Shiranui Dakuemon

Shiranui Dakuemon (Japanese: 不知火 諾右衛門, October 1801 – August 20, 1854, name also read as Shiranui Nagiemon) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Uto, Higo Province. He was the sport's 8th yokozuna, and is the only yokozuna in history to have been demoted. He was the coach of Shiranui Kōemon.

Shiranui Dakuemon
不知火 諾右衛門
19th century woodblock print of Shiranui by Kunisada.
Personal information
Born	Chikahisa Shinji October 1801 Uto, Higo, Japan
Died	August 20, 1854 (aged 52)
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	135 kg (298 lb)
Career
Stable	Urakaze
Record	48-15-65 3draws-2holds-1no result (Makuuchi)
Debut	November 1830
Highest rank	Yokozuna (November 1840)
Retired	January 1844
Championships	1 (Makuuchi, unofficial)
* Up to date as of October 2007.

Early life

Born Chikahisa Shinji (近久 信次), he married early, at the age of 19, and had two sons. In 1823, he got into an argument with the head of his village. Forgetting his own strength, he pushed the village head too harshly. The village head fell to the floor and was knocked unconscious. Knowing the trouble this would cause him, he escaped from his hometown, leaving his family.[1]

Professional sumo career

He entered Osaka sumo and made his debut in May 1824. He didn't find much success in Osaka sumo and transferred to Edo sumo in November 1830. He was promoted to ōzeki in March 1839. He won only one tournament in February 1840 with an 8-0-2 record.

He wasn't a particularly strong wrestler, but around the end of the Edo period the awarding of a yokozuna licence had less to do with ability and more to do with the influence of one's backers. Shiranui was simply lucky to have powerful patrons.[2] The actual date he was awarded the title is obscure, but the date is officially recognized as being in November 1840. His name was not written on the banzuke for the next tournament in January 1841 and he was absent from the November 1841 tournament for unknown reasons. He was demoted to sekiwake in February 1842. At that time, yokozuna was not a rank but a title. He is the only former yokozuna to be demoted from the ozeki rank. In the top makuuchi division, Shiranui won 48 bouts and lost 15 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 76.2.

Retirement from sumo

He retired from an active wrestler after the January 1844 tournament. He stayed in sumo as an elder after his retirement, and was known as Minato (湊). The name of the Shiranui yokozuna dohyō-iri (ring entering ceremony) came not from him, but from the 11th yokozuna Shiranui Kōemon, whom he trained.

Top division record

• The actual time the tournaments were held during the year in this period often varied.

Shiranui[3]

-	Spring	Winter
1837	West Maegashira #4 3–0–7	West Maegashira #3 5–1–3 1nr
1838	West Maegashira #1 2–1–3	West Maegashira #1 7–1–2
1839	West Ōzeki 2–4–4	West Sekiwake 6–1–3
1840	West Ōzeki 8–0–2 Unofficial	Sat out
1841	Not enrolled	Sat out
1842	West Sekiwake 6–1–2 1h	West Ōzeki 4–1–5
1843	Sat out	West Ōzeki 2–4–4
1844	West Ōzeki Retired 3–1–2 3d 1h
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 unofficial championships are historically conferred. For more information see yūshō.

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of yokozuna
• List of past sumo wrestlers

References

1. 故郷に妻子を残して相撲界へ（第8代横綱・不知火） (in Japanese). Japan Sumo Association. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
2. Newton, Clyde (1994). Dynamic Sumo. Kodansha. p. 51. ISBN 4-7700-1802-9.
3. "Shiranui Nagiemon42 Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2007-10-12.