Tsurugamine Akio

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鶴ヶ嶺 昭男
Tsurugamine Akio
Personal information
Born Akio Fukuzono
(1929-04-26)April 26, 1929
Kagoshima, Japan
Died May 29, 2006(2006-05-29) (aged 77)
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Weight 114 kg (251 lb)
Career
Stable Izutsu
Record 682-676-22
Debut June, 1947
Highest rank Sekiwake (May, 1956)
Retired July, 1967
Championships 1 (Jūryō)
Special Prizes Outstanding Performance (2)
Fighting Spirit (2)
Technique (10)
Gold Stars 10 (Tochinishiki (4), Wakanohana I (3), Asahio (3))
* Career information is correct as of July 2007.

Tsurugamine Akio (26 April 1929 – 29 May 2006), real name Akio Fukuzono, was a sumo wrestler from Aira, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. After his retirement he was the head of Izutsu stable and coached two of his sons, Sakahoko and Terao, to the top division.

Career

Tsurugamine began his professional career in June 1947. He was a light but extremely skilful wrestler. His ten sanshō (special prizes) for Technique remain a record to this day. He also earned ten kinboshi (gold stars) for defeating yokozuna. He had an exceptionally long top division career, which lasted fourteen years from March 1953 to his retirement in July 1967 at the age of thirty eight. He fought in the top division for 77 consecutive tournaments and was one of the first wrestlers to win over 500 bouts there. His best result was in January 1956 when he lost only one bout and took part in a playoff for the tournament championship with yokozuna Kagamisato.

Retirement from sumo

Following his retirement from active sumo Tsurugamine became an elder of the Sumo Association under the toshiyori name of Kimigahama, and set up his own Kimigahama stable. However, he really coveted the stock of his old Izutsu stable, but was unable to come to agreement with the widow of the previous holder.[1] In 1977 he was able to purchase the stock from ex-yokozuna Kitanofuji and became head coach of the renamed Izutsu stable.[1] His wife was the adopted daughter of the adopted daughter of the 25th Yokozuna Nishinoumi II, and ll three of his sons joined the stable as new recruits. Two of them, Sakahoko and Terao, emulated their father by having successful top division careers. He also oversaw the promotion of Kirishima to ōzeki in 1990. In 1994 he reached the mandatory retirement age and passed on ownership of the stable to Sakahoko. He died of blood poisoning in May 2006 at the age of seventy seven.

Top division record

  • The Kyushu tournament was first held in 1957, and the Nagoya tournament in 1958.
Tsurugamine Akio[2]
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
1953 x East Maegashira #17
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #16
3–12
 		 Not held West Jūryō #1
10–5
 		 Not held
1954 East Maegashira #17
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #19
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #18
8–7
 		 Not held East Maegashira #13
8–7
 		 Not held
1955 West Maegashira #12
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #7
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #2
6–9
 		 Not held East Maegashira #5
5–10
★		 Not held
1956 East Maegashira #10
14–1–P
T		 East Komusubi
9–6
T		 West Sekiwake
7–8
 		 Not held West Komusubi
7–8
 		 Not held
1957 East Komusubi
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #3
9–6
★		 East Komusubi
5–10
 		 Not held East Maegashira #4
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #6
9–6
 
1958 East Maegashira #2
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #5
9–6
O★★		 West Maegashira #1
1–6–8
 		 West Maegashira #12
11–4
 		 East Maegashira #3
5–10
 
1959 West Maegashira #8
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #4
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #2
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #3
9–6
T		 East Maegashira #1
9–6
O★		 East Komusubi
2–13
 
1960 West Maegashira #5
10–5
★		 East Maegashira #2
8–7
★		 East Maegashira #2
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #3
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #3
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #7
10–5
 
1961 East Maegashira #3
10–5
T★		 East Komusubi
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #3
7–8
★		 West Maegashira #3
8–7
★		 East Maegashira #1
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #2
5–10
 
1962 West Maegashira #8
11–4
 		 West Maegashira #3
1–5–9
 		 West Maegashira #12
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #7
11–4
T		 West Sekiwake
7–8
 		 West Komusubi
4–11
 
1963 West Maegashira #3
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #6
10–5
T		 West Maegashira #1
9–6
T		 East Komusubi
8–7
 		 East Komusubi
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #4
5–10
 
1964 West Maegashira #8
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #9
11–4
T		 East Maegashira #3
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #4
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #10
11–4
 		 West Maegashira #2
3–12
 
1965 West Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #4
3–12
 		 West Maegashira #8
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #6
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #7
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #7
11–4
T
1966 West Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #6
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #13
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #11
11–4
TF		 East Maegashira #3
2–8–5
 		 West Maegashira #10
11–4
F
1967 East Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #6
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #12
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #8
Retired
2–13
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)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. p. 202. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X. 
  2. ↑ "Tsurugamine Akio Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2007-09-22. 

See also

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