Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro

Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 琴奨菊 和弘 (born January 30, 1984) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Yanagawa, Fukuoka. He made his debut in January 2002 and wrestled for Sadogatake stable. He reached the makuuchi division in January 2005 and has 7 special prizes, 3 kinboshi and 1 top division championship. His highest rank was ozeki and he retired in November 2020.

## **Early Life**

    Kikutsugi was one of three brothers born to a builder. As a young boy he attended an area sumo exhibition and had his picture taken sitting on the lap of future yokozuna Takanohana. This encouraged him to try out sumo. He began practicing sumo in his third year of elementary school. He practiced for two hours a day on a custom ring made by his grandfather. Furthermore, he would drink one liter of milk and eat a lot of niboshi (dried infant sardines).

He later transferred to Meitoku Gijuku Junior High School which is well known for its strong sumo program. In 1998, his third year of junior high, he won a national sumo tournament and was named junior high school yokozuna. He continued sumo at Meitoku's high school. In his club were two Mongolians exchange students, the future sekitori Asasekiryu and future yokozuna Asashoryu. Having become known to the owner of Sadogatake for his sumo skills, he joined that stable after graduating from high school.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He fought his first professional bout in January 2002 under the shikona of Kotokikutsugi. He earned a 6-1 record in jonokuchi and was promoted to jonidan for the following tournament. Kotokikutsugi won all seven matches in his jonidan debut, but later lost to the playoff to future sekiwake Toyonoshima. In sandanme, Kotokikutsugi continued his strong run with a 5-2 and a 6-1 record.

Upon his makushita debut, Kotokikutsugi started off with a strong 6-1 record, but started to struggle in the mid-upper makushita level. He changed his shikona to Kotoshogiku in January 2004 and after the shikona change, Kotoshogiku produced three consecutive kachi-koshi, or winning records, to secure promotion to the juryo promotion for the July 2004 tournament.

### **Juryo Career**

Kotoshogiku achieved a double-digit 10-5 record in his juryo debut and was promoted to juryo 5 for the September 2004 tournament. He produced a 9-6 record and was promoted to juryo 3 for the November 2004 tournament. He scored another 10-5 record and secured promotion to the top makuuchi division for the January 2005 tournament.

### **Makuuchi Career**

In Kotoshogiku's makuuchi debut he scored a lackluster 5-10 record and was regulated back down to the juryo division. In his one tournament back in juryo, Kotoshogiku took the juryo yusho with a 13-2 record and was promoted back up to makuuchi.

He steadily climbed the top division ranks, reaching maegashira 1 in July 2006, but a disastrous 3–12 result sent him back to maegashira 7. However, two 10–5 results in the following two tournaments saw him rise back up to maegashira 1 and earned him his first Technique prize. He produced a strong 9–6 score in the 2007 New Year tournament.

In March 2007 he made his san'yaku debut at sekiwake rank, the first newcomer to the rank for nine tournaments. He made a poor start to the tournament, losing eight of his first nine bouts, but he showed great strength of character in winning the last six in a row to finish with a 7–8 record and remain in san'yaku, albeit at the lower rank of komusubi. Further losing scores in the next two tournaments caused him to slip to maegashira 3 by September 2007. However, a 10–5 mark in that tournament returned him to the titled ranks for November, again at komusubi. In that tournament he defeated yokozuna Hakuho on the opening day and picked up his second Technique prize.

In January 2008 he was amongst the tournament leaders until he injured his right knee on the eighth day in a loss to Hakuho and had to withdraw. This was the first time in his career that he had missed any tournament bouts. It was initially reported that he would need ten days of rest, but his stablemaster (the former Kotonowaka) indicated that Kotoshogiku was keen to return to action as soon as possible. He re-entered the tournament from the 12th day, winning three of his four bouts to finish with nine wins. After this tournament he was named as one of seven wrestlers who NHK commentator Shuhei Nagao (the former Mainoumi) called the "Seven Samurai" and identified as "holding the key" to a Japanese resurgence in sumo, which was dominated by foreigners in the top ranks. (The others were Goeido, Kisenosato, Homasho, Toyohibiki, Toyonoshima and Tochiozan).

