Tochiakagi Masao

Tochiakagi Masao - 栃赤城 雅男 (born October 31, 1954 - August 18, 1997) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Numata, Gunma. He made his debut in January 1973 and last wrestled for Kasugano stable. He reached the makuuchi division in May 1977 and has eight special prizes as well as eight kinboshi. His highest rank was sekiwake and he retired in March 1990.

## **Early Life**

Kanaya was born the second son of three siblings to parents who operated a kimono store in Numata, Gunma. He participated in swimming while in junior high school, but switched to judo during his time at Numata High School. He competed at the National Sports Festival of Japan as a representative of Gunma prefecture for judo. Since he weighed over 100 kg (220 Ib), he caught the eye of Kasugano Oyakata (the 44th yokozuna Tochinishiki) and received many offers to join Kasugano stable in which he agreed to upon graduating high school.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He made his professional debut in January 1973 under his surname "Kanaya" (栃赤城). He was promoted to sandanme in September 1973 and makushita in July 1974. In September 1976, he posted a 5-2 record at the rank of makushita 1 and was promoted to juryo in November 1976.

### **Juryo Career**

Kanaya was able to establish himself as a sekitori as he finished with a 8-7 record in his first tournament as a sekitori. He followed with an 8-7 record in January 1977 and was promoted to the rank of juryo 3 in March 1977 where he produced a 9-6 record. He was promoted to makuuchi in the following May 1977 tournament.

### **Makuuchi Career**

Upon promotion to the top division, he changed his shikona to "Tochiakagi" (栃赤城). His highest rank was sekiwake, which he first reached in May 1979. Unusually he kept the rank for the following tournament even though he had a majority of losses (7–8), because there were few wrestlers below him with good enough records to replace him. This was the first such occurrence since the establishment of the six tournaments per year system in 1958. He beat three yokozuna, Wajima, Wakanohana and Mienoumi, in one tournament in November 1979, and was to win eight kinboshi in total during his top division career. He won four Outstanding Performance and four Fighting Spirit prizes. He was one of the few wrestlers to employ the rare foot sweep technique of susohari. In 1980 he was tipped alongside Kotokaze and Asashio as a possible ozeki candidate, but never achieved his potential due to an apparent aversion to hard training, and a smoking habit. He missed the November 1980 tournament because of a leg injury and thereafter had chronic problems with both his ankles.

### **Later Career**

He fought in the unsalaried makushita division for 27 tournaments after being demoted from the juryo division in 1985, longer than any other former sekiwake. He decided to retire when his stable master, former yokozuna Tochinishiki died in January 1990, although his name remained on the banzuke for the following tournament in the sandanme division, making him the first former sanyaku wrestler to fall this low since Oyutaka in November 1985.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

Tochiakagi's danpatsu-shiki, or retirement ceremony, was held on February 22nd, 1990, at a hotel in Maebashi, Gunma. He left the sumo world completely after retirement. After retiring, he helped out with his family's kimono store, "Kanaya Kimono Store" (金谷呉服店), which he later took over.

### **Death**

Tochiakagi died on August 18, 1997, due to a heart attack. He was 42 years old.

## **Fighting Style**

Tochiakagi was a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling to pushing and thrusting techniques. He favored a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) position when gripping his opponent's mawashi (belt). His favorite kimarite was kotenage (armlock throw), kainahineri (two-handed arm twist down) and kakenage (hooking inner thigh throw), however, his most common kimarite was yorikiri, or force out.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 556-543-46/1097 (104 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 234-252-39/484 (35 basho)
* **Juryo:** 134-136/270 (18 basho)
* **Makushita:** 150-137/287 (41 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 21-14-7/35 (6 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 11-3/14 (2 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Juryo** Championship (September 1984)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Fighting Spirit Prize (4), Outstanding Performance Prize (4)
* **Kinboshi:** 8: (3) Kitanoumi, (3) Wakanohana II, (1) Wajima, (1) Mienoumi

## **Shikona History**

* Kanaya Masao (1973.01 - 1977.03)
* Tochiakagi Masao (1977.05 - 1981.01)
* Tochiakagi Takanori (1981.03 - 1990.03)

## **Gallery**

Tochiakagi poses with his kesho-mawashiTochiakagi defeats Yokozuna Wakanohana (c. 1979)Tochiakagi receives one of his many sansho prizes (c. 1979)Tochiakagi after promotion to Sekiwake (c. 1979)Tochiakagi with Asashio and Chiyonofuji (c. 1980)Tochiakagi battles Yokozuna KitanoumiNewspaper clipping announces Tochiakagi's death (c. 1997)Tochiakagi's tegata
## **Sources**

* Tochiakagi Masao Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Tochiakagi Masao Rikishi Information