Toyonishiki Kiichiro
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Harley Ozaki | |
| Date of birth | February 3, 1920 | |
| Place of birth | Colorado, US | |
| Date of death | September 26, 1998 (aged 78) | |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | |
| Weight | 96 kg (210 lb) | |
| Career* | ||
| Heya | Dewanoumi | |
| Record | 6-4-0 (Makuuchi) | |
| Debut | January, 1938 | |
| Highest rank | Maegashira 17 (November, 1945) | |
| Retired | November, 1945 | |
|
* Career information is correct as of May 2008. |
||
Toyonishiki Kiichiro (3 February 1920 - 26 September 1998) was a Japanese-American sumo wrestler who joined the sport shortly before World War II. He was one of the first foreign-born wrestlers to reach the top makuuchi division.
Contents |
[edit] Career
He was born as Harley Ozaki in Pierce, Colorado, although he was to list Chikujo, Fukuoka as his birthplace on the banzuke ranking sheets. He joined Dewanoumi stable in January 1938. He had been introduced to the stable by a relative during a visit to Japan.[1] Initially he knew nothing about sumo, assuming that the sand covered clay dohyo was made of concrete.[1]
He was the fifth Japanese-American in sumo and the first to reach elite sekitori status.[1] He never had a losing score in his eight years in sumo. [1]He was promoted to the second juryo division in January 1943 and reached the top makuuchi division in May 1944. He scored six wins against four losses, but this was to be his last tournament before being drafted into the Japanese army.[1]
He still had American citizenship and had really wanted to fight for the United States, but as he could not return to the US he agreed to change his citizenship at the urging of the Japan Sumo Association.[1] He adopted the Japanese name of Kiichiro Ozaki.
He survived the war but decided not to return to sumo, believing he could make a better living as an interpreter.[1] He regained his US citizenship and in his later years ran an ryokan (inn) in Tokyo with his wife.[1]
[edit] Record as sekitori
| Spring | Summer | Autumn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | West Juryo #14 (8-7) | East Juryo #9 (10-5) | no tournament held |
| 1944 | West Juryo #1 (8-7) | West Maegashira #20 (6-4) | In army |
| 1945 | no tournament held | In army | East Maegashira #17 (Retired) |