Kotoshogiku was promoted back to sekiwake for the March 2008 tournament, where he defeated the eventual tournament winner Asashoryu on the 12th day (his second career win over a yokozuna) to earn the Outstanding Performance award. He maintained his sekiwake rank for three tournaments but returned to the maegashira ranks after scoring only 6–9 in July 2008. In July 2009 he returned to the san'yaku ranks for the first time in six tournaments, at komusubi, and came through with a winning record. He made sekiwake again in September, but fell short with a 6–9 record. He returned to komusubi for the January 2010 tournament, following a strong 10–5 performance at the rank of maegashira 2 the previous November. However, he had only one win over a san'yaku wrestler in this tournament (ozeki Kaio) and could score only a make-koshi 6–9. In July 2010 he returned to the sekiwake rank after scoring 9–6 at komusubi in May. Despite admitting some involvement with gambling in the wake of the scandal surrounding his stablemate Kotomitsuki, it was not deemed serious enough to warrant a suspension. He scored only 5–10 in this tournament.

Returning to sekiwake once again in January 2011, he produced double digit wins for the first time in the san'yaku ranks, scoring 11–4 and winning his third Technique Prize. Sumo Association official Takanohana indicated that Kotoshogiku would be considered for ozeki promotion if he won or came close to winning the following tournament in March.However, that tournament was cancelled due to a match-fixing scandal, and in the following May 2011 'technical examination' tournament he finished out of contention on 10–5. Needing to win at least twelve bouts in July to be considered for ozeki promotion, Kotoshogiku seemed on course by Day 11 when he defeated Hakuho for just the second time to move to 9–2. However, he then lost two in a row to rank-and-filers Okinoumi and Wakanosato, dashing any hopes of immediate promotion. He finished the tournament on 11–4 and was awarded his second Outstanding Performance prize.

### **Ozeki Career**

In the September 2011 tournament Kotoshogiku put in another strong performance, faltering only against fellow sekiwake Kakuryu and maegashira Tochiozan before beating Hakuho for the second time in a row on Day 13. This put both men at 10–2 and left open the possibility of a playoff for the yusho on the final day. In the event however, Kotoshogiku lost his last bout to ozeki Baruto while Hakuho won to clinch his twentieth championship. Nevertheless, Kotoshogiku at 12–3 had achieved the necessary number of 33 wins over the last three tournaments to earn ozeki promotion. Takanohana commented "Beating the yokozuna was a big factor. It was close to a unanimous decision by the judging committee to promote him." Kotoshogiku became the first Japanese wrestler to be promoted to ozeki since his former stablemate Kotomitsuki in 2007. He was also awarded special prizes for Outstanding Performance (his third) and Technique (his fourth).

In his debut ozeki tournament he won his first nine matches, although he lost to two fellow ozeki and yokozuna Hakuho and finished at 11–4. He did not win more than ten bouts in a basho over the next year, and had to withdraw from the September 2012 tournament after suffering a knee injury. He was injured again and withdrew early in the November 2013 tournament; after returning he had two mediocre performances followed by a very poor 5–10 in May 2014 and was kadoban, at risk of losing his ozeki status. In the July 2014 tournament, he responded with his best performance as an ozeki, and was tied for the lead going into the final day before losing to Goeido and finishing 12–3. This was his first runner-up performance as an ozeki and the third overall in his career. After a mediocre 9–6 in September, he once again fell kadoban after a poor 6–9 performance in the November tournament. However, he comfortably held his rank in the opening tournament of 2015. Another 6–9 in May 2015 saw him kadoban yet again. In July his record was 5–7 after twelve days but he preserved his rank with three consecutive wins including a last day victory over Terunofuji. September 2015 saw a return to form as he recorded an 11–4 result to tie for third place. In November he started strongly, winning seven of his first eight matches, but then began to struggle and withdrew injured on day 14 to end with an 8–6–1 record.

