Tamanoumi Masahiro

Tamanoumi Masahiro (Japanese: 玉の海 正洋, February 5, 1944 – October 11, 1971) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aichi. He was the sport's 51st yokozuna. Making his professional debut in 1959, he reached the top makuuchi division in 1964. He won six tournament championships and was runner-up in 12 others. Earlier in his career he also earned six special prizes and four gold stars. He was promoted to yokozuna simultaneously with his friend and rival Kitanofuji in January 1970 and the two men represented the dawning of a new era after the dominance of Taihō. He died suddenly in October 1971 after a delayed appendectomy.

Tamanoumi Masahiro
玉の海 正洋
Tamanoumi in 1970 or 1971
Personal information
BornTaniguchi Masao
(1944-02-05)February 5, 1944
Aichi
DiedOctober 11, 1971(1971-10-11) (aged 27)
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+12 in)
Weight135 kg (298 lb)
Career
StableKataonami, formerly Nishonoseki
Record619–305
DebutMarch, 1959
Highest rankYokozuna (January, 1970)
Championships6 (Makuuchi)
1 (Jonidan)
Special PrizesOutstanding Performance (4)
Fighting Spirit (2)
Gold Stars4
Tochinoumi (2)
Sadanoyama (2)
* Up to date as of July 2007.

Career

He was born Taniguchi Masao (谷口正夫) in Osaka, but due to the bombing raids of that city he was evacuated to Gamagōri (Aichi Prefecture) where he grew up. He excelled at judo in junior high school. The future Katsuhikari was one year senior to him in his judo club. After being adopted into the Takeuchi (竹内) family, he changed his family name accordingly. Although planning to become a police officer, he was invited by former sekiwake Tamanoumi Daitaro to join Nishonoseki stable, the same stable as yokozuna Taihō.

He began his professional sumo career in March 1959, using the shikona, or ring name, surname Tamanoshima (玉乃嶋). In 1962 his coach, Tamanoumi Daitaro, set up his own Kataonami stable and Tamanoshima joined it. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 1964. In May 1964, he changed the spelling of his shikona surname to 玉乃島. In 1965 a change in the rules meant that wrestlers from the same group of stables could meet each other in tournament competition, and Tamanoshima defeated Taihō in their first official match. He was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki in November 1966 at the age of 22. At first, he was unable to reach a score in double figures at ōzeki rank, but his results began to improve significantly from November 1967. In May 1968, after three runner-up performances in a row, he finally captured his first yūshō, or tournament title, with a 13–2 record. The Yokozuna Deliberation Committee decided against promotion to yokozuna after this result due to the absence of both Taihō and Kashiwado from the tournament and his two losses to low-rankers in the first week. His second title came in September 1969. In November 1969 he posted a 10–5 record, and in January 1970 he took part in a playoff for the title with fellow ōzeki Kitanofuji. Tamanoshima lost the match, but after the tournament both Kitanofuji and Tamanoshima were promoted to the yokozuna rank.[1] With Kashiwado already retired, and Taihō soon to follow, the two ushered in a new Kita-Tama era.

Upon reaching yokozuna Tamanoshima changed his ring name to Tamanoumi Masahiro, taking his coach's old shikona surname. His first tournament championship as a yokozuna came in September 1970 and he followed it up with another victory in November, defeating Taihō in a playoff. In July 1971 Tamanoumi won his sixth and final championship, his first with a perfect 15–0 record.

Fighting style

At 1.77 m (5 ft 9+12 in) and 135 kg (298 lb) Tamanoumi was not particularly large, but he had great strength and agility. His favoured kimarite were yori kiri (force out), uwatenage (overarm throw) and tsuri dashi (lift out). He preferred a migi yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip on his opponent's mawashi.

