Wakashima Gonshirō
Wakashima Gonshirō (Japanese: 若島 権四郎, January 19, 1876 – October 23, 1943) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. He was the sport's 21st yokozuna.
| Wakashima Gonshirō | |
|---|---|
| 若島 権四郎 | |
 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Takahashi Gonshirō January 19, 1876 Chiba, Japan |
| Died | October 23, 1943 (aged 67) |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 116 kg (256 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Tomozuna, Nakamura |
| Record | 82-33-13draws (Makuuchi) |
| Debut | May, 1891 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (April, 1905) |
| Retired | January, 1907 |
| Championships | 4 (Osaka makuuchi, unofficial) |
| * Up to date as of October 2007. | |
Career
He was born Takahashi Gonshirō (高橋 権四郎), but later changed his surname to Katō (加藤). Wakashima was the first official yokozuna from Osaka sumo. He began his career in Tokyo sumo at the Tomozuna stable, joining in May 1891 at the age of 15. He reached the top makuuchi division in 1896, peaking at maegashira 7. He was very popular with geisha, but his interest in this side of life caused his progress in sumo to slacken. In addition, he suffered from smallpox. He left in January 1898, joining Osaka sumo, and entering Nakamura stable. It is believed he was awarded the Osaka sumo yokozuna licence by the Gojo family in January 1903 though the evidence is obscure. In June 1903, he fought against wrestlers in Tokyo sumo. He gave a very strong performance, defeating yokozuna Umegatani Tōtarō II and emerged as a threat to the dominance of the strongest yokozuna in Tokyo sumo, Hitachiyama.[1] His strength was acknowledged when, after a series of meetings between the Osaka and Tokyo sumo associations, he was awarded a yokozuna license by the Yoshida family in April 1905. The only wrestler active in Osaka sumo to ever receive this recognition.[1] He retired at the early age of 31 in January 1907 owing to an injury suffered in a cycling accident in September 1905, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Tokyo sumo top division record
| - | Spring | Summer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | West Maegashira #12 4–2–1 3d |
West Maegashira #7 1–7–1 1h |
||||
| 1897 | West Maegashira #12 1–7–2 |
West Maegashira #14 4–5–1 |
||||
| 1898 | West Maegashira #13 3–5–1 1d |
Sat out | ||||
| 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) | ||||||
Osaka sumo top division record
- Osaka sumo existed independently for many years before merging with Tokyo sumo in 1926. 1–2 tournaments were held yearly, though the actual time they were held was often erratic.
- In his first Osaka tournament Wakashima competed at makuuchi, but was unranked.
| First | Second | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | Maegashira 4–1–3 1d |
West Maegashira #12 7–2 |
||||
| 1899 | West Maegashira #8 7–1–1 |
Not held | ||||
| 1900 | West Komusubi 7–0–1 1d 1h Unofficial |
Not held | ||||
| 1901 | West Ōzeki 7–0–1 1h Unofficial |
Not held | ||||
| 1902 | East Ōzeki 8–0 1h Unofficial |
Not held | ||||
| 1903 | East Yokozuna 8–1 |
East Yokozuna 4–0–4 1d |
||||
| 1904 | East Yokozuna 6–1–2 |
East Yokozuna 7–1–1 1d |
||||
| 1905 | Sat out | East Yokozuna 8–0–1 1d Unofficial |
||||
| 1906 | Sat out | Sat out | ||||
| 1907 | Retired – | |||||
| 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) | ||||||
*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded in Osaka sumo before its merger with Tokyo sumo, and the unofficial championships above are historically conferred. For more information, see yūshō.
References
- "68 Yokozuna in 400 Years". Le Monde Du Sumo. June 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- "Wakashima Daigoro Rikishi Information". Sumo References. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- "NAME Rikishi Information" (in Japanese). 横綱力士幕内星取表.
External links
- (in Japanese) his record
- (in Japanese) list of championship winners in Osaka sumo
| Preceded by Umegatani Tōtarō II |
21st Yokozuna 1905–1907 |
Succeeded by Tachiyama Mineemon | ||
| Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once | ||||