| 朝潮太郎(4代) Asashio Tarō |
|
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Suehiro Nagaoka December 9, 1955 Kochi, Japan |
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 175 kg (390 lb) |
| Career | |
| Heya | Takasago |
| Record | 564-382-33 |
| Debut | March, 1978 |
| Highest rank | Ozeki (May, 1983) |
| Retired | March, 1989 |
| Yūshō | 1 (Makuuchi) 1 (Makushita) |
| Sanshō | Outstanding Performance (10) Fighting Spirit (3) Technique (1) |
| Kinboshi | 5 |
| * Career information is correct as of July 2007. | |
Asashio Tarō IV (born 9 December 1955 as Suehiro Nagaoka) is a former sumo wrestler from Muroto, Kochi, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki. He is currently the head coach of Takasago stable.
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Joining Takasago stable in March 1978 after a successful amateur sumo career at Kinki University, he began his professional career in the third highest makushita division, and was promoted to the top makuuchi division in November 1978. He initially competed under his own surname, Nagaoka, but in March 1979 he was given the shikona of Asashio (or "morning tide"), which had previously been used by several past greats in Takasago stable, including his own stablemaster. Asashio was promoted to komusubi in May 1980 and sekiwake in July 1980. In November 1981 he lost a playoff for the tournament championship to new yokozuna Chiyonofuji. He was runner-up to Chiyonofuji once again in May 1982 and to Kotokaze in January 1983.
After accumulating a record ten Shukun-sho, or Outstanding Performance prizes for his achievements in tournaments, he was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki in May 1983. Having lost three top division championship playoffs in his career, he finally took his only tournament championship in March 1985 with a 13-2 record. After that he was rarely a threat in tournaments, usually posting only eight or nine wins. He retained his rank until March 1989, when after a poor start to the tournament he announced his retirement from the ring at the age of thirty-three.
Asashio was fond of tsuki/oshi (thrusting and pushing) techniques, winning many bouts by oshi-dashi (push out) and hataki-komi (slap down). However, he was also well capable of fighting on the mawashi, preferring a right hand outside, left hand inside grip (hidari-yotsu), and overall yori-kiri (force out) was his most regularly used kimarite. He rarely employed throws.
Asashio remained in the sumo world as an oyakata, or elder, and became the head coach of Wakamatsu stable. In the 1990s he coached Asanowaka and Asanosho, both like himself former college champions, to the top division. He then had even greater success with the Mongolian star Asashoryu, coaching him all the way to yokozuna. In 2002 Wakamatsu stable merged with Takasago stable and Asashio became head coach there. From February 2000 until February 2008 he was also a Director of the Japan Sumo Association.[1] He was in charge of the Public Relations department, but left his post after the controversy over Asashoryu's suspension in August 2007.[2] Takasago was seemingly unable to control his most senior wrestler, often unaware of whether Asashoryu was in Japan or back in Mongolia, and this damaged his standing within the Sumo Association.[3] In February 2009 he became head of the shimpan (judging) department, replacing Takanohana. In January 2010 he was severely reprimanded by the Board of Directors after Asashoryu allegedly punched an acquaintance while on a drunken night out during a honbasho.[4] With Asashoryu retiring shortly afterwards, Takasago now has just one top division wrestler, Asasekiryu. He left the judging department after the February 2010 elections, and was demoted in the Sumo Association's hierarchy.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | x | x | x | x | x | West Maegashira #13 9–6 |
| 1979 | East Maegashira #6 10–5 F |
East Maegashira #1 5–10 |
East Maegashira #6 6–9 |
East Maegashira #10 6–9 |
East Maegashira #14 10–5 F |
West Maegashira #6 7–8 |
| 1980 | East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #2 10–5 O★ |
East Komusubi 10–5 O |
West Sekiwake 11–4 O |
East Sekiwake 6–9 |
West Maegashira #2 7–8 |
| 1981 | East Maegashira #3 8–7 ★★ |
East Maegashira #1 8–7 |
West Komusubi 9–6 O |
East Sekiwake 11–4 O |
West Sekiwake 7–8 |
West Komusubi 12–3–P O |
| 1982 | West Sekiwake 6–9 |
West Maegashira #1 8–7 ★ |
West Komusubi 13–2–P OF |
West Sekiwake 8–7 O |
West Sekiwake 7–8 |
East Maegashira #1 9–6 ★ |
| 1983 | West Sekiwake 14–1–P OT |
East Sekiwake 12–3 O |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
West Ōzeki 6–3–6 |
Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
| 1984 | West Ōzeki 10–5 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
West Ōzeki 10–5 |
West Ōzeki 8–7 |
East Ōzeki 11–4 |
West Ōzeki 10–5 |
| 1985 | West Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 13–2 |
East Ōzeki 11–4 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
| 1986 | West Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 10–5 |
West Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
West Ōzeki 8–7 |
| 1987 | West Ōzeki 9–6 |
West Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 8–7 |
East Ōzeki 9–6 |
East Ōzeki 8–7 |
East Ōzeki 8–7 |
| 1988 | West Ōzeki 9–6 |
West Ōzeki 8–7 |
West Ōzeki 1–2–12 |
West Ōzeki 8–7 |
West Ōzeki 9–6 |
West Ōzeki 4–11 |
| 1989 | West Ōzeki 8–7 |
East Ōzeki Retired 0–5–0 |
x | x | 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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