Wakanosato Shinobu

Wakanosato Shinobu - 若の里 忍 (born July 10, 1976) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori. He made his debut in March 1992 and wrestled for Tagonoura stable. He reached the makuuchi division in May 1998 and has 10 special prizes as well as 2 kinboshi. His highest rank was sekiwake and he retired in September 2015.

## **Early Life**

He first tried sumo in the third grade when he entered a competition for fourth graders and up and came in third. By middle school he was training every day at a sumo dojo. He met Takahanada (later the 64th yokozuna Takanohana) when a regional tour came to Hirozaki City, getting into the ring with him. He entered professional sumo in March 1992 after completing middle school, although he had been admitted to Hirosaki Jitsygyo High School. He had received offers from four or five different heya upon his graduation, but the small and relatively new Naruto stable appealed to him.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Like many other sumo wrestlers, he initially competed under his family name Kogawa. In his first tournament he produced a perfect 7-0 record and took the jonokuchi championship. As a result, he was promoted to the jonidan division. A 4-3 record in his jonidan debut earned him an immediate promotion to sandanme in September 1992. Wakanosato remained in sandanme for a couple of years, before reaching makushita in July 1995.

Kogawa gradually rose up the ranks of makushita. In March 1997, Kogawa was in contention for the makushita yusho for majority of tournament. He was 6-0 by the last day, however, he lost to juryo-ranked wrestler Kyokutenho on the thirteenth day to finish with 6-1.

Their was still hope to claim the makushita yusho as he was placed in an eight-man playoff. He defeated Kotonomine in the first round and Kumagawa in the second. In his final round he defeated Tamarikido and claimed the makushita yusho. As a result he was promoted to the top of makushita in May 1997. Even though he produced a losing record in this tournament, he was still promoted to juryo two tournaments later in November 1997.

### **Juryo Career**

Upon promotion to juryo, he switched from his family name to Wakanosato as his shikona. In his first tournament he produced an impressive 10-5 record and was placed in a playoff against 240 kg gargantuan Susanoumi, to which he won. As a result, he was promoted to the rank of juryo 5 where he produced a 11-4 record, which was followed by a 9-6 record. He was promoted to makuuchi in May 1998.

### **Makuuchi Career**

He entered the top makuuchi division for the first time in May 1998. He recorded his first kinboshi or gold star win against yokozuna Wakanohana in the November 1998 tournament, but the next day he broke his ankle in a match with Musoyama and had to miss the last day of the tournament and all of the next. He suffered a more serious injury in November 1999, rupturing anterior cruciate ligaments. He sat out two successive tournaments after having surgery and was demoted to the juryo division . He won consecutive juryochampionships upon his comeback, in May and July 2000, and was promoted back to makuuchi in September. He quickly made the titled san'yaku ranks, making komusubi in November 2000 and recovering from 2–6 down to finish 9–6. As a result, he was promoted to sekiwake for the first time in January 2001.

In his early top division career, Wakanosato was considered a promising candidate for ozeki. From January 2002 until January 2005 he spent 19 consecutive tournaments ranked at either komusubi or sekiwake, an all-time record. However, he was never able to break through the "great barrier" (the literal meaning of ozeki), just failing to attain the necessary 33 wins over three tournaments. He was runner-up in the January 2003 tournament, and again in September 2003, where his 11–4 score was probably his best chance to make ozeki. However, he could only manage seven wins in the following tournament. He was never able to consistently beat the top ranked wrestlers, being unable to beat Takanohana in nine attempts and winning only five times out of 32 meetings against ozeki Chiyotaikai. He initially had an excellent head-to-head record against Hakuho, defeating him the first six times they met. However, the last of these victories came in 2005 and he subsequently lost eleven in a row against him. He was awarded ten sansho or special prizes for good performances in tournaments during his career.

In later years on the dohyo he again had injury problems, being forced to withdraw from his final san'yaku-ranked tournament in September 2005 and missing all of the next. He defeated yokozuna Asashoryu on the second day of the 2006 May tournament, his first kinboshi in 45 tournaments (only Kirinji, with 47 tournaments, has had a longer wait between kinboshi) but he could only manage a 6–9 record overall. He was then again forced to sit out all of the September 2006 tournament and fell to the second division once again. However, he made something of a comeback in May 2007, turning in a strong 10–5 record at maegashira 7. He won his 600th career bout in September 2007, and turned in another good performance in May 2008, again finishing on 10–5.

### **Later Career**

He withdrew from the March 2009 tournament after breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot during his 11th day bout with Kotoshogiku. He had surgery on 8 April which put him out of action for at least two months, meaning he had to sit out the following tournament in May. He came back very strongly in July, winning his fourth juryo championship with a 14–1 record. He reached maegashira 1 in March 2010, his highest rank in over four years. After that he comfortably maintained a position in the mid-to-upper maegashira ranks until he was injured in the November 2011 tournament, resulting in yet another fall to juryo. However he immediately returned to makuuchi after scoring 11–4 in January 2012.

