Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

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**Sadanoyama Shinmatsu**
Personal information

Birth name	Shinmatsu Sasada
Date of birth	February 18, 1938 (1938-02-18) (age 70)
Place of birth	Nagasaki, Japan
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+¹⁄₂ in)
Weight	129 kg (280 lb)
Career*
Heya	Dewanoumi
Record	591-251-61
Debut	January, 1956
Highest rank	Yokozuna (March, 1965)
Retired	March, 1968
Yusho	6 (Makuuchi)
Special Prizes	Fighting Spirit (1) Outstanding Performance (1) Technique (1)
Gold stars	2
* Career information is correct as of July 2007.

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (佐田の山晋松, born February 18, 1938 as Shinmatsu Sasada) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 50th Yokozuna.

1 Career
2 Retirement from sumo
3 Top division record
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Career

Born in Arikawa, Minamimatsuua Disctict, he made his professional debut in January 1956, and reached sekitori status four years later upon promotion to the juryo 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 ozeki in March 1962 after winning his second title, and then yokozuna in January 1965 after capturing his third championship.

He made a cameo appearance in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, as himself.

Sadanoyama announced his retirement suddenly in March 1968, despite having won the previous two tournaments, following a surprise loss to a new maegashira, the Hawaiian born Takamiyama. It has been suggested that the shock of losing to a foreigner may have prompted a premature retirement.^[1]

[edit] Retirement from sumo

Sadanoyama remained in the sumo world after his retirement, as an elder. Having married the daughter of the previous stable boss, former maegashira Dewanohana, he became head coach of the Dewanoumi stable. 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. He did not run for re-election in 1998, after it became clear he lacked enough support, and was replaced by former ozeki Yutakayama. He stood down as an elder in 2003 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five.

[edit] Top division record

Sadanoyama^[2]
	January Hatsu basho, Tokyo	March Haru basho, Osaka	May Natsu basho, Tokyo	July Nagoya basho, Nagoya	September Aki basho, Tokyo	November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1961	East Maegashira #12 10–5	Sat out due to injury	West Maegashira #13 12–3 F	East Maegashira #2 11–4 O★★	East Sekiwake 8–7	East Sekiwake 8–7
1962	West Sekiwake 9–6	East Sekiwake 13–2 T	West Ōzeki 13–2	East Ōzeki 9–6	East Ōzeki 13–2	East Ōzeki 11–4
1963	East Ōzeki 12–3	East Ōzeki 0–5–10	East Ōzeki 11–4	West Ōzeki 13–2	East Ōzeki 10–5	East Ōzeki 8–7
1964	East Ōzeki 9–3–3	East Ōzeki 9–6	East Ōzeki 11–4	West Ōzeki 8–7	West Ōzeki 13–2	East Ōzeki 13–2
1965	East Ōzeki 13–2	West Yokozuna 12–3	West Yokozuna 14–1	East Yokozuna 12–3	West Yokozuna 12–3	East Yokozuna 11–4
1966	West Yokozuna 5–6–4	West Yokozuna 5–5–5	Sat out due to injury	West Yokozuna 11–4	East Yokozuna 12–3	East Yokozuna 10–5
1967	East Yokozuna 14–1	West Yokozuna 9–6	East Yokozuna 12–3	East Yokozuna 10–5	West Yokozuna 12–3	West Yokozuna 13–2
1968	East Yokozuna 13–2	East Yokozuna 2–4–retired	x	x	x	x
Record given as win-loss-absent Championship Retired Demoted from makuuchi Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira