Kotokuzan Taro

Kotokuzan Taro - 荒篤山 太郎 (born March 11, 1994) is a Filipino-Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Yokohama, Kanagawa. He made his debut in September 2009 and currently wrestles for Arashio stable. He reached the makuuchi division in March 2022. His highest rank as of 2023 is maegashira 16.

## **Early Life**

Jasper Kenneth Arboladura Terai is half-Japanese (paternal) and half-Filipino (maternal). He was born in Makati, Philippines, and raised in Santa Rosa, Laguna, by his grandmother, Malod, because his mother, Catherine, was working in Japan at the time. He watched sumo on TV from a young age and was inspired to become a sumo wrestler. He never knew his biological father, and was adopted by his Japanese step-father Yasunori. As a result, he moved to Japan at the age of 11. He attended Tokaichiba Junior High School in Yokohama for three years, but struggled because he had trouble reading kanji. Because of this, he was worried he could not get into a good high school, so his step-father, Yasunori, recommended he join sumo as an alternative.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He joined Arashio stable in September 2009 and was the youngest new recruit at the age of 15 and was given the shikona "Kotokuzan" (荒篤山). He was promoted to the sandanme division in September 2011 and remained in the division for four years until reaching makushita in November 2014. He did not establish himself in makushita until November 2016. He gradually rose through the ranks and in January 2018 he reached past the top quartile of makushita and was wrestling in the sekitori-promotion-zone for the first time in his career.

In January 2019, Kotokuzan produced a strong 5-2 record at the rank of makushita 8 and was promoted to makushita 2 in March. In this tournament he wrestled against juryo-level wrestler Takanosho, but lost. He struggled throughout this tournament and lost his first six matches. In January 2021 he was promoted to the rank of makushita 3, but was forced to sit out of the tournament after his stable had a COVID-19 outbreak prior to the start of the tournament. Luckily he did not suffer a lost in rank and in the following tournament he defeated juryo-ranked wrestler Nishikigi on the 3rd day. He later defeated juryo-ranked Bushozan on the eighth day to clinch his fourth win. He finished the March 2021 tournament with a 4-3 record and was promoted to the top of makushita in May 2021. There, he finished with a strong 5-2 record and was promoted to juryo in July 2021, after twelve years in the unsalaried ranks.

### **Juryo Career**

Kotokuzan struggled in his first tournament as a sekitori and finished with a poor 4-11 which resulted in a fall back down to makushita for the September 2021 tournament. Nevertheless, he immediately returned to juryo in November 2021. He finished with a strong 11-4 record in his return to the salaried ranks and followed with a 10-5 record in January 2022 which earned him a promotion to makuuchi in March 2022.

### **Makuuchi Career**

In his top division debut, Kotokuzan finished with a 7-8 record, but remained in makuuchi for the May 2022 tournament. He produced a disastrous 2-13 record in May 2022 and was demoted back down to juryo for the July 2022 tournament.

## **Personal Life**

* Aside from Japanese, Kotokuzan speaks fluent Tagalog.
* Prior to tournaments, Kotokuzan's mother, Catherine, prepares him and his stablemates Filipino food. His favorite food is sinigang (a Filipino stew characterized by its sour and savoury taste) and he claims it fuels him for the upcoming tournament.
* Kotokuzan's hobbies are watching movies and fishing.

## **Fighting Style**

Kotokuzan is an oshi-sumo wrestler who prefers pushing and thrusting techniques to fighting on the mawashi. His most common kimarite used was a straightforward oshidashi, or push out.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 329-320-12/649 (84 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 9-21/30 (2 basho)
* **Juryo:** 56-64/120 (8 basho)
* **Makushita:** 128-119-12/247 (37 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 100-82/182 (26 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 32-31/63 (9 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 4-3/7 (1 basho)

## **Shikona History**

* Terai Taro (2009.09 - 2009.09)
* Kotokuzan Taro (2009.11 - 2021.03)

## **Gallery**

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

Kotokuzan Taro - 2023 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotokuzan Taro - 2022 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotokuzan Taro - 2021 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotokuzan Taro - 2021 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotokuzan's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kotokuzan joins professional sumo (c. 2009)Kotokuzan defeats Kitaharima to ensure promotion to Juryo (c. 2021)Kotokuzan after promotion to Juryo (c. 2021)Kotokuzan visits the mayor of Yokohama after promotion (c. 2021)Kotokuzan defeats Oho (c. 2021)Kotokuzan pushes out Tsurugisho (c. 2022)Kotokuzan after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 2022)Kotokuzan prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2023)Kotokuzan throws and defeats Terutsuyoshi (c. 2023)

## **Sources**

* Kotokuzan Taro Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kotokuzan Taro Rikishi Information