Shirokuma Yuta

Shirokuma Yuta - 白熊 優太 (born May 25, 1999) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sukagawa, Fukushima. He made his debut in May 2022 and currently wrestles for Nishonoseki stable. He reached the juryo division in September 2023. His highest rank as of 2024 is juryo 6.

## **Early Life**

Takahashi was born on May 25, 1999, in Sukagawa, Fukushima. He began sumo at the age of 4 at the recommendation of his grandfather. He attended a local sumo dojo in Fukushima prefecture and at the age of 12 he left for Niigata prefecture to wrestle for more respectable programs. After graduating high school, he enrolled at Nippon Sport Science University's Department of Martial Arts and served as the captain of the school's sumo club during his fourth year. After graduating from university, he joined Nishonoseki stable and fulfilled his grandfather's wish of him going professional.

## **Career**

Takahashi made his professional debut as a member of Nishonoseki stable in May 2022 along with fellow Nittaidai teammate Kayo. He would take the jonokuchi championship in the July 2022 tournament after a playoff against Kazuto, who handed him his sole loss of the tournament. In September 2022 he won all seven of his matches in the second-lowest jonidan division, winning the yusho in a playoff against Chiyodaigo. In November he won his first six contests at the rank of sandanme, but missed out on the championship after losing his final match to Hitoshi.

Despite being unable to claim his third straight lower-division championship, Takahashi was promoted to the third-highest makushita division for the January 2023 tournament. In his next four tournaments he tallied a total of 22 wins against just four losses, progressing up to the rank of makushita 4 by July.

### **Juryo Career**

When the rankings for the September 2023 tournament were announced, it was confirmed that Takahashi's 5-win result in July was sufficient to promote him to juryo, professional sumo's second-highest division. This promotion was acquired at the same time as stablemate and Nittaidai classmate Onosato, marking the first promotion of two wrestlers from the same stable to the sekitori ranks in 11 years, as well as the first two from Nishonoseki stable to be raised by Kisenosato alone since he became stablemaster in 2019. At his press conference to mark the juryo promotion Takahashi said: "There has been difficult times for Fukushima, and now I want to give back to my hometown by rising up the banzuke." This was in reference to his home prefecture, as well as his home town of Sukagawa, which had been damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Takahashi also mentioned that Sukagawa is the birthplace of Eiji Tsuburaya, and thus has a connection to Ultraman. "I want to be like Ultraman, someone that even young children can look up to and admire," he said.

In his juryo debut Takahashi won 8 of his 15 matches, securing his kachi-koshi on Day 13 in a match against Ukrainian rikishi Shishi. In the following tournament in November he would again go 8–7, securing his winning record on Day 13 in a match against Yuma.

On 22 December 2023 Nishonoseki stable announced on their X account (formerly Twitter) that Takahashi's shikona, or ring name, would change to Shirokuma for the January 2024 tournament. "Shirokuma" is Japanese for polar bear, and the post indicated that the name was in reference to him being referenced as a muscular competitor with fair skin. The post also said that Takahashi was taught to wrestle like the late Hokutenyu, whose nickname was the "white bear of the north sea," which influenced his decision to adopt the new name.

## **Fighting Style**

Shirokuma has shown a preference for yotsu techniques which involve grasping his opponent's mawashi, or belt. His most common kimarite, or winning moves, are yorikiri force-out wins. His preferred grip is listed as migi-yotsu, or a right arm inside and left hand outside position.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 57-22/79 (10 basho)
* **Juryo:** 16-14/30 (2 basho)
* **Makushita:** 22-6/28 (4 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 7-0/7 (1 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Jonidan** Championship (September 2022)
* 1 **Jonokuchi** Championship (July 2022)

## **Shikona History**

* Takahashi Yuta (2022.05 - 2023.11)
* Shirokuma Yuta (2024.01 - )

## **Gallery**

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

Shirokuma Yuta - 2024 (Retrieved from the JSA)Takahashi Yuta - 2023 (Retrieved from the JSA)Takahashi Yuta - 2023 (Retrieved from the JSA)Takahashi Yuta - 2023 (Retrieved from the JSA)Takahashi's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Takahashi gets recruited into Nishonoseki stable (c. 2022)Takahashi gets measured upon joining sumo (c. 2022)Takahashi during his time in Maezumo (c. 2022)Takahashi wins the Jonokuchi Yusho (c. 2022)Takahashi wins the Jonidan Yusho (c. 2022)Takahashi ensures promotion to Juryo (c. 2023)Takahashi after promotion to Juryo (c. 2023)Takahashi celebrates promotion to Juryo (c. 2023)Takahashi presented with his kesho-mawashi (c. 2023)Takahashi during the Juryo dohyo-iri (c. 2023)Takahashi defeats Shimanoumi (c. 2023)Takahashi prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2023)
## **Sources**

* Shirokuma Yuta Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Shirokuma Yuta Rikishi Information