Asahishō Kōta

He began sumo at the age of just three and won national championships for five consecutive years from the second to sixth years of elementary school. He joined professional sumo upon graduation from junior high school, recruited by Ōshima stable. 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. In his first few tournaments he fought under his own surname of Matsushima, but soon adopted the shikona of Asahishō. He won the makushita division championship or yūshō in September 2011 with a perfect 7–0 record and this performance saw him promoted to the elite sekitori ranks for the first time in the November 2011 tournament.[1] He was the first sekitori from the city of Noda. In April 2012 his heya closed upon the retirement of his stablemaster, former ōzeki Asahikuni, and he moved to Tomozuna stable.[2] In May 2012 he saw his longtime stablemate Kyokutenhō win the top division championship at 37 years of age, and was overcome with emotion while waiting to congratulate him afterwards.[3]

In July 2012 he produced a 10–5 record at jūryō 4, and this earned him promotion to the top makuuchi division for the first time.[4] He was the tenth wrestler who began at Ōshima stable to reach the top division. 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 jūryō.[1] In July 2013 he somewhat fortuitously won promotion back to the top division despite only scoring 9–6 at jūryō 7, due to a large number of vacancies with five men being demoted from makuuchi, and also many jūryō wrestlers around him under-performing.[5] However, in September he injured his elbow in a match with Shotenro on Day 9 and had to withdraw.[6] Although he returned to the tournament on Day 13 and won two more matches he could not prevent demotion back to jūryō. This was his final appearance in the top division.[1]

In 2017 Asahishō 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 jūryō, as only he and Takagenji had demotable records and Abi and Iwasaki were both deserving of promotion.[7] 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.[8] Asahishō apologized for the "educational slap" afterwards, explaining that he was annoyed at Takagenji (then just 20 and in his first jūryō tournament) for disrespecting his opponents by not bowing properly.[8] He was demoted to makushita after 34 tournaments as a sekitori, and never managed a return to the paid ranks.[1] He was forced to sit out the January 2021 tournament after a wrestler at Tomozuna stable tested positive for COVID-19.[9] His final tournament in May 2021 saw him ranked in the sandanme division.

Salt-throwing routine from July 2014

Asahishō had 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 the following July 2012 tournament, "I want the fans to remember my name."[10] He throws so much salt on the start lines that he occasionally causes his opponents to slip on the surface at the tachi-ai.

Asahishō 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.[3] 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.[11][3]

Asahishō retired in June 2021, and has taken on the elder name of Kiriyama.[12] His danpatsu-shiki (retirement ceremony) was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 3 December 2022.[13]

Asahishō (right) fighting Wakanosato on Day 8 of the September 2014 tournament

Asahishō was an oshi-sumo specialist who preferred pushing and thrusting techniques to grabbing the opponent's mawashi. His most common winning kimarite was oshi-dashi, or push out. He also regularly won by forcing his opponent to the floor of the dohyō by hiki-otoshi (pull down) or hataki-komi (slap down).[14]

Asahishō married a woman from Tokyo in June 2014 and their first child, a son, was born in November 2014.[15]

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of active sumo wrestlers

• Asahishō Kōta's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage