Kagamisato Kiyoji

Kagamisato Kiyoji - 鏡里 喜代治 (born April 30, 1923 - February 29, 2004) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sannohe, Aomori. He made his debut in January 1941 and last wrestled for Tokitsukaze stable. He reached the makuuchi division in June 1947 and has two special prizes, two kinboshi and four top division championships. He was the 42nd yokozuna and he retired in January 1958.

## **Early Life**

He was born Okuyama Kiyoji (奥山 喜世治) in a small fishing village in Sannohe District, Aomori. He came from a poor family as his father had died when he was very young, and he had to support his mother when his older siblings left the house. He was already large as a teenager and soon spotted by a wrestler named Kagamiiwa and invited to join sumo. More interested in basketball, and with his mother also reluctant, the young Okuyama initially refused, but after his family was provided with financial assistance he eventually travelled to Tokyo to repay Kagamiiwa's kindness. In the summer of 1940, he joined the now retired Kagamiiwa's Kumegawa stable.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He made his professional debut in January 1941 and was given the shikona or ring name of Kagamisato Kiyoji. When the yokozuna Futabayama established his own stable, Kagamisato followed his stablemaster there, and it was later renamed Tokitsukaze stable. In January 1942, he won the jonidan yusho with a perfect 8-0 record and the sandanme yusho a year later with another perfect 8-0 record. Upon reaching the top of makushita, he was drafted by the Imperial Japanese Army for military service in September 1944. He was a member of the 69th division, and was based in Hirosaki before returning to sumo in June 1945. Upon returning to sumo, he posted a 3-2 record at the rank of makushita 1 and was promoted to juryo one tournament later in November 1945.

### **Juryo Career**

In his first tournament as a sekitori, Kagamisato finished with a strong 7-3 record. He followed with an 8-5 record in November 1946 and was promoted to makuuchi in June 1947 after only two tournaments in juryo.

### **Makuuchi Career**

In his first two years in the top division, Kagamisato produced consistent, but unspectacular results. His breakout tournament came in October 1949 he defeated two yokozuna, to earn his first and second kinboshi, and produced a fine 12–3 score, also becoming the first wrestler to win two special prizes in the same tournament. He was promoted from the maegashira ranks to sekiwake, third from the top, and was runner-up to Chiyonoyama with an 11-4 record. Three tournaments later, he was promoted to ozeki in May 1951, however, he had only accumulated 28 wins, short of the 30 win benchmark. Many sumo scholars regard this as a "lucky" promotion, but Kagamisato clearly lived up to his rank.

### **Ozeki Career**

Kagamisato posted a solid 10-5 record in his ozeki debut. He followed with a 12-3 runner-up performance. In September 1952 he finished runner-up to Tochinishiki with a 12-3 record. In the following January 1953 tournament, he won his first championship with an outstanding 14-1 record and was subsequently promoted to yokozuna for the following March 1953 tournament. In all of his ozeki tournaments, he only posted double-digit winning records.

### **Yokozuna Career**

There had been four yokozuna competing in that tournament, but all had performed badly, with Terukuni announcing his retirement. Keen to have a strong yokozuna, the Japan Sumo Association overrode the initial objections of the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee and promoted Kagamisato.

During his yokozuna career he won three more tournament titles, all with 14–1 scores, but also had some less impressive results, including multiple lackluster 8-7 records. A somewhat reserved figure, he was perhaps less popular with the public than some of his higher profile yokozuna rivals such as Tochinishiki and Wakanohana I. He also had a difficult relationship with the press.

In the January 1958 tournament, his rival Yoshibayama retired from being an active sumo wrestler. Kagamisato announced that if he failed to win at least ten bouts, he too would retire. He finished 9–6 and kept his word by announcing his retirement on the final day. He had had a chronic knee problem for many years and felt he had reached his physical limit. This was the first time that two yokozuna retired on the same tournament.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

After his retirement Kagamisato remained with the Sumo Association as an elder. He briefly became head of Tokitsukaze stable after the death of Futabayama but was forced out as Futabayama's widow wanted Yutakayama to take over. As a result, he switched to the Tatsutagawa elder name and opened up his own Tatsutagawa stable in 1971. He reached the mandatory retirement age in April 1988 and stood down, passing the stable over to former sekiwake Aonosato. He had not managed to produce any top division wrestlers in that time.

### **Death**

He remained a heavy man, weighing around 110 kg in his later years, but he still lived until the age of 80, making him the fourth longest lived yokozuna of all time (behind only Umegatani I Wakanohana I, and Tochinoumi).

## **Fighting Style**

Kagamisato was a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling to pushing and thrusting techniques. He favored a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) position when gripping his opponent's mawashi (belt). His most common kimarite was yorikiri, or force out. He was also fond of employing uwatenage, or overarm throw.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 415-189-33/602 (50 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 360-163-28/521 (38 basho)
* **Juryo:** 15-8/23 (2 basho)
* **Makushita:** 14-12-5/26 (5 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 13-3/16 (2 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 8-0/8 (1 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 5-3/8 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 4 **Makuuchi** Championships
	+ 1st (January 1953)
	+ 2nd (September 1955)
	+ 3rd (January 1956)
	+ 4th (September 1956)
* 1 **Sandanme** Championship (January 1943)
* 1 **Jonidan** Championship (January 1942)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Fighting Spirit Prize (1), Outstanding Performance Prize (1)
* **Kinboshi:** 2: (1) Azumafuji, (1) Maedayama

## **Gallery**

Kagamisato Kiyoji - (Retrieved from the Nihon Sumo Kyokai)Kagamisato's tegata
## **Sources**

* Kagamisato Kiyoji Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kagamisato Kiyoji Rikishi Information