| 梅ヶ谷 藤太郎 Umegatani Tōtarō |
|
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Otojiro Oshida March 11, 1878 Toyama, Japan |
| Died | September 2, 1927 (aged 49) |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 158 kg (350 lb) |
| Career | |
| Heya | Ikazuchi |
| Record | 168-27-116 47draws-2holds(Makuuchi) |
| Debut | June, 1892 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (June, 1903) |
| Retired | May, 1915 |
| Yūshō | 3 (Makuuchi, unofficial) |
| * Career information is correct as of October 2007. | |
Umegatani Tōtarō II (梅ヶ谷 藤太郎, March 11, 1878 – September 2, 1927) was a sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 20th Yokozuna. Umegatani had a great rivalry with yokozuna Hitachiyama Taniemon. Their era was known as the Ume-Hitachi Era and it brought sumo to heights of popularity never before seen in the Meiji period.[1]
Contents |
He was adopted by the 15th Yokozuna Umegatani Tōtarō I and joined his Ikazuchi stable in June 1892 at the age of 14. His father was initially reluctant to let him join at such a young age but Umegatani I personally guaranteed his well-being.[1]
In the stable, he was trained by Onigatani.[1] He rose through the ranks quickly, making his juryo debut in January 1897 and reaching the top makuuchi division in January 1898. Initially wrestling under the sumo name of Umenotani Otomatsu, he officially took on the Umegatani Totaro name before his fourth basho as an ozeki in January 1902. He met Hitachiyama in May 1903 when both ozeki were undefeated. The clash caused great excitement throughout Japan.[1] Although Umegatani lost the match, after the tournament both he and Hitachiyama were promoted to yokozuna.
Umegatani had reached sumo's highest rank at the age of 25 years and 3 months, making him the youngest ever yokozuna at that time. The record stood until the promotion of Terukuni in 1942.[1]
He won at least 3 championships before June 1909, when the yūshō system was established by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper (the Japan Sumo Association officially recognised the system in 1926). He won the last tournament before this, in January 1909. Although he didn't win any championship officially, he was given a prize frame in honor of his contribution when he retired in June 1915. There was his prize frame between June 1909 tournament and January 1910 tournament. His bouts were more masterly than his record because his techniques were orthodox methods. Although he was extremely heavy for his short height, he showed great skill.[2]
He missed many bouts in his later career due to illness, retiring at the age of 37. In the top makuuchi division, he won 168 bouts and lost 27 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 86.2. So many people wished to attend his retirement ceremony that it was held over three days.[1] He died at the age of 49 whilst still active in sumo as a shimpan (judge) and head of Ikazuchi stable. The stable folded upon his death.
*Championships from this period were unofficial
*There was no fusensho system until March 1927
*All top division wrestlers were usually absent on the 10th day until 1909
*In May 1898, ozeki Asashio Taro I also finished with a 7-1-1-1draw record.
*In January 1904, west yokozuna Hitachiyama Taniemon finished with a 7-1-2 record, so several historians include a January 1904 championship though Umegatani recorded that before east was officially designated as ranked above west in 1909.
| January | May | |
|---|---|---|
| 1898 | West Maegashira #5 (5-2-1-1draw-1hold) | West Maegashira #2 (7-1-1-1draw) |
| 1899 | West Komusubi (7-1-1-1draw) | West Sekiwake (6-2-1-1draw) |
| 1900 | West Komusubui (5-2-1-2draws) | East Ōzeki (6-1-2-1draw) |
| 1901 | West Ōzeki (8-1-1) | West Ōzeki (6-2-1-1draw) |
| 1902 | East Ōzeki (8-0-1-1draw) | East Ōzeki (8-1-1) |
| 1903 | East Ōzeki (4-0-5--1draw) | East Ōzeki (8-1-1) |
| 1904 | East Yokozuna (7-1-1-1hold) | East Yokozuna (6-1-2-1draw) |
| 1905 | East Yokozuna (8-1-1) | East Yokozuna (5-0-5) |
| 1906 | East Yokozuna (7-1-1-1draw) | East Yokozuna (7-0-2-1draw) |
| 1907 | East Yokozuna (1-0-9) | East Yokozuna (6-2-1-1draw) |
| 1908 | East Yokozuna (8-0-1-1draw) | East Yokozuna (7-1-1-1draw) |
| 1909 | West Yokozuna (7-0-2-1draw) | West Yokozuna (5-0-5)* |
| 1910 | West Yokozuna (0-1-9) | West Yokozuna (0-0-9-1draw)* |
| 1911 | East Yokozuna (3-1-6draws)* | Sat out due to injury* |
| 1912 | East Yokozuna (5-1-4draws) | West Yokozuna (1-1-5-3draws) |
| 1913 | West Yokozuna (4-1-5draws) | West Yokozuna (0-1-8-1draw) |
| 1914 | East Yokozuna (2-0-6-2draws) | West Yokozuna (0-0-9-1draw) |
| 1915 | West Yokozuna (1-0-7-2draws) | Retired |
*tournament actually held one month later than listed.
| Green Box=Tournament Championship |
|
|
|
| Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can share the title | ||