Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 阿武松 緑之助Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke |
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1840s woodblock print of Ōnomatsu by Kunisada
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Sasaki Jokichi 1794 Shitsumi, Noto, Japan |
| Died | 20 January 1852 |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 135 kg (298 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Takekuma → Shikoroyama |
| Record | 142-31-37 24draws-8holds-1no result (Makuuchi) |
| Debut | March 1815 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (February 1828) |
| Retired | November 1835 |
| Elder name | Ōnomatsu |
| Championships | 5 (Makuuchi, unofficial) |
| * Up to date as of October 2007. | |
Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke (Japanese: 阿武松 緑之助, 1794 – 20 January 1852) was a famous Japanese sumo wrestler. He came from Noto Province. He became the 6th yokozuna, which is the highest rank in sumo. He even trained another top wrestler named Tsurugizan Taniemon.
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Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke: A Sumo Legend
Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke was a very important figure in the history of sumo. He showed great skill and determination. His career helped make sumo more popular in Japan.
His Early Life and Start in Sumo
Ōnomatsu was born in a place called Shitsumi, in Noto. His birth name was likely Sasaki Jokichi. He grew up in a poor farming family. As a young boy, he worked on a farm. He also gained a good reputation in local amateur sumo matches.
In 1815, he decided to move to Edo (which is now Tokyo). There, he met a sumo master named Takekuma Bunzo. Ōnomatsu made his official sumo debut in March 1815. He used the wrestling name, or shikona, Koyanagi Tsunekichi (小柳 常吉). He even won his very first tournament, called jonokuchi.
Rising Through the Ranks
Ōnomatsu worked hard and climbed up the sumo ranks. In October 1822, he reached the top division, called makuuchi. He also moved to a new training stable, the Shikoroyama stable. He started wrestling for the Chōshū Domain. His wrestling name changed to Koyanagi Chokichi (小柳 長吉).
In January 1824, he lost a match to another famous wrestler, Inazuma. But he still won many other matches. This helped him get promoted to a higher rank called komusubi. In 1825, he finally defeated Inazuma. By October 1826, he reached the rank of ōzeki, which is just below yokozuna. In March 1827, his lord gave him his final and most famous wrestling name: Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke (阿武松 緑之助). This name was inspired by a beautiful place in Hagi, Yamaguchi.
Becoming a Yokozuna
In February 1828, Ōnomatsu was given the special yokozuna license. This was given by the Yoshida family, who were important in sumo. He was the first yokozuna to be promoted in 31 years! The last one was Onogawa Kisaburō. This was a very big deal.
On March 25, 1829, a powerful leader named Ienari Tokugawa watched Ōnomatsu defeat Inazuma. Ōnomatsu wrestled as a yokozuna for eight years. He retired in October 1835. In the top makuuchi division, he won 142 matches and lost only 31. This means he won about 82% of his matches! After retiring, he was allowed to stay in sumo as an elder, or toshiyori. He even trained a future ōzeki wrestler named Koyanagi. Ōnomatsu passed away in Edo in 1851. His remains are kept in two temples, one in Tokyo and one in Kanazawa.
Ōnomatsu's Unique Fighting Style
Ōnomatsu was known for being very careful in his sumo matches. He often waited for his opponent to make the first move. Sometimes, he would even try to make his opponents nervous. He would do this by waiting at the start of the match, called tachi-ai, which is known as matta.
Some people criticized his style because he was so cautious. However, Ōnomatsu himself was a kind and fair person. He was never boastful, which made him very popular with the people of Edo. His rivalry with the 7th yokozuna, Inazuma, made sumo even more exciting. Their matches helped sumo become much more popular during the Bunsei and Tenpō eras. Even though Inazuma had a better overall record, Ōnomatsu actually won more matches against Inazuma directly.
See also
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of yokozuna