After a poor 4–11 record at maegashira 15 in September 2013, Wakanosato was once again demoted to juryo, but for the first time for a non injury-related reason. He was ranked in makuuchi only one more time after that, in the July 2014 tournament.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

Following a 4–11 result in juryo in July 2015 which guaranteed a further relegation to the makushita division, Wakanosato announced his retirement on 3 September. He told a press conference "I entered this career out of my love for sumo, and it has been enjoyable. I'm being sincere in saying I want to continue, but my body is not up to the task of matching my desire." He had already purchased a toshiyori-kabu or elder stock in the Japan Sumo Association and is now known as Nishiiwa Oyakata. He initially worked at his old stable, now renamed Tagonoura. His official retirement ceremony or danpatsu-shiki was held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan on 28 May 2016. Wakanosato's application to open his own Nishiiwa stable was approved by the Sumo Association on 30 November 2017, and the stable opened on 1 February 2018. As of March 2019 it has six wrestlers, all in the lower divisions.

## **Personal Life**

* Wakanosato was married in April 2004. His stablemaster reported that his bride weighed just 39 kg (86 lb). Their daughter was born on February 25th, 2017.
* Wakanosato's hobbies are painting and watching baseball. His favorite foods are natto and shabby-shabu.

## **Fighting Style**

Wakanosato specialised in yotsu-sumo, or techniques that involve grabbing hold of the opponent's mawashi. He was known as being particularly difficult to beat once he had a migi-yotsu, or right hand inside, left hand outside grip. About 40 percent of his wins were by yorikiri, or force out, but he was also good at pushing and thrusting, winning many bouts by oshidashi or push out. His two most commonly used throws were sukuinage (scoop throw) and uwatenage (overarm throw).

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 914-783-124/1691 (140 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 613-568-124/1175 (87 basho)
* **Juryo:** 165-120/285 (19 basho)
* **Makushita:** 58-40/98 (14 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 54-44/98 (14 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 17-11/28 (4 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 7-0/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 4 **Juryo** Championships
	+ 1st (November 1997)
	+ 2nd (May 2000)
	+ 3rd (July 2000)
	+ 4th (July 2009)
* 1 **Makushita** Championship (March 1997)
* 1 **Jonokuchi** Championship (May 1992)

### **Achievements**

* **Fighting Spirit:** Fighting Spirit Prize (4), Outstanding Performance Prize (4), Technique Prize (2)
* **Kinboshi:** 2: (1) Asashoryu, (1) Wakanohana III
* **Record:** **7th** Most career wins (914)
* **Record:** **6th** Most career bouts (1691)
* **Record:** **10th** Most tournaments ranked in the top division (87)
* **Record:** Tied for **8th** Most tournaments ranked in junior san'yaku (komusubi and sekiwake ranks) (26)

## **Shikona History**

* Kogawa Shinobu (1992.03 - 1997.09)
* Wakanosato Shinobu (1997.11 - 2015.09)

## Gallery

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

Wakanosato Shinobu - 2015 (Retrieved from the JSA)Wakanosato Shinobu - 2014 (Retrieved from the JSA)Wakanosato Shinobu - 2013 (Retrieved from the JSA)Wakanosato Shinobu - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Wakanosato Shinobu - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Wakanosato Shinobu - 2006 (Retrieved from the JSA)Wakanosato Shinobu - 2000 (Retrieved from the JSA)Wakanosato's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kogawa wins his first Makushita Yusho (c. 1997)Kogawa becomes Wakanosato upon promotion to Juryo (c. 1997)Wakanosato defeats Susanoumi to win the Juryo Yusho (c. 1997)Wakanosato after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 1998)Wakanosato lifts and defeats Yokozuna Wakanohana (c. 1998)Wakanosato defeats Higonoumi (c. 1999)Wakanosato throws and defeats Takamisakari (c. 2000)Wakanosato with one of his many sansho prizes (c. 2000)Wakanosato receives advice from Naruto Oyakata (c. 2000)Wakanosato after promotion to Sekiwake (c. 2000)Wakanosato defeats Yokozuna Musashimaru (c. 2001)Wakanosato battles Yokozuna Takanohana (c. 2002)Wakanosato throws and defeats Kaiho (c. 2003)Wakanosato and his tsukebito, the future Kisenosato (c. 2003)Wakanosato throws and defeats future Yokozuna Hakuho (c. 2004)Wakanosato defeats Kyokutenho (c. 2005)Wakanosato defeats Yokozuna Asashoryu (c. 2006)Wakanosato defeats Aminishiki (c. 2007)Wakanosato defeats Ozeki Kotooshu (c. 2008)Wakanosato battles Aminishiki (c. 2009)Wakanosato battles Yokozuna Hakuho (c. 2010)Wakanosato defeats future Ozeki Kotoshogiku (c. 2011)Wakanosato defeats Kyokutenho (c. 2012)Wakanosato prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2013)Wakanosato defeats Chiyootori (c. 2013)Wakanosato defeats Kyokutenho (c. 2014)Wakanosato defeats Hidenoumi (c. 2015)Wakanosato loses his final match to Tenkaiho (c. 2015)Wakanosato after wrestling his final match (c. 2015)Wakanosato with stablemates, Kisenosato and Takayasu (c. 2015)Wakanosato announces his retirement (c. 2015)Wakanosato's retirement ceremony (c. 2016)Wakanosato after retirement as Nishiiwa Oyakata (c. 2018)
## **Sources**

* Wakanosato Shinobu Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Wakanosato Shinobu Rikishi Information