Sakaigawa Namiemon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sakaigawa Namiemon |
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| 境川 浪右衛門 | |
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Udagawa Masakichi May 28, 1841 Katsushika District, Shimōsa, Japan |
| Died | September 16, 1887 (aged 46) |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 128 kg (282 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Sakaigawa |
| Record | 118–23–63 71 draws-5 holds (Makuuchi) |
| Debut | November, 1857 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (February 1877) |
| Retired | January, 1881 |
| Elder name | Sakaigawa |
| Championships | 5 (Makuuchi, unofficial) |
| * Up to date as of July 2008. | |
Sakaigawa Namiemon (境川 浪右衛門, May 28, 1841 – September 16, 1887) was a famous Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He came from Katsushika District in Shimōsa Province, Japan. He became the 14th yokozuna, which is the highest rank in sumo. People sometimes called him "Tanikaze of the Meiji era" because he was so strong. He is important because he was the only yokozuna officially recognized during a time when many yokozuna were being named after the old government (the Tokugawa shogunate) fell.
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Sakaigawa Namiemon: A Sumo Legend
Sakaigawa Namiemon was a powerful sumo wrestler. He was known for his unique fighting style. He would let his opponent attack first. Then, he would use their moves against them to win. This made his matches exciting to watch.
Early Life and Sumo Journey
Sakaigawa was born as Udagawa Masakichi (宇田川 政吉). When he was 13, he started working for a sake (Japanese rice wine) seller in Edo (now Tokyo). His boss loved sumo. One day, his boss saw Masakichi easily carrying a huge barrel. He was so impressed that he told Masakichi to become a sumo wrestler.
Masakichi joined the Sakaigawa stable. This is a training gym for sumo wrestlers. He was trained by the ōzeki (a high-ranking wrestler) named Sakaigawa Namiemon I. Masakichi started his sumo career in November 1857.
He reached the top sumo division, called makuuchi, in April 1867. During his career, he used different ring names, or shikona. He was called Konishikawa (小西川), then Shihoyama (四方山), and Masuizan (増位山). These names were inspired by his old boss's shop and a famous sake company.
Even though he wasn't very tall, Sakaigawa had a strong body. He moved up the sumo ranks steadily. He won his first unofficial tournament championship in June 1868. He was undefeated with eight wins. He became an ōzeki in April 1870. This happened after he won two tournaments in a row. After becoming an ōzeki, he changed his ring name to Sakaigawa Namiemon (境川 浪右衛門). He also became the head of his sumo stable while still competing.
Becoming a Yokozuna
In 1877, the Emperor Meiji planned a sumo tournament in Tokyo. Sakaigawa was invited to a sumo event in Osaka. He was given a yokozuna license by the Gojō family in Osaka. Then, the Yoshida family, who traditionally gave out yokozuna licenses, also recognized him in February 1877.
However, a civil war, called the Boshin War, caused sumo tournaments to be canceled. The Yoshida family faced difficulties during this time. Because of these events, the Yoshida family's power to grant yokozuna licenses weakened. The Gojō family in Osaka became more active. They started naming many yokozuna. This period was even called the "yokozuna abuse era" because so many were named.
Sakaigawa became a yokozuna during this confusing time. He was the only yokozuna from this period who was officially recognized later on. As a yokozuna, he won 20 matches and lost 8. He also had 20 draws. In the top makuuchi division, he won 118 matches and lost only 23. This means he won about 83.7% of his matches. He had many draws because he often let his opponents attack first.
Retirement from Sumo
Sakaigawa retired from sumo in January 1881. After retiring, he became a full-time stablemaster at the Sakaigawa stable. In 1870, he had married his master's daughter. This allowed him to take over the Sakaigawa name and the stable. He passed away on September 16, 1887.
See also
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of yokozuna
