Kitazakura Hidetoshi

Kitazakura Hidetoshi - 北桜 英敏 (born December 15, 1971) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Asakita-ku, Hiroshima. He made his debut in March 1987 and wrestled for Kitanoumi stable. He reached the makuuchi division in July 2001. His highest rank was maegashira 9 and he retired in March 2010.

## **Early Life**

Hidetoshi Muko's father was a sumo wrestler in the 1960s who wrestled under the shikona "Toyozakura" (豊櫻), but he never climbed higher than sandanme. After retirement his parents operated a Chankonabe restaurant in Asakita Ward, Hiroshima City. He joined Kitanoumi stable in March 1987 after graduating junior high school. His younger brother Toshiaki joined Tastuagawa stable two years later and wrestled under the shikona Toyozakura.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Initially wrestling using his real name, Kitazakura first adopted his shikona in November 1987. It took a long time to get to the salaried sekitori ranks and he spent seven years from 1991 to 1998 in the third highest makushita division. He got as high as makushita 5 in September 1995 and a good performance might have got him promotion to the second juryo division but he fell short with a 2-5 record. Reverting to his own surname failed to change his fortunes and he fell right to the bottom of the makushita division. However, after changing back to the name Kitazakura he took the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record in September 1997 and three more winning records finally earned him promotion to juryo in July 1998, after a total of eleven years in the lower divisions.

### **Juryo Career**

Kitazakura sat out of his first juryo tournament, but did not lose his rank (a system that is currently abolished). His real debut tournament was in September 1998 where his younger brother Toyozakura was also making his debut. This made it the first time that two brothers were simultaneously wrestling their first tournaments as sekitori. He produced a solid 9-6 record in his first tournament, but could not establish himself in the division and fell down to makushita on four separate occasions. In May 2001, Kitazakura was ranked at the top of juryo and won thirteen out of fifteen matches to claim the juryo yusho. This also guaranteed him promotion to makuuchi.

### **Makuuchi Career**

The 86 tournaments it took him to get there was the fourth slowest ever at the time (now the eighth slowest as of 2016). He never managed to become a makuuchi regular, spending 48 of his 60 sekitori tournaments in juryo, but he was very popular with the tournament crowds, due to his adoption of Mitoizumi's trademark salt throwing routine in the pre-bout rituals. He was also renowned for his sheer eagerness to fight, forever imploring his opponent to start battle before the allotted time was up

### **Later Career**

After a 5-10 result at juryo 11 in January 2009 he was demoted to the unsalaried makushita division for the first time since 2003. Kitazakura did not retire as some expected and compiled a 4-3 record at Ms2w in March 2009, including one win against a juryo sekitori (J13e Wakatenro). This however was not quite enough to send him back to sekitori status for the Natsu Basho, the three available places going to Sagatsukasa, Jumonji and Tamaasuka. He produced another 4-3 score in May and this time he was promoted back to juryo. He is the second oldest wrestler in the modern era after Oshio to earn promotion back to the juryo division. However, he could score only 3-12 in the July 2009 tournament and returned to makushita.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

Kitazakura announced his retirement from active competition in March 2010, bringing an end to a 23-year career. His announcement came on the same day that Sendagawa Oyakata (the former ozeki Maenoyama) reached the mandatory retirement age of 65. This allowed Onogawa Oyakata (the former maegashira Yotsukasa) to switch to the Sendagawa kabu, leaving the Onogawa name free for Kitazakura. He remained at his old stable as a coach, until December 2012 when he took over the Shikihide stable in anticipation of Shikihide Oyakata, former komusubi Oshio reaching the mandatory retirement age. The stable is unusual in that it accepts recruits who do not show much promise and may not have the physical attributes normally considered essential to success in sumo. His best known wrestler, Shonanzakura of the lowest jonokuchi division, retired in 2021 with a career record of only three wins in 238 matches.

## **Personal Life**

* Kitazakura is married, with one daughter. He was ill for much of 2020, and his wife in her role as okamisan took an increasing role in running and even training at Shikihide stable. Half the stable's wrestlers ran away in early August 2020, complaining about her strict behaviour and invasions of their privacy. They were persuaded to return, and with the Sumo Association's compliance committee continuing to investigate and interview the wrestlers involved, Shikihide Oyakata has promised to instruct the wrestlers better in the future.
* He is known for his beadwork and his art has been displayed at the Ryogoku Kokugikan.

## **Fighting Style**

Kitazakura was a yotsu-sumo wrestler, his favourite grip on his opponent's mawashi while grappling being migi-yotsu, or left hand outside, right hand inside his opponent's arms. His most common winning kimarite by far was a straightforward yorikiri or force out, which determined the outcome of over half his victories at sekitori level.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 713-711-15/1424 (138 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 70-110/180 (12 basho)
* **Juryo:** 350-355-15/705 (48 basho)
* **Makushita:** 190-167/357 (51 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 50-41/91 (13 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 49-35/84 (12 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 4-3/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Juryo** Championship (May 2001)
* 1 **Makushita** Championship (November 1997)

### **Achievements**

* **Record:** **8th** Slowest progress to top division (86 tournaments)

## **Shikona History**

* Muko Hidetoshi (1987.03 - 1987.09)
* Kitazakura Hidetoshi (1987.11 - 1996.05)
* Muko Hidetoshi (1996.07 - 1997.07)
* Kitazakura Hidetoshi (1997.09 - 2010.03)

## **Gallery**

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

Kitazakura Hidetoshi - 2001 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kitazakura's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kitazakura's early career in the unsalaried ranksKitazakura in Juryo (c. 1999)Kitazakura earns promotion to makuuchi after getting the juryo yusho (c. 2001)Kitazakura after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 2001)Kitazakura during the dohyo-iriKitazakura and his brother Toyozakura (c. 2006)Kitazakura's unique pre match ritual (c. 2008)Kitazakura falls to the unsalaried ranks (c. 2009)Kitazakura defeats Gagamaru to earn re-promotion to Juryo (c. 2009)Kitazakura becomes the second oldest rikishi to be promoted to Juryo at 37 (c. 2009)Kitazakura announces his retirement (c. 2010)Kitazakura's retirement ceremony (c. 2010)Kitazakura after retirement as Shikihide Oyakata
## **Sources**

* Kitazakura Hidetoshi Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kitazakura Hidetoshi Rikishi Information