Kotoeko Mitsunori

Kotoeko Mitsunori - 琴恵光 充憲 (born November 20, 1991) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nobeoka, Miyazaki. He made his debut in March 2007 and currently wrestles for Sadogatake stable. He reached the makuuchi division in July 2018. His highest rank as of 2023 is maegashira 4.

## **Early Life**

Born the grandson of former juryo rikishi Matsueyama he was introduced to sumo at an early age. He was also attracted to judo at a young age as well participating in it from primary school on up. He led his elementary school to the best eight in judo, and his junior high school team to the Miyazaki prefecture championship. Originally he intended on going to high school as a judo player and wanted to become a cook joining the family restaurant with his father and grandfather after graduation. However he was inspired instead to join professional sumo after observing a practice session held by Sadogatake stable at their Kyushu lodgings.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He would join Sadogatake stable in March 2007 at the age of 15. He weighed just 94 kg and was only 175 cm tall, and his stablemaster was concerned about whether he would be able to gain enough weight. He originally took the shikona Kotokashiwadani Mitsutaka (琴柏谷 充隆) by simply adding the stable's traditional prefix "Koto" to his family name.

Kotokashiwadani struggled in his first couple tournaments and even suffered a make-koshi, or losing record in his jonokuchi debut. It would take him over a year until he made his sandanme debut in July 2008. Kotokashiwadani struggled to put on weight which affected the outcome of his results. He produced mixed results for around three years in sandanme, before reaching the makushita division in September 2011. He would then take the shikona Kotoeko borrowing the second kanji 恵 from his grandfather's name.

Kotoeko would bounce back between makushita and sandanme for around a year before becoming a makushita mainstay in March 2013. After becoming a fixture in makushita, Kotoeko produced mainly kachi-koshi, or winning records. In September 2014, Kotoeko defeated former komusubi and juryo-ranked wrestler Wakakoyu to finish with a 5-2 record at the rank of makushita 3. This performance resulted in Kotoeko's promotion to juryo.

### **Juryo Career**

Kotoeko was the first sekitori from Miyazaki Prefecture in 32 years, the last being Kusatake who spent just one tournament in juryo in January 1982. He lasted only one tournament after producing a 5-10 record at the rank of Juryo 12.

He was demoted back to makushita for the following tournament and produced a 4-3 record and was promoted back to juryo for the March 2015 tournament. Kotoeko produced a 4-11 record and was demoted back down to makushita.

Kotoeko would remain in makushita for over a year and produce a variety of results. After producing three straight winning records, Kotoeko was promoted back to juryo for the July 2016 tournament. Kotoeko became a juryo mainstay and was promoted to juryo 2 for the November 2016 tournament. He would stay in juryo for around two years. After producing three straight winning records, Kotoeko earned promotion to the makuuchi division. He was the first wrestler from Miyazaki Prefecture to reach the top division in 44 years (Kaneshiro being the last in September 1974). His promotion meant Kotoeko had achieved a goal he had set of exceeding his grandfather's highest rank.

### **Makuuchi Career**

In his first tournament in the top division he would perform rather poorly, managing only a 3–12 record and being demoted back to the juryo division. Two winning tournaments in September and November 2018 saw him promoted back to the top division.Even after two 7–8 losing records in January and March 2019 he remained at the same rank of maegashira 15 West, and in May he finally got his first winning record in the top division with an 8–7 winning record. He reached the rank of maegashira 7 in September 2019 but faced demotion to juryo after only two wins against thirteen losses in the January 2020 tournament. With a good performance of 11-4 in the March tournament, he secured his return to makuuchi, where he posted a respectable 10 wins in July. He finished the 2020 season with records of 8-7 and 6-9 in September and November.

To begin 2021 he was ranked maegashira 11. That year he posted three losing records and three winning records. After going 9-6 in the May tournament, he was rewarded with the rank of maegashira 4, his highest yet. A 2-13 record in July meant he was demoted to back to maegashira 11. He went 3-12 in the last tournament of the year, leading to a rank of maegashira 17 to start 2022.

Kotoeko started 2022 with back-to-back kachi-koshi in the January and March tournaments. These performances saw him rise to the rank of maegashira 7 for the May tournament. However, a 6-9 record in May, followed a 5-6-4 (with absence due to a COVID-19 infection) record in July and 6-9 record in September saw him demoted to maegashira 12 ahead of the November tournament. He ended the last tournament of 2022 with a 7-8 record, losing to Nishikigi on the final day.

Kotoeko began his 2023 campaign with a ranking of maegashira 13 in the January banzuke. In the first tournament of the year he finished with a 7-8 record, this time losing to Tobizaru on the final day. Later in the year, during the November tournament, he withdrew from the competition after suffering a knee joint injury requiring approximately two weeks of treatment. Since many comments drew attention to the fact that he would a priori not rejoin the competition, it is expected that Kotoeko will lose his maegashira rank and be relegated to juryo for the first time since March 2020. His absence also marks the end of his continuous presence in tournaments, which ranked him seventh among the wrestlers with a streak of consecutive matches.

Kotoeko was forced to withdraw during the November 2023 tournament due to an injury to his left MCL. His withdrawal ended his streak of 1,043 consecutive matches since beginning his career in 2007, not including absences due to unavoidable circumstances such as COVID protocols.

## **Personal Life**

* Kotoeko's grandfather Matsueyama was a former juryo rikishi.
* Kotoeko is sponsored by the Hirata Higashi Kyushu Hospital (平田東九州病院), which is located in his hometown of Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture.

## **Fighting Style**

Kotoeko favours a migi-yotsu (right hand inside, left hand outside grip on his opponent's mawashi). His favourite winning kimarite is a straightforward oshidashi, or push out. He also regularly employs yorikiri, or force-out, and tsukiotoshi, or the thrust down.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 527-518-9/1043 (99 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 188-238-9/424 (29 basho)
* **Juryo:** 134-121/255 (17 basho)
* **Makushita:** 84-63/147 (21 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 87-74/161 (23 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 26-16/42 (6 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 8-6/14 (2 basho)

## **Shikona History**

* Kotokashiwadani Mitsutaka (2007.03 - 2011.01)
* Kotoeko Mitsunori (2011.05)

## **Gallery**

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

Kotoeko Mitsunori - 2023 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoeko Mitsunori - 2022 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoeko Mitsunori - 2019 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoeko Mitsunori - 2018 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoeko Mitsunori - 2017 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoeko Mitsunori - 2015 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoeko Mitsunori - 2014 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotoeko's Tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kotoeko ensures promotion to Juryo (c. 2014)Kotoeko after promotion to Juryo (c. 2014)Kotoeko during the Juryo dohyo-iri (c. 2014)Kotoeko defeats Azumaryu (c. 2015)Kotoeko presented with his kesho-mawashi (c. 2016)Kotoeko defeats Terutsuyoshi (c. 2017)Kotoeko after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 2018)Kotoeko celebrates promotion to Makuuchi (c. 2018)Kotoeko defeats Chiyomaru (c. 2018)Kotoeko defeats Kagayaki (c. 2019)Kotoeko prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2020)Kotoeko defeats future Yokozuna Terunofuji (c. 2020)Kotoeko defeats Terutsuyoshi (c. 2021)Kotoeko defeats Ichiyamamoto (c. 2022)Kotoeko defeats Myogiryu (c. 2023)
## **Sources**

* Kotoeko Mitsunori Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kotoeko Mitsunori Rikishi Information