Original tegata of the 51st Yokozuna Tamanoumi

Death

Tamanoumi's handprint displayed on a monument in Ryōgoku, Tokyo

Tamanoumi had needed an appendectomy since at least July 1971, but he felt the responsibility of a yokozuna's duties and had not wanted to withdraw from the September 1971 tournament. After competing there taking painkillers and remarkably managing a 12-3 record, he went into hospital only after being an attendant at Taihō's retirement ceremony on October 2.[2] Due to the delay in having the operation he was on the brink of peritonitis. The procedure seemed to have gone well and he was due to leave hospital on October 12, but on the morning of the 11th he collapsed and could not be saved. It emerged he had suffered a pulmonary embolism.[2] He was only the fourth man in history to die whilst an active yokozuna.[3] Kitanofuji was a good friend of Tamanoumi as well as a rival and was shocked by his death. He was just 27 years old and considered to be in his prime and likely to have won many more championships had he lived. In his last seven tournaments he had won four and been runner-up in the other three, and had lost only nine out of 105 bouts. His winning percentage as a yokozuna was .867, second only to Futabayama in the 20th century,[3] and he gave away only three kinboshi in that time.

Career record

Tamanoumi Masahiro[4]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo
March
Haru basho, Osaka
May
Natsu basho, Tokyo
July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya
September
Aki basho, Tokyo
November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1959 x (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #27
62
 
West Jonidan #105
80
Champion

 
East Sandanme #104
53
 
West Sandanme #72
44
 
1960 West Sandanme #71
44
 
East Sandanme #61
53
 
West Sandanme #40
62
 
West Sandanme #9
34
 
West Sandanme #19
61
 
West Makushita #77
43
 
1961 East Makushita #70
52
 
East Makushita #48
61
 
East Makushita #22
43
 
East Makushita #20
52
 
East Makushita #14
34
 
West Makushita #18
43
 
1962 East Makushita #17
43
 
East Makushita #15
43
 
West Makushita #11
43
 
West Makushita #8
16
 
East Makushita #27
43
 
West Makushita #22
34
 
1963 West Makushita #25
61
 
West Makushita #14
43
 
East Makushita #12
61
 
East Makushita #4
61
 
East Jūryō #18
96
 
West Jūryō #15
105
 
1964 West Jūryō #4
114
 
East Maegashira #15
96
 
West Maegashira #9
87
 
West Maegashira #6
87
 
West Maegashira #4
87
 
West Maegashira #1
96
 
1965 East Komusubi #1
510
 
East Maegashira #3
96
O
West Komusubi #1
87
O
West Sekiwake #1
69
 
West Maegashira #1
78
West Maegashira #2
411
 
1966 West Maegashira #8
132
F
East Maegashira #1
96
West Sekiwake #1
105
F
West Sekiwake #1
96
O
East Sekiwake #1
114
O
West Ōzeki
96
 
1967 West Ōzeki #1
96
 
West Ōzeki #1
78
 
West Ōzeki #1
87
 
East Ōzeki #1
96
 
West Ōzeki #1
96
 
West Ōzeki #1
114
 
1968 East Ōzeki #1
123
 
East Ōzeki #1
123
 
East Ōzeki #1
132
 
East Ōzeki #1
105
 
West Ōzeki #1
105
 
East Ōzeki #1
123
 
1969 East Ōzeki #1
123
 
East Ōzeki #1
105
 
West Ōzeki #1
87
 
West Ōzeki #2
96
 
West Ōzeki #2
132
 
East Ōzeki #1
105
 
1970 West Ōzeki #1
132P
 
West Yokozuna #1
132
 
East Yokozuna #2
123
 
East Yokozuna #2
96
 
West Yokozuna #1
141
 
East Yokozuna #1
141P
 
1971 East Yokozuna #1
141P
 
East Yokozuna #1
141
 
East Yokozuna #1
132
 
West Yokozuna #1
150
 
East Yokozuna #1
123
 
x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: =Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi Jūryō Makushita Sandanme Jonidan Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna Ōzeki Sekiwake Komusubi Maegashira

See also

References

  1. Newton, Clyde (2002-03-10). "Two Ozeki aiming to boost promotion hopes in Osaka". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  2. Kuroda, Joe (June 2008). "The 51st Yokozuna Tamanoumi Masashiro (1944–1971)" (PDF). Sumo Fan Magazine. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  3. Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
  4. "Tamanoumi Masahiro Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-07-29.
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