Chiyonoyama Masanobu

Chiyonoyama Masanobu - 千代の山 雅信 (born June 2, 1926 - October 29, 1977) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Fukushima, Hokkaido. He made his debut in January 1942 and last wrestled for Dewanoumi stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 1945 and has 2 special prizes, 3 kinboshi and 6 top division championships. He was the 41st yokozuna and he retired in January 1959.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He was born Sugimura Masaharu (杉村 昌治), the fifth son of a squid fisherman in Fukushima, Hokkaido. He joined Dewanoumi stable in January 1942 and was given the shikona Chiyonoyama (千代の山). Chiyonoyama injured his knee in his first tournament, an injury that was to trouble him for the rest of his career. Nevertheless, he breezed through the lower divisions and was promoted to juryo in November 1944 after only six tournaments in the unsalaried ranks.

### **Juryo Career**

In his first tournament as a sekitori, Chiyonoyama won the juryo yusho with a strong 8-2 record. He followed with a 6-1 record and claimed his second successive juryo yusho. He was promoted to makuuchi in November 1945 after only two tournaments in juryo.

### **Makuuchi Career**

He had been an admirer of yokozuna Futabayama but his dream of facing him in competition ended after Futabayama announced his retirement during Chiyonoyama's makuuchi debut. In this first tournament he won all ten of his bouts but was denied the championship as in the absence of any playoff system in the event of a tie, it was simply awarded to the wrestler higher in rank (in this case, yokozuna Haguroyama). He followed with a 10-3 record and was promoted to sekiwake in June 1947, but he missed the tournament due to injury. In November 1947, he defeated Haguroyama to earn his first kinboshi. He posted a strong 8-3 record in October 1948 and was awarded his first special prize (Fighting Spirit prize). He followed with an 8-5 record, and in May 1949, Chiyonoyama defeated three yokozuna, finishing with a 12–3 record, and was promoted to ozeki.

### **Ozeki Career**

He won two consecutive championships in October 1949 and January 1950 but was denied promotion to yokozuna as the Sumo Association felt he was rather young at twenty three and with his second championship being "only" a 12–3 they wanted to wait until they were sure he was ready. His October 1949 victory also coincided with the controversy over struggling yokozuna Maedayama being told to retire after being seen at a baseball game while he was supposed to be recuperating from illness. Chiyonoyama was eventually promoted in May 1951 after winning his third championship with a 14–1 record.

### **Yokozuna Career**

He was the first yokozuna to be promoted without being awarded a licence by the house of Yoshida Tsukasa. During his yokozuna career he missed many bouts due to injury and in 1953 even asked to be demoted back to ozeki so he could start over again. The Sumo Association refused this unprecedented request. Chiyonoyama finally took his first championship as a yokozuna in January 1955 with a playoff win over Tokitsuyama and won two more thereafter, in March 1955 and January 1957. Increasingly troubled by his knee injury to the point where he could sometimes barely walk due to the pain, he announced his retirement in January 1959.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

Chiyonoyama had expected to take over as head coach of Dewanoumi stable after the death of Dewanoumi Oyakata in 1960, but he was considered too young for the responsibility at 34, and he lost a succession battle to former maegashira Dewanohana. After yokozuna Sadanoyama married Dewanohana's daughter, Chiyonoyama realised he had no chance to take over and so asked to leave and set up his own stable. This was allowed on the condition that he also leave the Dewanoumi ichimon (group of stables). Previously the Dewanoumi camp had, since the days of Hitachiyama, always prevented ex-wrestlers from branching out. In March 1967 he set up Kokonoe stable, taking ozeki (later yokozuna) Kitanofuji and nine other recruits with him. In 1970 future yokozuna Chiyonofuji, also from Fukushima, Hokkaido, joined the stable. Chiyonoyama was unable to see Chiyonofuji reach the yokozuna rank as he died of liver cancer aged fifty one in 1977, but his widow attended Chiyonofuji's promotion ceremony in 1981.

## **Personal Life**

In September 1952 he married the daughter of an Osaka restaurant owner.

Chiyonoyama was skilled in calligraphy and the first "Kokonoe-beya" signboard was written by Chiyonoyama himself. The signboard is currently displayed at the Yokozuna Chiyonoyama & Chiyonofuji Memorial Museum in Fukushima, Hokkaido.

## **Fighting Style**

Early in his career Chiyonoyama was known for the power of his tsuppari (thrusting) attack but during his successful run to yokozuna in 1951 he made an effort to improve his yotsu-sumo (grappling) techniques under the supervision of ex-yokozuna Tochigiyama of Kasugano stable and his own head coach, former yokozuna Tsunenohana. He liked a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip on his opponent's mawashi and his favourite kimarite was uwatenage (overarm throw).

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 407-158-147-2d/561 (54 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 366-149-147-2d/511 (46 basho)
* **Juryo:** 14-3/17 (2 basho)
* **Makushita:** 10-3/13 (2 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 5-3/8 (1 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 8-0/8 (1 basho)
* **Shinjo:** 4-0/4 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 6 **Makuuchi** Championships
	+ 1st (October 1949)
	+ 2nd (January 1950)
	+ 3rd (May 1951)
	+ 4th (January 1955)
	+ 5th (March 1955)
	+ 6th (January 1957)
* 2 **Juryo** Championships
	+ 1st (November 1944)
	+ 2nd (June 1945)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Fighting Spirit Prize (1), Outstanding Performance Prize (1)
* **Kinboshi:** 3: (1) Haguroyama, (1) Terukuni, (1) Maedayama

## **Shikona History**

* Sugimura Masaharu (1942.01 - 1944.01)
* Chiyonoyama Masaharu (1944.05 - 1948.05)
* Chiyonoyama Masanobu (1948.10 - 1949.01)

## **Gallery**

Chiyonoyama Masanobu - (Retrieved from the Nihon Sumo Kyokai)Chiyonoyama's tegata
## **Sources**

* Chiyonoyama Masanobu Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Chiyonoyama Masanobu Rikishi Information