-5 record and was promoted to makuuchi in July 1973. At the time of his top division debut, he had not produced a single make-koshi, or losing record, and was on a nine tournament kachi-koshi streak.

### **Makuuchi Career**

He once wore a cream-coloured mawashi, or belt, in a tournament, the only wrestler so far to do so. He fought under his family name of Arase, although he changed the second part of it from Hideo to Nagahide in 1975. He was involved in an unusual incident when in a match against Tamanofuji the referee was knocked out of the dohyo having failed to get out of the wrestlers’ way, and had to be told who was the winner.

He fought in the top division for 48 tournaments, with a win/loss record of 351-367-2. He won four sansho or special prizes and two kinboshi or gold stars. He defeated yokozuna Kitanoumi in January 1980 having previously lost to him 27 times in a row (the second worst record ever for a wrestler against the same opponent, after Kaneshiro who lost 29 consecutive bouts to Kitanoumi). In a match against Wakamisugi on the 8th day of the July 1976 tournament there were eight matta or false starts, and both wrestlers were criticized by the chief judge. Arase had a reputation for regularly engaging in false starts, and there was a suggestion from the sansho committee when he was up for the Fighting Spirit Award in March 1975 that this should disqualify him from receiving the prize, although he was given it in the end. He held the third highest rank of sekiwake for nine tournaments in total, including four straight from September 1977 to March 1978. However he only once had a double-digit winning record at the rank and so never seriously challenged for ozeki promotion. Hampered by a right knee injury, he announced his retirement in September 1981.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

After his retirement he was briefly an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name of Magaki but left in February 1983, turning the name over to Wakanohana II. After leaving the sumo world, he became a television personality and appeared in many commercials.

He stood for election to the House of Councillors as a Liberal League candidate in 2001, but was unsuccessful, losing by 2,711 votes. He later suffered a stroke in 2006 and received medical treatment in Kochi prefecture.

### **Death**

Arase died on August 11, 2008, at the age of 59 due to heart failure.

## **Fighting Style**

Arase was a yotsu-sumo (grappling) wrestler who preferred the migi-yotsu (right hand inside, left hand outside) position on the mawashi. He employed the gaburi-yori technique of pushing with the stomach while grabbing the mawashi, a style also associated with Kotoshogiku.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 420-414-11/832 (59 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 351-367-2/717 (48 basho)
* **Juryo:** 42-39-9/80 (6 basho)
* **Makushita:** 27-8/35 (5 basho)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Fighting Spirit Prize (2), Outstanding Performance Prize (1), Technique Prize (1)
* **Kinboshi:** 2: (1) Kitanoumi, (1) Kotozakura

## **Shikona History**

* Arase Hideo (1972.01 - 1975.07)
* Arase Nagahide (1975.09 - 1981.09)

## **Gallery**

Arase gets measured upon joining professional sumo (c. 1972)Arase poses with his kesho-mawashi (c. 1976)Arase prepares for his upcoming match (c. 1977)Arase with stablemate Yokozuna WajimaArase prepares for his upcoming match (c. 1978)Arase's retirement ceremony (c. 1982)Arase after retirement as a politicianArase's tegata
## **Sources**

* Arase Nagahide Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Arase Nagahide Rikishi Information