The January 2016 tournament marked the ten years since Tochiazuma became the last Japanese-born wrestler to win the top-division title. Kotoshogiku began with ten straight victories (including wins over Kisenosato and Kakuryu) before attempting to take sole possession of the lead against the similarly undefeated Hakuho on day 11. Kotoshogiku had won only four of their previous fifty meetings but started aggressively, forced the yokozuna to the edge and won by oshidashi: Hakuho said of the winner; "He is better than he’s ever been. I thought I had room to work with, but I was on the straw before I knew it". Kotoshogiku maintained his lead with a win over Harumafuji and said after the contest "I did what I had to do and gave everything I had. I’m getting calmer every passing day. I’ve come through tough times so I’d like to have the mindset to enjoy this. I just have to win a battle with myself". On day 13 his winning run ended as he sustained an upset loss to the maegashira Toyonoshima, a long-time friend. A win against Tochiozan meant that he entered the final day one win in front of Hakuho and Toyonoshima, and needing a win over Goeido to claim the championship. He defeated his opponent by tsukiotoshi to win the tournament with a 14–1 record. His parents, who were in attendance, reportedly burst into tears whilst fans in his hometown of Yanagawa celebrated after watching his victory on a big screen. Interviewed after the match he said "I’m so happy, I can’t even put it into words. But I’m also thrilled because I’m standing here now thanks to a great number of people who supported me when I struggled and didn’t get the results I wanted". At a press conference on 16 February, he reflected on the ten-year wait for a Japanese winner and remarked that his fellow Japanese wrestlers may lack the will to win that Mongolian wrestlers have shown. "All the Japanese wrestlers want to win championships... but sumo is about winning. Maybe we Japanese are too set in our ways, maybe we lack the greed to win at all costs... We can learn from them."

The head of the Japan Sumo Association's Judging Department, Isegahama-oyakata, indicated that if he achieved a "high quality championship" in the March Grand Sumo Tournament, he would be recommended for promotion to yokozuna rank. This would have made Kotoshogiku the first Japanese yokozuna to be promoted since Wakanohana Masaru in 1998. In March he began very strongly to win seven of his first eight matches. His hopes of promotion however, disappeared in the second week as he suffered a series of defeats and ended with an 8–7 record. He withdrew from the July 2016 tournament in Nagoya after suffering five losses in the first six days, citing knee and foot injuries. He escaped demotion with a 9–6 record in September. In November 2016 Kotoshogiku didn't have the best tournament managing only five wins which will put him on kadoban status for the January 2017 tournament, this is his seventh time being kadoban in his career. Kotoshogiku didn't perform well in the January 2017 tournament and was only able to get a 5–10 record, but was able to give Kisenosato, who ended up winning the tournament, his only defeat. Since Kotoshogiku was kadoban and failed to get the necessary 8 wins he was demoted to sekiwake after 32 tournaments at ozeki.

### **Later Career**

In March 2017, Kotoshogiku was unable to obtain the ten wins required to return immediately to ozeki status, falling one win short at 9–6. His sixth defeat was controversial – up against Terunofuji on Day 14, with Terunofuji among the leaders, Kotoshogiku needed to win his last two matches for a return to ozeki. At the tachiai, Terunofuji sidestepped the onrushing Kotoshogiku and won by hatakikomi, ending the popular Kotoshogiku's quest for a return to ozeki with the palatable disapproval of the Osaka crowd. In May he lost seven of his first eight bouts and despite mounting a spirited comeback in the second week he ended with a 7–8 record and was relegated to komusubi. Another 7–8 result followed in July resulting in him dropping to the maegashira ranks. On the third day of the September 2017 tournament he defeated Harumafuji, earning his first career kinboshi for an upset of a yokozuna while ranked as a maegashira. Kotoshogiku is the fourth wrestler to get his first kinboshi as a former ozeki, following Miyabiyama, Takanonami and Noshirogata. He returned to the san'yaku ranks at komusubi for the November 2017 tournament. In January 2018 he defeated Kisenosato to earn his second kinboshi. This was his 66th and final makuuchi bout against Kisenosato, the highest number of contests between two wrestlers in sumo history. He had defeated Kisenosato 34 times, with 29 losses (not including two wins by default and one loss by default). He was forced to withdraw from the July 2018 tournament after suffering a tendon injury in his left elbow during a defeat to Tamawashi on Day 10 in which he was thrown from the dohyo with a kotenage armlock throw. In March 2019 he was in contention for the Fighting Spirit prize but was defeated on the final day; however he still finished with a strong 11–4 record. He defeated Hakuho on Day 14 of the July 2019 tournament, to earn his third kinboshi, a record for an ex-ozeki. He was nominated for a fourth Outstanding Performance Prize as a result, but was defeated on the final day of the tournament and so missed out on the award.

