Takanosato Toshihide

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隆の里俊英
Takanosato Toshihide
Personal information
Real name Takaya Toshihide
Date of birth September 29, 1952
Place of birth Aomori, Japan
Height 182.0cm (5'11")
Weight 159.0kg (350lb)
Career*
Heya Futagoyama
Rank retired
Record 693-493-80
Debut July, 1968
Highest rank Yokozuna (July, 1983)
Yushos 4 (Makuuchi)
Special Prizes Outstanding Performance (2)
Fighting Spirit (5)
Gold stars 2 (Wajima, Kitanoumi)

* Career information is correct as of March 2007.

Takanosato Toshihide (born September 29, 1952 as Takaya Toshihide) is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori, Japan. He was the sport's 59th Yokozuna.

Takanosato began his career in July 1968 at the age of 15, but he was a late developer, not reaching sumo's highest rank until July 1983, when he was nearly 31. Most yokozuna fare badly in the tournament immediately following their promotion, but Takanosato won it with a perfect 15-0 record-- the first yokozuna to do so since Futabayama in the 1930s. He began a great rivalry with fellow yokozuna Chiyonofuji. In the four tournaments from July 1983 to January 1984, the two yokozuna came into the final day with the same score. This is a unique occurence in sumo. It was Takanosato who won three out of the four tournament-deciding bouts, and he became the last rikishi to have a winning record against Chiyonofuji.

Takansato missed most of 1985 through injury and illness (he had for a long time battled diabetes) and announced his retirement in January 1986 at the age of 33. His career record was 693 wins, 493 losses and 80 absences, with four tournament championships. He took the name Naruto upon joining the Sumo Association as an oyakata, or elder, and opened his own stable in 1989. Naruto-beya has produced several top division rikishi. Currently it is the home of rising star Kisenosato, ranked at komusubi as of November 2006.

[edit] Sources

Grand Sumo: The Living Sport and Tradition by Lorna Sharnoff, Weatherhill, 1993.

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Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
59th Yokozuna
1983 - 1986
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Futahaguro Kōji
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