| 青葉城 幸雄 Aobajō Yukio |
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|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Shōji Yukio November 14, 1948 Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan |
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 152 kg (340 lb; 23.9 st) |
| Career | |
| Heya | Nishonoseki, Oshiogawa |
| Record | 789-842-0 |
| Debut | March 1964 |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (July 1983) |
| Retired | July 1986 |
| Yūshō | 1 (Juryo) 1 (Makushita) |
| Sanshō | Fighting Spirit (1) |
| Kinboshi | 1 (Kitanoumi) |
| * Career information is correct as of August 2009. | |
Aobajō Yukio (born 14 November 1948 as Yukio Shōji) is a former sumo wrestler from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. He did not miss a single bout in his 22 year professional career, and holds the record for the most consecutive matches fought, at 1630. He is now a sumo coach.
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He made his debut in March 1964, joining Nishonoseki stable. He reached the top makuuchi division for the first time in January 1975. In only his fourth top division tournament he was a tournament runner-up, won a sansho (for Fighting Spirit) and earned a kinboshi for defeating a yokozuna. He was never to achieve any of those things again, but he fought in the top division for 62 tournaments in total. He made his sanyaku debut in September 1975 at komusubi and in October of that year he followed the former ozeki Daikirin to the newly established Oshiogawa stable.[1] He dropped into the juryo division in 1981, but fought his way back, and an 8-7 score at maegashira 1 in May 1983 took him to his highest rank of sekiwake, which he held for just one tournament. This was his second and final appearance in the sanyaku ranks, 47 tournaments after his first - the longest such gap since the six tournaments per year schedule began in 1958. In 1985 he surpassed Fujizakura's record of 1543 consecutive career appearances, and when he retired in July 1986, having not missed any matches since his debut, he had set a new record of 1630 consecutive bouts. He was nearly 38 years old, having been an active wrestler for over 22 years.
He is now an elder of the Japan Sumo Association (at Deputy Director level) under the name Shiranui Oyakata.[2] He also works as a coach at Oguruma stable.
Aobajo was a yotsu-sumo wrestler, preferring a hidari-yotsu, or right hand outside, left hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi. His most common winning kimarite was yori-kiri (force out). He also regularly used tsuri-dashi (the lift out) and sukuinage (the scoop throw).
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | West Maegashira #11 8–7 |
East Maegashira #10 8–7 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
East Maegashira #5 12–3 F★ |
East Komusubi #1 6–9 |
East Maegashira #3 6–9 |
| 1976 | West Maegashira #5 8–7 |
West Maegashira #2 6–9 |
East Maegashira #5 9–6 |
West Maegashira #1 8–7 |
East Maegashira #1 3–12 |
East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
| 1977 | East Maegashira #5 6–9 |
West Maegashira #8 9–6 |
West Maegashira #2 7–8 |
West Maegashira #3 6–9 |
East Maegashira #7 7–8 |
East Maegashira #8 7–8 |
| 1978 | East Maegashira #9 8–7 |
West Maegashira #5 8–7 |
East Maegashira #3 3–12 |
West Maegashira #12 9–6 |
West Maegashira #6 8–7 |
East Maegashira #5 6–9 |
| 1979 | West Maegashira #8 9–6 |
West Maegashira #2 3–12 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
Maegashira #6 6–9 |
East Maegashira #11 10–5 |
West Maegashira #3 5–10 |
| 1980 | West Maegashira #7 6–9 |
East Maegashira #12 9–6 |
West Maegashira #7 4–11 |
East Maegashira #13 8–7 |
East Maegashira #11 4–11 |
(Juryo) |
| 1981 | (Juryo) | (Juryo) | (Juryo) | (Juryo) | West Maegashira #11 8–7 |
West Maegashira #7 7–8 |
| 1982 | West Maegashira #8 8–7 |
West Maegashira #3 7–8 |
East Maegashira #5 7–8 |
West Maegashira #6 8–7 |
East Maegashira #3 4–11 |
East Maegashira #10 9–6 |
| 1983 | West Maegashira #4 6–9 |
East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
West Maegashira #1 8–7 |
West Sekiwake #1 4–11 |
East Maegashira #5 7–8 |
East Maegashira #6 8–7 |
| 1984 | East Maegashira #2 6–9 |
West Maegashira #3 6–9 |
West Maegashira #6 7–8 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
East Maegashira #5 4–11 |
West Maegashira #11 10–5 |
| 1985 | East Maegashira #3 6–9 |
West Maegashira #5 6–9 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
East Maegashira #5 5–10 |
West Maegashira #11 8–7 |
West Maegashira #6 6–9 |
| 1986 | East Maegashira #12 4–11 |
(Juryo) | (Juryo) | West Jūryō #10 Retired 4–8–0 |
x | x |
| Record given as win-loss-absent Top Division Champion Retired Lower Divisions Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi(s) P=Playoff(s) |
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