By 2020 Kotoshogiku had fallen towards the bottom of the makuuchi division, although he said he had not lost his motivation to keep fighting. During the January 2020 tournament he tied with Takanohana on 701 top division wins, ninth place on the all-time list, and said he felt honoured to find his name next to him. He surpassed Takanohana and Musashimaru in the following tournament, and Harumafuji and Kisenosato in July, to rise to sixth place on the all-time list, finishing his makuuchi career with 718 wins. His 92 top division tournaments is the seventh highest in history. He became the oldest active sekitori in March 2020, following the retirements of Toyonoshima and Sokokurai.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

Kotoshogiku withdrew from the September 2020 tournament after a torn muscle in his lower left leg, but returned from Day 7. He was only able to win one more match and finished with a 2–10–3 record. Kotoshogiku reportedly told the mayor of Yanagawa that he would continue to wrestle, even after being demoted to juryo. After losing four of his first five matches, he withdrew from the November tournament and retired from competition on Day 6. As the owner of the Hidenoyama toshiyori kabu or elder stock, he assumed the Hidenoyama (秀ノ山) name and became a coach at Sadogatake stable.

Kotoshogiku's retirement ceremony was held on October 1, 2022, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan.

In May 2023, Kotoshogiku announced that he was planning to open his own stable in 2024.

## **Personal Life**

* Kotoshogiku announced his engagement in February 2015, revealing that he had proposed the previous October. He credited his fiancée with helping him through his injury in the Kyushu 2013 tournament. Kotoshogiku had previously announced an engagement in November 2012, but that was broken off three months later. After marrying in the summer of 2015, the wedding reception was held on 30 January 2016, Kotoshogiku's 32nd birthday, and just a week after his first tournament championship. 630 guests, including former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, attended. The couple's first child was born in May 2017.
* Kotoshogiku is left-handed and throws salt with his left hand.
* Kotoshogiku is known for making his mawashi very tight, that way yotsu-zumo wrestlers would have a tough time grabbing his belt. Even wrestlers like Harumafuji who have immensely strong grip strength struggled to keep a steady grip on Kotoshogiku's mawashi.
* He is also notable for the exaggerated back stretch he performs just before the tachiai, dubbed the "Koto Bauer" after the Ina Bauer figure skating move, which often generates a reaction from the audience in attendance.
* A local metalworking company based in Kotoshogiku's hometown of Yanagawa, Fukuoka, Kaida Metallics (甲斐田メタリックス), sponsored Kotoshogiku with a kesho-mawashi. The design involved a treasure ship.
* Kotoshogiku's favorite foods are rice, shabu-shabu (Japanese hotpot), and pudding. His hobby is fishing.
* Kotoshogiku started a personal blog in 2008 which he called "Kotoshogiku's Monogatari" (琴奨菊物語). The blog was widely popular and well received. It last updated on August 2009 and an article published on December 7th, 2009, declared that the blog was going to end.
* Kotoshogiku is highly popular in his hometown of Yanagawa in Fukuoka Prefecture. Every time he wins a match against a high ranker, two fireworks are set off by fans.
* Kotoshogiku is a big fan of baseball and supports the team Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He is close friends with Hawk's second baseman, Yuichi Honda.

