| Sadanoyama Shinmatsu | |
|---|---|
_Scan10011.JPG/440px-Sadanoyama_Shinmatsu_1961_(01)_Scan10011.JPG) Sadanoyama celebrates his first tournament victory in May 1961 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Shinmatsu Sasada February 18, 1938 Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | April 27, 2017 (aged 79) |
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 129 kg (284 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Dewanoumi |
| Record | 591-251-61 |
| Debut | January, 1956 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (January, 1965) |
| Retired | March, 1968 |
| Elder name | Sakaigawa |
| Championships | 6 (Makuuchi) |
| Special Prizes | Fighting Spirit (1) Outstanding Performance (1) Technique (1) |
| Gold Stars | 2 (Wakanohana I, Azumafuji) |
| * Up to date as of June 2020. | |
Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (Japanese: 佐田の山 晋松, born Shinmatsu Sasada (佐々田 晋松), February 18, 1938 – April 27, 2017) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture. He was the sport's 50th yokozuna. After his retirement he was the head coach of Dewanoumi stable and served as head of the Japan Sumo Association.
Career[edit]
Born in Arikawa, Minamimatsuura District, he made his professional debut in January 1956, and reached sekitori status four years later upon promotion to the jūryō division in March 1960. He made his top makuuchi division debut in January 1961. Sadanoyama won his first tournament title in only his third tournament in the top division, from the rank of maegashira 13. The achievement of winning a tournament from the maegashira ranks is sometimes seen as a jinx on subsequent success in sumo,[1] but Sadanoyama disproved that theory by going on to reach ōzeki in March 1962 after winning his second title, and then yokozuna in January 1965 after capturing his third championship.
_Scan10011.JPG){kind=link}
He made a cameo appearance in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, as himself.[2] Although more attention was focused on yokozuna Taihō and Kashiwado, with their rivalry referred to as the Hakuho era after a combination of their shikona,[3] Sadanoyama in fact ended up winning more tournament championships than Kashiwado.[1]
Sadanoyama announced his retirement suddenly in March 1968, despite having won the previous two tournaments, two days after a surprise loss to a new maegashira, the Hawaiian born Takamiyama.[1] It has been suggested that the shock of losing to a foreigner may have prompted a premature retirement.[1]
Retirement from sumo[edit]
Sadanoyama remained in the sumo world after his retirement, as an elder. Having married the daughter of the previous stable boss, former maegashira Dewanohana Kuniichi, he became head coach of the Dewanoumi stable. One of the most powerful heya in sumo, he produced a string of top division wrestlers, including Mienoumi, Dewanohana Yoshitaka, Washūyama, Ōnishiki, Ryōgoku, Oginishiki and Mainoumi. In February 1992 he became head of the Japan Sumo Association. He was chosen ahead of his contemporaries Taihō and Kashiwado partly because he was in better health than either of them.[1] He changed his toshiyori name to Sakaigawa in 1996, handing over the Dewanoumi name and the day-to-day running of his stable to the former Washūyama. He did not run for re-election in 1998, after it became clear he lacked enough support, and was replaced by former ōzeki Yutakayama from the rival Tokitsukaze faction. He subsequently became head of the judging department, an unusual move for a former head of the Sumo Association.[4] He stood down as an elder in 2003 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five.[4]
Death[edit]
He died in a Tokyo hospital of pneumonia on April 27, 2017 at the age of 79.[4]
Fighting style[edit]
Sadanoyama was known for employing pushing and thrusting techniques such as tsuppari (a series of rapid thrusts to the chest) and regularly won by such kimarite as oshi dashi (push out) and tsuki dashi (thrust out). However he was also good on the mawashi where he preferred a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip, and often won by yori kiri (force out) and uwatenage (overarm throw).
Career record[edit]
- The Kyushu tournament was first held in 1957, and the Nagoya tournament in 1958.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | (Maezumo) | West Jonokuchi #10 5–3 | East Jonidan #88 6–2 | Not held | West Jonidan #34 7–1 | Not held |
| 1957 | East Sandanme #85 4–4 | East Sandanme #82 4–4 | East Sandanme #72 5–3 | Not held | West Sandanme #42 7–1 | East Sandanme #13 5–3 |
| 1958 | West Sandanme #3 5–3 | West Makushita #72 5–3 | East Makushita #66 5–3 | East Makushita #56 6–2 | East Makushita #43 5–3 | West Makushita #32 4–4 |
| 1959 | West Makushita #31 5–3 | East Makushita #28 5–3 | West Makushita #23 6–2 | West Makushita #10 5–3 | East Makushita #9 4–4 | West Makushita #6 5–3 |
| 1960 | West Makushita #4 6–2 | East Jūryō #16 11–4 | West Jūryō #9 10–5 | West Jūryō #3 7–8 | West Jūryō #4 8–7 | East Jūryō #2 11–4 |
| 1961 | East Maegashira #12 10–5 | West Maegashira #4 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 | West Maegashira #13 12–3 F | East Maegashira #2 11–4 O★★ | East Sekiwake #2 8–7 | East Sekiwake #2 8–7 |
| 1962 | West Sekiwake #1 9–6 | East Sekiwake #2 13–2–P T | West Ōzeki #1 13–2 | East Ōzeki #1 9–6 | East Ōzeki #2 13–2–P | East Ōzeki #1 11–4 |
| 1963 | East Ōzeki #1 12–3 | East Ōzeki #1 0–5–10 | East Ōzeki #3 11–4 | West Ōzeki #1 13–2–P | East Ōzeki #1 10–5 | East Ōzeki #2 8–7 |
| 1964 | East Ōzeki #2 9–3–3 | East Ōzeki #1 9–6 | East Ōzeki #2 11–4 | West Ōzeki #1 8–7 | West Ōzeki #2 13–2 | East Ōzeki #1 13–2 |
| 1965 | East Ōzeki #1 13–2 | West Yokozuna #1 12–3 | West Yokozuna #1 14–1 | East Yokozuna #1 12–3 | West Yokozuna #1 12–3–P | East Yokozuna #1 11–4 |
| 1966 | West Yokozuna #1 5–6–4 | West Yokozuna #1 5–5–5 | West Yokozuna #2 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 | West Yokozuna #2 11–4 | East Yokozuna #2 12–3 | East Yokozuna #2 10–5 |
| 1967 | East Yokozuna #2 14–1 | West Yokozuna #1 9–6 | East Yokozuna #2 12–3 | East Yokozuna #2 10–5 | West Yokozuna #1 12–3 | West Yokozuna #1 12–3 |
| 1968 | East Yokozuna #1 13–2 | East Yokozuna #1 Retired 2–4 | ||||
| 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) | ||||||
See also[edit]
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of sumo tournament top division champions
- List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of yokozuna
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. pp. 51, 52, 96, 154. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
- ^ "You Only Live Twice". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2012-10-06. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ "Haku" is an alternative reading of the "Kashi" kanji.
- ^ a b c "Former yokozuna Sadanoyama dies at 79". Japan Times. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ "Sadanoyama Shinmatsu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-07-29. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
External links[edit]
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sadanoyama Shinmatsu. |
- Japan Sumo Association profile
| Preceded by Tochinoumi Teruyoshi | 50th Yokozuna 1965–1968 | Succeeded by Tamanoumi Masahiro | ||
| Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once | ||||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wakanohana Kanji I | Chairman of the Japan Sumo Association 1992–1998 | Succeeded by Yutakayama Katsuo |
