Wakashima Kyūzaburō

Japanese sumo wrestler

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Wakashima.

Wakashima Kyūzaburō

若島 久三郎

Wakashima by Utagawa Kuniaki II (c. 1874)

Personal information
Born| Kyūzaburō Nemoto
September, 1842
Aizu, Mutsu Province, Japan
Died| January 6, 1891(1891-01-06) (aged 48)
Height| 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Weight| 113 kg (249 lb)
Career
Stable| Tateyama
Record| 136-53-53-22 draws/5 hold
Debut| March, 1862
Highest rank| Ōzeki (January, 1881)
Retired| May, 1884
Elder name| Tateyama
Championships| 2 (Makuuchi, unofficial)
* Up to date as of September, 2023.

Wakashima Kyūzaburō (若島 久三郎, September, 1842 – January 6, 1891) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aizu, Mutsu Province (now Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture). His highest rank was ōzeki. As of January 1881, he is the only professional wrestler from this prefecture to have reached this rank.[1][2][3]

## History

[edit]

Wakashima was born the second son of a lacquerware painter.[4] He began sumo as an amateur, serving in dedication tournaments in shrines. He eventually decided to turn professional because he was scouted by former maegashira Omaki Kōji, the fifth generation Tateyama and joined the Tateyama stable,[2] taking part in his first tournament in March 1862.[4] He was a wrestler known for his pushing and thrusting techniques (tsuki/oshi),[2] but he rose slowly up the rankings, probably due to his cautious wrestling style.[5]

Shortly before his promotion to the jūryō division, he had to leave the Sumo Association briefly to serve in the Boshin War, alongside the Aizu Domain. After the war and the defeat of the domain, he came back to his stable and reached the makuuchi division in 1874. After this promotion, he quickly blossomed, and reached the status of san'yaku barely four years after his debut in this division,[5] winning the equivalent of two tournaments in the process. However, as the yūshō system was not invented until 1909, these championships are now considered unofficial. In the January 1881 tournament, Wakashima faced Umegatani, who was then a dominant ōzeki, recording a winning streak of 58 consecutive victories. Wakashima won the match and ended Umegatani's winning streak, nevertheless recording his only victory over the wrestler.

In the summer of 1881, during a jungyō (regional tour) in the Tōhoku region, Wakashima accompanied yokozuna Sakaigawa, who had just retired after the January tournament. As Sakaigawa could no longer perform his ring-entering ceremony, Wakashima took charge of the ceremonies. This decision was significant at the time because the Yoshida family had not granted its yokozuna licence to Wakashima, who could, however count on the support of the prefectural magistrate of his home prefecture.[4]

Between 1882 and 1883, he became an elder under the name Tateyama, succeeding his former master at the head of his stable. He however continued to wrestle under the two licenses system and took the shikona, or ring name, Tateyama Kyūzaburō (楯山 久三郎). He retired after the summer tournament of 1884, and devoted himself entirely to his stable as an elder. As a coach, he raised yokozuna Wakashima. He died on 6 January 1891, at the age of 48.

## Career record

[edit]

Wakashima Kyūzaburō[6]- | Spring | Summer

|
|

1870 | Unknown | West Jūryō #9
5-3

1871 | West Jūryō #5
5-5
| West Jūryō #5
6-1

1872 | West Jūryō #2
0-4

| East Jūryō #3
6-1
1d-1h

1873 | East Jūryō #2
5-1

| East Jūryō #1
5-4

1874 | East Maegashira #6
6-1-1

| East Maegashira #5
5-2-1

1875 | East Maegashira #4
5-2-2

| Unknown
1876 | East Maegashira #3
8-1-1
Unofficial
| East Maegashira #2
7-1-2

1877 | East Maegashira #1
7-1-1

| East Komusubi #1
7-1-1

1878 | East Sekiwake #1
5-3-1

| East Sekiwake #1
5-2-2

1879 | East Sekiwake #1
6-1-2

| West Sekiwake #1
6-0-1
2d-1h
Unofficial

1880 | West Sekiwake #1
5-2-3
| East Sekiwake #1
7-2-1

1881 | East Ōzeki #1
7-2-1
| East Ōzeki #1
3-3-3

1882 | East Ōzeki #1
4-2-1
2d-1h
| East Ōzeki #1
5-2-3

1883 | West Ōzeki #1
0-0-10
| West Ōzeki #1
5-3-1

1884 | West Ōzeki #1
1-3-5

| West Ōzeki #1
Retired
0-0-10
Record given as win-loss-absent Top Division Champion Retired Lower Divisions

Key: d=Draw(s) (引分); h=Hold(s) (預り); nr=no result recorded
Divisions: Makuuchi -- Jūryō -- Makushita -- Sandanme -- Jonidan -- Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks:
Yokozuna (not ranked as such on banzuke until 1890)
Ōzeki -- Sekiwake -- Komusubi -- Maegashira

*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above championships that are labelled "unofficial" are historically conferred. For more information see yūshō.

## See also

[edit]

* Glossary of sumo terms
* List of past sumo wrestlers
* List of ōzeki

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Wrestlers from Fukushima Prefecture by rank". SumoDB. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
2. ^ a b c "若隆景、優勝から一夜 福島出身１４１年ぶり２人目大関「目指す目標ではあります」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 29 March 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
3. ^ "【大相撲】若隆景優勝、小学生から貫く『負けじ魂』が原動力に 141年ぶりの福島出身大関へ第一歩". Chunichi Sports (in Japanese). 28 March 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
4. ^ a b c "会津の著名人 - 若嶌 久三郎". Aizu heritage database. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
5. ^ a b "福島県出身の力士一覧！過去から現在、福島の主な関取を網羅しました". Sumo Guide. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
6. ^ "Wakashima Kyuzaburo Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.