## **Fighting Style**

Kotoshogiku is a yotsu-sumo specialist, preferring techniques which involve grabbing the opponent's mawashi or belt. He favours a right hand outside, left hand inside grip (hidari-yotsu). His most common winning technique is a straightforward yori-kiri or force out, which he has used in sixty percent of his career victories. His trademark is gaburi-yori, which involves using his torso to bump his opponent out, aided by his low centre of gravity and momentum. The next most often used technique is oshi-dashi or push out. His style is simple, aggressive and direct but can be somewhat predictable, and he is not noted as a technician. He is also notable for the exaggerated back stretch he performs just before the tachiai, dubbed the "Koto Bauer" after the Ina Bauer figure skating move, which often generates a reaction from the audience in attendance.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 828-676-48/1496 (112 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 718-621-41/1332 (92 basho)
* **Juryo:** 43-24-7/66 (5 basho)
* **Makushita:** 43-27/70 (10 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 11-3/14 (2 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 7-0/7 (1 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Makuuchi** Championships (January 2016)
* 1 **Juryo** Championships (March 2005)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Technique Prize (4), Outstanding Performance Prize (3)
* **Kinboshi:** 3: (1) Hakuho, (1) Kisenosato, (1) Harumafuji

* **Record:** **6th** Most Top Division Wins (718)
* **Record:** **6th** Most Top division Bouts (1322)
* **Record:** **7th** Most Tournaments Ranked in the Top Division (92)

## **Shikona History**

* Kotokikutsugi Kazuhiro (2002.01 - 2003.11)
* Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro (2004.01 - 2020.11)

## **Gallery**

### **JSA Profile Pictures and Tegata**

Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2019 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2018 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2017 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2016 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2015 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2014 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2013 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2011 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2006 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2004 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro - 2004 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoshogiku's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kotoshogiku gets recruited into Sadogatake stable (c. 2002)Kotoshogiku in maezumo (c. 2002)Kotoshogiku's early career in the unsalaried ranks (c. 2003)Kotoshogiku after promotion to Juryo (c. 2004)Kotoshogiku celebrates promotion to Juryo (c. 2004)Kotoshogiku during the Juryo dohyo-iri (c. 2004)Kotoshogiku after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 2005)Kotoshogiku wins his first Juryo Yusho (c. 2005)Kotoshogiku with his first of many sansho prizes (c. 2006)Kotoshogiku after promotion to Sekiwake (c. 2007)Kotoshogiku defeats Yokozuna Hakuho (c. 2007)Kotoshogiku defeats Yokozuna Asashoryu (c. 2008)Kotoshogiku defeats future Yokozuna Harumafuji (c. 2009)Kotoshogiku defeats Ozeki Kaio (c. 2010)Kotoshogiku signature backbend (c. 2011)Kotoshogiku ensures promotion to Ozeki (c. 2011)Kotoshogiku gets promoted to Ozeki (c. 2011)Kotoshogiku celebrates promotion to Ozeki (c. 2011)Kotoshogiku defeats Aran (c. 2011)Kotoshogiku defeats Yokozuna Hakuho (c. 2012)Kotoshogiku throws and defeats Goeido (c. 2013)Kotoshogiku defeats Yokozuna Harumafuji (c. 2014)Kotoshogiku defeats Osunaarashi (c. 2015)Kotoshogiku defeats Goeido to win his first Yusho (c. 2016)Kotoshogiku wins his first Yusho (c. 2016)Kotoshogiku's first Yusho parade (c. 2016)Kotoshogiku celebrates his first Yusho (c. 2016)Kotoshogiku presented with his Yusho portrait (c. 2016)Kotoshogiku loses his rank of Ozeki (c. 2017)Kotoshogiku defeats Yokozuna Harumafuji (c. 2017)Kotoshogiku defeats Yokozuna Kisenosato (c. 2018)Kotoshogiku defeats Yokozuna Hakuho (c. 2019)Kotoshogiku prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2020)Kotoshogiku's final win against Shohozan in Juryo (c. 2020)Kotoshogiku's final backbend (c. 2020)Kotoshogiku loses his final match to Chiyonoo (c. 2020)Kotoshogiku announces his retirement (c. 2020)Kotoshogiku's retirement ceremony (c. 2022)

## **Sources**

* Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kotoshogiku Kazuhiro Rikishi Information