Asahisato Kenji

Asahisato Kenji (born 9 November 1965 as Kenji Masuda) is a former sumo wrestler from Ikeda, Osaka, Japan. His active career spanned 17 years and 102 tournaments from 1981 until 1998, and his highest rank was maegashira 14. Upon his retirement he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association. He took charge of Nakagawa stable in January 2017, but the stable was closed in July 2020 and he was demoted two rungs in the Sumo Association's hierarchy after he was found to have mistreated wrestlers in the stable.

Asahisato Kenji
旭里 憲治
Personal information
BornKenji Masuda
(1965-11-09) 9 November 1965
Ikeda, Osaka, Japan
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight125 kg (276 lb)
Career
StableŌshima
Record553-543-3
DebutMarch 1981
Highest rankMaegashira 14 (March 1990)
RetiredJanuary 1998
Elder nameNakagawa
Championships1 (Makushita)
1 (Jonidan)
* Up to date as of Sep. 2012.

Career

He played baseball in elementary school and was a member of the judo club from his second year of junior high school. He joined Oshima stable upon his graduation from junior high, making his professional debut in March 1981. He began as Asahisato but from 1983 to 1987 was known as Kyokutenyu before reverting to his original shikona. He became the first new sekitori of the Heisei period when he was promoted to the juryo division in January 1989. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 1990. In his debut tournament in makuuchi he had seven wins and seven losses coming into the final day but lost to Oginohana who was also on 7–7 and got demoted back to juryo. He reached the top division three more times, but in each case had make-koshi, or a losing record and he was not able to climb higher than the rank of maegashira 14 which he had first made in his debut top division tournament. He fell back to the makushita division for three tournaments from November 1994 to March 1995 but returned to the paid ranks after winning the makushita division championship with a perfect 7–0 record. He was demoted to makushita again for three tournaments in 1997 but again got promoted back. Overall, he fought 1095 career matches across 102 tournaments, with 553 wins, 543 losses and just three absences due to injury. He spent a total of 53 tournaments as a sekitori, 49 in juryo and four in makuuchi.

Retirement from sumo

He retired in January 1998 and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Kumagatani, although this kabu was borrowed from the former maegashira Yoshinomine who had retired from the Sumo Association two years before upon reaching 65 years of age. In 2004 he switched to the Nakagawa kabu after the takeover of Miyagino stable by the former Kanechika meant the Kumegatani kabu was needed by the former Chikubayama. Asahisato transferred to Oitekaze stable where he continued to work as a coach.[1] In January 2017 he branched out from Oitekaze stable to become head coach of the Nakagawa stable, which is composed of wrestlers previously from the closed Kasugayama stable which had merged with Oitekaze when its previous head coach, former maegashira Hamanishiki, was forced to step down.[2]

In July 2020 Nakagawa stable was closed down by the Sumo Association after three wrestlers complained of verbal and physical abuse.[3] Nakagawa was allowed to stay as an elder but was demoted two rungs in the Sumo Association's hierarchy to plain toshiyori status. He was transferred to Tokitsukaze stable with his wrestlers being dispersed among several different stables.[4] Nakagawa apologized to the other stablemasters present at the disciplinary meeting, saying "I didn’t know that my disciples took my words and deeds as (abuse)."[2] He escaped outright dismissal as the wrestlers were not injured and were not seeking further punishment.[2]

Fighting style

Asahisato was a yotsu-sumo wrestler who preferring grappling techniques to pushing or thrusting. When grabbing the mawashi or belt he used a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) position. He regularly used his left hand outside grip to win by uwatenage or overarm throw.

Career record
Asahisato Kenji[5]
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
1981 x (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #35
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #134
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #88
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #110
4–3
 
1982 East Jonidan #88
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #109
6–1
 		 East Jonidan #39
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #23
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #51
7–0–PPP
Champion
 		 East Sandanme #52
2–5
 
1983 West Sandanme #75
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #13
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #33
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #20
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #53
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #39
5–2
 
1984 East Sandanme #11
2–5
 		 East Sandanme #37
2–5
 		 West Sandanme #5
5–2
 		 West Makushita #39
2–5
 		 East Sandanme #8
5–2
 		 West Makushita #41
3–4
 
1985 East Makushita #55
5–2
 		 East Makushita #34
2–5
 		 West Makushita #58
5–2
 		 East Makushita #37
5–2
 		 East Makushita #21
4–3
 		 West Makushita #16
3–4
 
1986 West Makushita #25
2–5
 		 East Makushita #48
5–2
 		 East Makushita #30
2–5
 		 West Makushita #60
4–3
 		 East Makushita #46
4–3
 		 East Makushita #38
4–3
 
1987 East Makushita #31
1–6
 		 East Sandanme #2
4–3
 		 West Makushita #50
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #2
4–3
 		 West Makushita #46
5–2
 		 East Makushita #28
5–2
 
1988 East Makushita #14
4–3
 		 West Makushita #7
2–5
 		 West Makushita #21
5–2
 		 West Makushita #12
4–3
 		 West Makushita #7
4–3
 		 East Makushita #3
5–2
 
1989 West Jūryō #13
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #9
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #6
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #11
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #7
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #4
9–6
 
1990 East Jūryō #1
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #14
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #1
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #14
3–12
 		 West Jūryō #8
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #2
5–10
 
1991 East Jūryō #7
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #2
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #1
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #5
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #3
5–7–3
 		 East Jūryō #8
6–9
 
1992 East Jūryō #12
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #7
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #5
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #3
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #16
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #2
5–10
 
1993 West Jūryō #7
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #3
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #5
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #4
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #3
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #2
8–7
 
1994 East Jūryō #2
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #1
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #16
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #4
4–11
 		 East Jūryō #12
2–13
 		 West Makushita #9
2–5
 
1995 East Makushita #25
5–2
 		 West Makushita #14
7–0
Champion
 		 East Jūryō #13
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #9
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #8
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #11
9–6
 
1996 West Jūryō #6
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #5
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #8
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #11
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #5
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #7
1–14
 
1997 West Makushita #10
4–3
 		 West Makushita #6
4–3
 		 West Makushita #3
5–2
 		 West Jūryō #12
10–5
 		 East Jūryō #5
4–11
 		 East Jūryō #10
9–6
 
1998 West Jūryō #4
Retired
5–10		 x x x x 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(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira
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See also

References
  1. "Oyakata (Coaches)". Nihon Sumo Kyokai. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  2. "Sumo violence: Stablemaster demoted for abusing disciples". Asahi Shimbun. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  3. "降格処分の中川親方　３人の弟子に「ぼんくら」「殺すぞ」暴言と暴力繰り返す". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  4. "暴力、暴言の中川親方、２階級降格　部屋は閉鎖、時津風部屋の部屋付き親方に". daily.co.jp. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  5. "Asahisato Kenji Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
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