Asahisho Kota

Asahisho Kota - 旭日松 広太 (born July 21, 1989) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Noda, Chiba. He made his debut in March 2005 and last wrestled for Tomozuna stable. He reached the makuuchi division in September 2012. His highest rank was maegashira 11 and he retired in July 2021.

## **Early Life**

Matsushima began sumo wrestling at the age of three at Sekijuku Town Kimagase Elementary School (currently Noda City Kimagase Elementary School), and won 5 consecutive national tournaments while attending the school. After that, he attended Noda City Kimagase Junior High School. After his graduation from junior high school, Matsushima opted to turn professional. He joined Oshima stable and used his family name as his shikona. At just 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall he was accepted by passing the secondary exam for promising recruits who do not meet the primary height requirement.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Matsushima struggled early in his career, but gradually began to improve. Four tournaments into his debut, he changed his shikona to "Asahisho". He was promoted to the sandanme division after two years since his debut and a year later he was promoted to the makushita division.

However, in his makushita debut, Asahisho pulled out on the first day. Asahisho struggled to stay in makushita and was regularly demoted back to the sandanme division. However Asahisho made a pretty strong run through September 2010 to September 2011. He achieved three consecutive winning records and was promoted to a career high makushita 10. However he produced a lackluster 3-4 record, but bounced back the next tournament with a perfect 7-0 record and the makushita championship. He defeated Bungonishiki on the final day and was so happy that he cried. This was good enough for promotion to the juryo division.

### **Juryo Career**

Asahisho was the first sekitori from Noda, Chiba. He produced an 8-7 record in his first juryo tournament. The next two tournaments were followed with consecutive 9-6 records. However on April 2012, Asahisho's Oshima Stable closed down, because his stablemaster reached retirement age without an apparent heir to the stable. All wrestlers in Oshima stable transferred to Tomozuna stable.

Asahisho, who was still struggling with the transition of moving stables, struggled in the May 2012 tournament. He lost his first ten matches. Because of this, Asahisho began a habit of throwing unusually large amounts of purifying salt into the ring before his bouts, previously the trademark of Mitoizumi and Kitazakura. He began doing it in May 2012 to change his luck after suffering ten straight defeats from Day 1, and he promptly won his next five matches. He told reporters in July, "I want the fans to remember my name." He throws so much salt on the start lines that he occasionally causes his opponents to slip on the surface at the tachi-ai.

The following tournament, Asahisho produced a career best 10-5 double digit record at the rank of juryo 4 which earned him a spot in the top makuuchi division.

### **Makuuchi Career**

He came through with a winning record in his makuuchi debut, but two make-koshi or losing scores in his next two tournaments saw him demoted back to juryo. In July 2013 he somewhat fortuitously won promotion back to the top division despite only scoring 9–6 at juryo 7, due to a large number of vacancies with five men being demoted from makuuchi, and also many juryo wrestlers around him under-performing. However, in September he injured his elbow in a match with Shotenro on Day 9 and had to withdraw. Although he returned to the tournament on Day 13 and won two more matches he could not prevent demotion back to juryo. This has been his final appearance in the top division to date.

### **Later Career**

Asahisho would remain in juryo for the next four years. In 2017 Asahisho narrowly failed to get a majority of wins against losses in three straight tournaments, and his third 7–8 in May 2017 cost him his place in juryo, as only he and Takagenji had demotable records and Abi and Iwasaki were both deserving of promotion. During this tournament he was reprimanded on Day 2 by the ringside judge Minato Oyakata, the former Minatofuji, for giving Takagenji an extra shove after the match was already over. Asahisho apologized for the "educational slap" afterwards, explaining that he was annoyed at Takagenji (then just 20 and in his first juryo tournament) for disrespecting his opponents by not bowing properly. He was demoted to makushita after 34 tournaments as a sekitori, and has not managed a return to the paid ranks as of November 2019. Asahisho was demoted to sandanme in January 2020, but returned to makushita after producing a 6-1 record. Asahisho was forced to sit out of the January 2021 after a wrestler in his stable tested positive for COVID-19.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

After falling back down to sandanme in May 2021, Asahisho announced his retirement on June 11, 2021. He has remained in the Sumo Association as an elder under the name Kiriyama. His danpatsu-shiki (retirement ceremony) was held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan on 3 December 2022.

## **Personal Life**

* Asahisho is known for his sense of humour and love of practical jokes, which has made him a regular on the chat show circuit despite his relative lack of success in the top division. In December 2014 he appeared in a commercial with three other wrestlers as part of a heavy metal band, promoting Docomo's Moveband activity tracker.
* Asahisho married a woman from Tokyo in June 2014 and their first child, a son, was born in November 2014.
* In May 2012 he saw his longtime stablemate Kyokutenho win the top division championship at 37 years of age, and was overcome with emotion (crying) while waiting to congratulate him afterwards.
* Asahisho was sponsored by Kikkoman Corporation, a Japanese Food Manufacturer. The headquarters is located in Noda, Chiba which is also Asahisho's hometown. They presented him with a kesho-mawashi.
* Asahisho's favorite food is yudofu (hot tofu) chanko and yakiniku. His hobbies include watching movies and comedy.

## **Fighting Style**

Asahisho is an oshi-sumo specialist who prefers pushing and thrusting techniques to grabbing the opponent's mawashi. His most common winning kimarite is oshi-dashi, or push out. He also regularly wins by forcing his opponent to the floor of the dohyo by hikiotoshi (pull down) or hatakikomi (slap down). In the may 2015 tournament, Asahisho won by the rare tokkurinage (two handed head twist down) against Daishomaru.

## **Record**

### **Division Reuslts**

* **Total:** 453-453-31/904 (97 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 23-35-2/57 (4 basho)
* **Juryo:** 217-233/450 (30 basho)
* **Makushita:** 99-102-23/201 (32 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 68-44/112 (17 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 32-32-6/63 (10 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 14-7/21 (3 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Makushita** Championship (September 2011)

## **Shikona History**

* Matsushima Kota (2005.03 - 2005.09)
* Asahisho Kota (2005.11 - 2021.07)

## **Gallery**

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

Asahisho Kota - 2017 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2016 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2015 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2014 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2013 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2012 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2011 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho Kota - 2011 (Retrieved from the JSA)Asahisho's Tegata
### **Career Overview**

Asahisho wins his first Makushita Yusho (c. 2011)Asahisho after promotion to Juryo (c. 2011)Asahisho returns to his hometown (c. 2011)Asahisho serves as Hakuho's flag bearer (c. 2011)Asahisho after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 2012)Asahisho defeats former Ozeki Miyabiyama (c. 2012)Asahisho presented with his kesho-mawashi (c. 2013)Asahisho defeats Osunaarashi (c. 2013)Asahisho was known for his playful personality (c. 2014)Asahisho prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2015)Asahisho defeats Wakanosato (c. 2015)Asahisho's signature salt throw (c. 2016)Asahisho defeats future Ozeki Takakeisho (c. 2016)Asahisho's "educational slap" against Takagenji (c. 2017)Asahisho badly injures his knee in Makushita (c. 2017)Asahisho prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2020)Asahisho announces his retirement (c. 2021)Asahisho's retirement ceremony (c. 2022)
## **Sources**

* Asahisho Kota Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Asahisho Kota Rikishi Information