Tokitsuyama Jin'ichi

Tokitsuyama Jin'ichi (March 10, 1925 – November 21, 1968) was a professional sumo wrestler from Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan who wrestled for Tatsunami stable. He won the top division sumo championship in the summer tournament of 1953 and was runner-up in five other tournaments. His highest rank was sekiwake. After his retirement in 1961 he worked as a coach at Tatsunami stable until his death in 1968.

Tokitsuyama Jin'ichi
時津山 仁一
Personal information
BornWaragai Jin'ichi
(1925-03-10)March 10, 1925
Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan
DiedNovember 21, 1968(1968-11-21) (aged 43)
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Weight137 kg (302 lb)
Career
StableTatsunami
Record432-390-40
DebutMay, 1940
Highest rankSekiwake (January 1954)
RetiredMarch, 1961
Elder nameOshiogawa
Championships1 (Makuuchi)
1 (Makushita)
Special PrizesOutstanding Performance (3)
Fighting Spirit (4)
Gold Stars8
Tochinishiki (4)
Chiyonoyama (2)
Terukuni
Yoshibayama
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Life and career

At a young age his parents divorced and he was raised by his grandparents. His first professional tournament was in May 1940 as a wrestler for the former incarnation of Tokitsukaze stable, which was a leftover from the days of Osaka sumo. The stable soon closed however, and he transferred to Tatsunami stable. He tried out a number of ring names before settling on Tokitsuyama to honor the defunct stable he originally debuted for.

Celebrating his tournament win in May 1953

He was a weak wrestler at first, and he was not able to actually be listed on the sumo ranking sheet known as the banzuke until the January tournament of 1943. He did not really bloom as a strong competitor until after returning as a soldier from World War II. In the 1946 tournament (the only one held that year) he achieved a 7–0 perfect record and also took the championship in the makushita division. Expectations surrounding him began to rise after this. He was promoted to the salaried ranks of jūryō in the following summer tournament of 1947. He was promoted to the top division makuuchi in May 1949, but received a losing record and fell back to jūryō. He was soon back in makuuchi though, and in September 1950 at maegashira 21 he achieved a 12–3 record and the Fighting Spirit Prize. He was a top division regular from then on. Almost three years later, in May 1953 he achieved his one and only top division championship with a perfect 15–0 record. However, as he was only ranked at maegashira 6, the highest ranked opponent he faced that tournament was a komusubi and the two ōzeki at the time Yoshibayama and Tochinishiki, who also had winning streaks in that tournament, never had a chance to face him to even the odds. In the January 1955 tournament he was in a similar situation at maegashira 9. He was in position to win the championship on the final day of the tournament, but this time had to face yokozuna Chiyonoyama in a playoff, which he lost. He was a consistent makuuchi wrestler for many years after this, but began to decline after 1960.

Retirement from sumo

Tokisuyama retired before the 1961 March tournament rather than face demotion to jūryō. He remained in the sumo world after his retirement as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name of Oshiogawa, but died of liver cancer at age 43 in November 1968.

Fighting style

During his career, Tokitsuyama was known for using a variety of techniques such as lifting and inner-thigh throws, and would often twist and turn even the strongest opponents all over the dohyō. This reliance on such techniques also led to inconsistency, and though he was a formidable opponent, he never had more than 12 wins in any tournament besides his championship tournament and was never promoted above sekiwake. Regardless, he was part of a group of well-known top division wrestlers from his same Tatsunami stable at this time, namely Wakahaguro, Annenyama and Kitanonada who were popularly known then as the Four Heavenly Kings, a Buddhist reference.

Pre-modern sumo record
  • In 1953 the New Year tournament was begun and the Spring tournament began to be held in Osaka.
Tokitsuyama[1]
- Spring
Haru basho, Tokyo		 Summer
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 Autumn
Aki basho, Tokyo
1940 x (Maezumo) Not held
1941 (Maezumo) (Maezumo) Not held
1942 (Maezumo) (Maezumo) Not held
1943 West Jonokuchi #32
4–4
 		 East Jonidan #77
5–3
 		 Not held
1944 East Jonidan #29
3–5
 		 East Jonidan #35
3–2
 		 East Jonidan #6
3–2
 
1945 Not held Left JSA East Sandanme #12
3–2
 
1946 Not held Not held West Makushita #21
7–0
Champion
 
1947 Not held West Jūryō #12
2–8
 		 East Makushita #1
4–2
 
1948 Not held East Jūryō #10
6–5
 		 East Jūryō #9
8–3
 
1949 West Jūryō #2
7–6
 		 West Maegashira #21
4–11
 		 West Jūryō #3
6–9
 
1950 East Jūryō #5
12–3
 		 West Maegashira #18
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #21
12–3
F
1951 West Maegashira #7
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #6
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #8
11–4
F
1952 West Komusubi
2–13
 		 West Maegashira #6
10–5
 		 West Komusubi
6–9
 
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
- New Year
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 Spring
Haru basho, Osaka		 Summer
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 Autumn
Aki basho, Tokyo
1953 West Maegashira #2
6–9
★		 West Maegashira #4
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #6
15–0
F		 East Komusubi
8–7
 
1954 East Sekiwake
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #1
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #4
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #2
3–2–10
 
1955 West Maegashira #9
12–3–P
F		 East Maegashira #3
8–7
★		 West Maegashira #1
12–3
O★		 West Sekiwake
11–4
 
1956 East Sekiwake
8–7
 		 West Sekiwake
7–8
 		 West Komusubi
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Maegashira #7
12–3
 
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

Modern sumo record
  • Since the addition of the Kyushu tournament in 1957 and the Nagoya tournament in 1958, the yearly schedule has remained unchanged.
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
1957 East Maegashira #1
5–8–2
★		 West Maegashira #5
12–3
★		 West Sekiwake
11–4
 		 Not held East Sekiwake
9–6
 		 East Sekiwake
9–6
 
1958 West Sekiwake
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #1
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #5
4–6–5
★		 East Maegashira #10
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #4
12–3
O★		 East Komusubi
10–5
 
1959 East Sekiwake
9–6
O		 East Sekiwake
3–12
 		 West Maegashira #5
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #2
2–13
 		 West Maegashira #10
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #8
7–8
 
1960 East Maegashira #9
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #11
12–3
 		 East Maegashira #5
3–12
★		 West Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #2
2–13
 		 West Maegashira #10
6–9
 
1961 West Maegashira #14
1–6–8
 		 West Jūryō #6
Retired
0–0–15		 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
gollark: pls roll 14
gollark: pls roll 12
gollark: pls roll 16
gollark: pls roll 8
gollark: pls roll 4

See also

References
  1. "Tokitsuyama Jinichi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
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