Hitachiiwa Eitarō

Hitachiiwa Eitarō (常陸岩英太郎, March 9, 1900 – September 21, 1957) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Tokyo. His highest rank was ōzeki.

Hitachiiwa Eitarō
常陸岩英太郎
Personal information
BornEitaro Sakurai
(1900-03-09)March 9, 1900
Tokyo, Japan
DiedSeptember 21, 1957(1957-09-21) (aged 57)
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight115 kg (254 lb)
Career
StableDewanoumi
Record147-74-47-3draws-3holds
(Makuuchi)
DebutMay 1917
Highest rankŌzeki (May 1927)
RetiredMarch 1931
Elder nameSakaigawa
Championships1 (Makuuchi)
1 (Jūryō)
* Up to date as of June 25 2020.

Career

Born in Chuo, he joined Dewanoumi stable and was coached by former yokozuna Hitachiyama. He made his debut in May 1917, and was promoted to the jūryō division in May 1922. After winning the jūryō division championship in January 1923 he reached the top makuuchi division in May 1923. In January 1926, at the rank of maegashira 2, he finished as runner-up to yokozuna Tsunenohana with a fine 10–1 record. His earned him promotion to sekiwake, and after two more runner-up performances he was promoted to ōzeki in May 1927.

In January 1928, he won his only top division yūshō, or championship, but it caused great controversy. On Day 10, he scored a win by default (fusensho) against Nishinoumi Kajirō III, who was a no-show for the bout. His rival for the championship, veteran maegashira and former sekiwake Misugiiso, had won all his bouts in actual fights but was then defeated by strong komusubi Tamanishiki (later yokozuna) on the 11th day. At the end of the tournament they both had 10–1 records, as Hitachiiwa had defeated yokozuna Miyagiyama on the final day. Hitachiiwa and Misugiiso were too far apart in rank to have been paired against each other during the tournament, and as there was no playoff system in place at that time, Hitachiiwa, in the higher ōzeki rank was awarded the yūshō. Many people sympathized with Misugiiso as it had cost him his only chance to win a championship. Misugiiso was only able to win two more bouts in his career and retired a year later.

The controversy gathered around the system of keeping score for matches won by default as one wrestler does not appear for their scheduled fight (fusensho). At the time, only in the last two days of a tournament could a win by default be accepted, and there was no formal announcement (kachi-nanori) of the winner by default, so both wrestlers would be scored as not appearing for the match. In the following tournament in March 1928, the modern system was established where the winner by default was officially scored as a win and not a no-show, as it was in the past.

Hitachiiwa fell ill after the dispute and was unable to capitalise on his win, sitting out the March 1928 tournament. He was unable to record consistently good results in his following career and was never in contention for another championship. He retired in March 1931. He remained in the sumo world as an elder, under the name Sakaigawa, and worked as a coach in Dewanoumi stable until his death.

Career record
  • In 1927 Tokyo and Osaka sumo merged and four tournaments a year in Tokyo and other locations began to be held.
Hitachiiwa Eitarō[1]
- Spring
Haru basho, varied		 Summer
Natsu basho, varied
1917 (Maezumo) Shinjo
2–1
 
1918 East Jonokuchi #11
3–2
 		 West Jonidan #62
2–3
 
1919 East Jonidan #60
5–0
 		 East Sandanme #50
3–2
 
1920 West Sandanme #31
4–1
 		 West Makushita #50
3–2
 
1921 East Makushita #27
4–1
 		 West Makushita #5
2–3
 
1922 East Makushita #14
4–1
 		 East Jūryō #10
3–2
 
1923 East Jūryō #6
8–1
Champion
 		 West Maegashira #16
7–4
 
1924 West Maegashira #4
5–3
1d
 		 East Maegashira #2
7–3
1h
 
1925 East Maegashira #1
6–2
1d 2h
 		 West Sekiwake #1
0–0–11
 
1926 West Maegashira #2
10–1
 		 East Sekiwake #1
7–4
 
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
- Spring
Haru basho, Tokyo		 March
Sangatsu basho, varied		 Summer
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 October
Jūgatsu basho, varied
1927 West Sekiwake #1
9–2
 		 West Sekiwake #1
9–2
 		 West Ōzeki #1
7–4
 		 East Ōzeki #2
8–2
1d
 
1928 East Ōzeki #1
10–1
 		 West Ōzeki #1
0–0–11
 		 West Ōzeki #1
4–4–3
 		 West Ōzeki #1
8–3
 
1929 East Ōzeki #1
5–6
 		 East Ōzeki #1
7–4
 		 East Ōzeki #1
8–3
 		 East Ōzeki #1
3–3–5
 
1930 East Ōzeki #2
3–3–5
 		 East Ōzeki #2
8–3
 		 East Ōzeki #2
5–6
 		 East Ōzeki #2
6–5
 
1931 West Ōzeki #2
5–6
 		 West Ōzeki #2
Retired
0–0–11
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Key:d=Draw(s) (引分);   h=Hold(s) (預り)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

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

References
  1. "Hatachiiwa Eitaro Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
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