Kaiō Hiroyuki

Koga did karate for two years in elementary school, and judo in his second year of junior high school. He had not shown much interest in sumo but was asked by his parents to take part in sumo competitions.[3] It was at one such competition in Fukuoka that he was spotted by the wrestler Kaiki, later Tomozuna Oyakata. After being introduced to Kaiki by a mutual acquaintance in Nōgata, the young Koga was recruited to Tomozuna stable upon graduation from junior high.[4] Kaiki thought so highly of the apprentice that he promised Koga's parents that he would become a sekitori by the age of 20.[5] However, because the move had been set up by others around him, and he had not ever had the ambition to be a rikishi himself, Koga initially had doubts that he would be able to succeed in sumo.[3]

He made his professional debut in March 1988, at the same time as former yokozuna Akebono, Takanohana and Wakanohana, who all made the top division faster than him but who had all retired by 2003. Initially fighting under his own surname, he reached the makushita division in September 1990 after winning the sandanme championship with a perfect 7–0 record. He won the makushita tournament in July 1991 and in November 1991, in his hometown tournament in Kyushu, he earned promotion to the sekitori ranks—a performance he later recalled as one of his most memorable ever.[3] Upon making his debut in second highest jūryō division in January 1992 he adopted the shikona of Kaiō. After a few injury problems he worked his way up the jūryō division and reached the top makuuchi division for the first time in May 1993. He fell back to jūryō after a 4–11 score in his makuuchi debut. This meant that, oddly, he had recorded a make-koshi or losing score in every tournament in which he was debuting in a new division. However, he returned to the top division in November 1993, where he was to remain for the rest of his career. After defeating his first yokozuna and winning his first special prize in March 1994, he was promoted to a san'yaku rank for the first time for the following tournament in May 1994, at komusubi. He made sekiwake rank in January 1995, and came through with a winning record and another prize in his sekiwake debut.

In the earlier part of his top division career Kaiō's lack of consistency, and injury problems, denied him the major promotion to ōzeki that his ability merited. He set records for both the number of tournaments spent at sekiwake (21) and for the longest run being consecutively ranked in the junior san'yaku ranks without making ōzeki (14). He also accumulated a record equalling ten Shukun-shō, or Outstanding Performance Prizes. Together with his five Kantō-shō, or Fighting Spirit awards, he has 15 special prizes in total, placing him third behind Akinoshima and Kotonishiki. He also earned six kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna when ranked as a maegashira. He twice took part in playoffs for the championship, in November 1996 (with four other wrestlers, won by Musashimaru) and in March 1997 (with three others, won by Takanohana). In May 1997 injuries to his left leg sustained in a match with Takanonami caused him to miss tournaments and took over a year to fully heal. He could not win more than eight bouts in a tourney during 1998, but he was runner-up in two more tournaments in 1999, in May and November.

Kaiō original tegata (handprint and signature)

Kaiō won his first top division tournament championship in May 2000 from the komusubi rank, defeating yokozuna Takanohana and three ōzeki and losing just one bout to Akebono. It was the first top division yūshō by a wrestler from Tomozuna stable since Tachiyama in 1916. He attributed his victory partly to cutting down on his beer consumption.[6] Set a target of eleven wins by the Japan Sumo Association for promotion to ōzeki in the following tournament in July 2000, he achieved the necessary total on the final day and his promotion was confirmed a few days later. He was 28 years of age, and the 44 tournaments it took him to reach ōzeki from his top division debut was the second slowest ever.[7] Nevertheless, he went on to maintain the rank for eleven years, eventually becoming the oldest ōzeki since the start of the Shōwa era in 1926,[5] and also the longest serving, in terms of number of tournaments, a record he holds jointly with Chiyotaikai.

Kaiō in 2006, in yukata

Working as a ringside judge, May 2016

The July 2011 tournament was Kaiō's 65th as an ōzeki, tying Chiyotaikai's record.[1] On the fourth day he slapped down Toyonoshima to earn his first victory of the basho and his 1045th in his career. Congratulated by Chiyonofuji backstage after the bout, Kaiō replied, "I feel sorry to be compared to someone as great as you."[24] The following day he forced out Kyokutenhō to surpass Chiyonofuji and in first place. On Day 10, having lost to Kotoōshū to fall to 3–7, Kaiō announced his retirement from sumo, just a few days short of his 39th birthday, after a discussion with his stablemaster. He remained in sumo as a coach at Tomozuna stable, using the toshiyori or elder name of Asakayama.[1] His retirement left no Japanese at ōzeki or yokozuna for the first time since January 1993.[1] Speaking at a press conference after his announcement, Kaiō said, "I might not have reached yokozuna or won the championship in front of my home fans in Kyushu but I've had a fulfilling career and have no regrets."[25] His danpatsu-shiki, or official retirement ceremony, took place at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 27 May 2012, with around 10000 spectators and hundreds of dignitaries, including his fellow March 1988 entrant Takanohana, taking turns to snip his topknot before it was finally removed by his stablemaster Tomozuna.[26]

In February 2014 he established his own stable, Asakayama-beya, in Sumida, Tokyo.[27] In May 2014, the stable had four active wrestlers,[28] and as of January 2018, the roster had increased to 11.[29] In September 2019 the stable produced its first sekitori in Kaishō.[30] After the January 2023 tournament it was announced that Asakayama would become the deputy director of the judging department.[31]

Kaiō in May 2007

Kaiō was solidly a yotsu-sumo wrestler, favouring a right hand outside, left hand inside grip (hidari-yotsu) on his opponent's mawashi or belt.[32] He was well known for his power in the hidari-yotsu position, which even yokozuna Takanohana at his peak had trouble countering.[33] His most common winning technique was a straightforward yori-kiri or force out, which accounted for a third of his career victories, followed by oshi-dashi or push out.[34] He often used his right hand outer grip to win by uwatenage (the overarm throw), which was his most common throwing move. Two of his yūshō-winning bouts were decided by uwatenage, and he was noted for his exceptional power and technique when using this throw.[35] More controversially, he was also known for employing kotenage, (the armlock throw), a technique that can injure the opponent.[36] Kaiō unintentionally caused a number of injuries with this technique over the years, including Tochinonada in 1999, who sustained long-term damage to his elbow, and Kotoryū in March 2001, who suffered a broken arm.[37]

Kaiō married Mitsuko Nishiwaki, a former professional wrestler, in June 1999.[38] The wedding reception in a hotel in Tokyo was attended by some 570 guests, including Takanohana.

He has published an autobiography, Kairiki ("Herculean Strength").[39]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kaiō Hiroyuki.

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of sumo record holders
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo elders
• List of ōzeki

• Kaiō Hiroyuki's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage
• Tomozuna Beya (Japanese language)
• Tomozuna Beya in English
• Kaiō fan site (in French and English)