Miyagiyama Fukumatsu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miyagiyama Fukumatsu |
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| 宮城山 福松 | |
Fukumatsu, c. 1924-1931
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Satō Fukumatsu February 27, 1895 Iwate, Japan |
| Died | November 19, 1943 (aged 48) |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 113 kg (249 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Takadagawa |
| Record | 90-69-38-1draw (Makuuchi) |
| Debut | June 1910 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (February, 1922) |
| Retired | January 1931 |
| Elder name | Shiratama |
| Championships | 2 (Makuuchi, official) 4 (Osaka Makuuchi, unofficial) |
| * Up to date as of June 2020. | |
Miyagiyama Fukumatsu (Japanese: 宮城山 福松, February 27, 1895 – November 19, 1943) was a famous Japanese sumo wrestler. He was born in Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture. He became the 29th yokozuna, which is the highest rank in sumo. He was also the last yokozuna from the Osaka sumo group before it joined with Tokyo sumo.
Contents
Miyagiyama's Sumo Journey
Miyagiyama's birth name was Satō Fukumatsu. In 1909, he started his sumo training at a place called Dewanoumi stable. He began his professional sumo career in June 1910. His first wrestling name, or shikona, was Iwategawa.
However, he had a problem with another wrestler and left Tokyo sumo in 1912. But he still wanted to be a sumo wrestler! So, he moved to Osaka sumo. In 1913, he started using the name Miyagiyama. He changed it slightly to Miyagiyama Fukumatsu in 1914.
Rising Through the Ranks
Miyagiyama quickly became a top wrestler. By 1916, he reached the Makuuchi division. This is the highest division in sumo. After only two tournaments, he was promoted to ōzeki, which is the second highest rank.
In January 1920, he won his first championship. He had a great record of 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. In 1921, he even fought against wrestlers from Tokyo sumo and won against many strong opponents. This helped him make up with the wrestler he had problems with earlier.
Becoming a Yokozuna
Miyagiyama continued to win. In June 1921, he won another championship. Then, in January 1922, he won a championship with a perfect record of 10 wins and 0 losses! Because he won two championships in a row, he was given the special title of yokozuna.
In 1923, he missed two tournaments because of a problem with his right hand. But he came back strong. In January 1926, he won another championship with 9 wins and only 1 loss.
Osaka and Tokyo Sumo Merge
In 1927, the Osaka Sumo Association joined with Tokyo sumo. Some people thought Osaka sumo wrestlers were not as strong. But Miyagiyama, as a yokozuna, felt it was his job to show the honor of Osaka sumo.
Even though he wasn't as strong as he used to be, he fought very hard. He won two more championships in Tokyo sumo! The first of these wins, in January 1927, was very important. It was the first tournament held by the new, combined sumo organization. People were very surprised by his win, as he was kept as a yokozuna mainly to save face for Osaka sumo.
Life After Sumo
After he stopped wrestling, Miyagiyama became a sumo coach. He was the 6th head coach of the Shibatayama stable. This stable closed after he passed away. Later, another famous yokozuna named Ōnokuni opened a new Shibatayama stable, continuing the name.
See also
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo tournament top division champions
- List of yokozuna
