Tamanofuji Shigeru

Tamanofuji Shigeru (玉ノ富士茂, born 24 November 1949 as Shigeru Akutsu) is a former sumo wrestler from Ogawa, Nasu District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1967, reaching a highest rank of sekiwake in 1978. He won three special prizes and earned two gold stars. He retired in 1981 and became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the head coach of the Kataonami stable from 1987 until 2010, when he changed his elder name to Tateyama. He reached 65 years of age in 2014, the normal age of retirement for an elder, but was re-hired for a further five years as a consultant.

Tamanofuji Shigeru
玉ノ富士茂
Personal information
BornShigeru Akutsu
(1949-11-24) 24 November 1949
Tochigi, Japan
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight125 kg (276 lb)
Career
StableKataonami
Record431-420-23
DebutMay, 1967
Highest rankSekiwake (March, 1978)
RetiredNovember, 1981
Elder nameTateyama
Championships1 (Jonokuchi)
1 (Jonidan)
Special PrizesFighting Spirit (2)
Outstanding Performance (1)
Gold Stars2 (Kitanoumi, Mienoumi)
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Career

He played basketball in high school. He began his career in May 1967, joining Kataonami stable. However, he ran away from the stable shortly after fighting his first tournament in the lowest jonokuchi division, and joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. After being discharged, he returned to sumo in September 1970, winning two straight tournaments (or yūshō) in the jonokuchi and jonidan division. He reached sekitori status in November 1973 upon promotion to the jūryō division. In September 1974 he reached the top makuuchi division. In January 1978 he scored 11 wins against 4 losses at the rank of komusubi, including wins over all four ōzeki. As a result, he was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize and promotion to sekiwake for the following tournament. He held the rank a further five times, and stayed in the san'yaku ranks for eight consecutive tournaments. In September 1979 he defeated the eventual tournament winner, yokozuna Kitanoumi to earn his first kinboshi (he had defeated yokozuna Wajima on two previous occasions but had been ranked in san'yaku so was not eligible for a kinboshi). The victory was remarkable as Tamanofuji had lost every one of his previous 19 matches with Kitanoumi. He was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. He defeated Kitanoumi again in the next tournament in November 1979, but did not get a kinboshi as he was ranked as a komusubi (he also defeated Wajima for the third time in this tournament, and was awarded his second Fighting Spirit prize). However, he did pick up another kinboshi in November 1980 with a win over Mienoumi. In 1981 he fell back to the jūryō division and he retired in November of that year.

Retirement from sumo

He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Minatogawa. In 1987 he became head of the Kataonami stable following the death of the previous head, his old boss Tamanoumi Daitaro.[1] As Kataonami Oyakata he produced several top division wrestlers including Tamakasuga, Tamanoshima, Tamarikido, Tamaasuka and Tamawashi. In February 2010 he handed over control of the stable to Tamakasuga and adopted the Tateyama name. In February 2012 he joined the board of Directors of the Sumo Association. In November 2014 he reached the Sumo Association's mandatory retirement age of sixty-five. He no longer had full oyakata status, but following a rule change he was rehired by the Sumo Association as a san'yo or consultant for a period of five years with reduced pay, the first example of this happening. The Sumo Association announced in April 2019 that he had left his position, around seven months ahead of schedule.

Personal life

His wife is the president of a company that trades in marine products.[1]

Fighting style

Tamanofuji had a steady, unspectacular style, and has been described as a "dull and plodding grinder."[2] His most common winning kimarite was yorikiri or force out, followed by hatakikomi, slap down.[3] His favoured grip on his opponent's mawashi was migiyotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position.

Career record
Tamanofuji Shigeru[4]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1967 x x (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #18
6–1
 		 West Jonidan #47
0–0–7
 		 West Jonidan #119
0–0–7
 
1968 East Jonokuchi #16
0–0–7
 		 (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai)
1969 (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai)
1970 (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Banzukegai) (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #1
7–0
Champion
 
1971 East Jonidan #10
7–0
Champion
 		 East Sandanme #4
5–2
 		 West Makushita #45
4–3
 		 East Makushita #40
4–3
 		 West Makushita #36
3–4
 		 East Makushita #43
3–4
 
1972 West Makushita #50
5–2
 		 West Makushita #20
2–5
 		 East Makushita #52
6–1–PPP
 		 East Makushita #26
5–2
 		 West Makushita #16
5–2
 		 East Makushita #9
4–3
 
1973 East Makushita #8
3–4
 		 East Makushita #15
4–3
 		 West Makushita #10
5–2
 		 West Makushita #4
5–2
 		 West Makushita #2
6–1
 		 East Jūryō #12
8–7
 
1974 West Jūryō #10
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #8
6–7–2
 		 East Jūryō #11
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #3
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #13
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #11
8–7
 
1975 East Maegashira #8
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #5
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #1
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #5
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #8
6–9
 
1976 West Maegashira #11
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #5
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #10
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #3
9–6
 		 West Komusubi #1
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #5
8–7
 
1977 West Maegashira #1
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #8
11–4
 		 East Maegashira #1
8–7
 		 West Komusubi #1
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #2
8–7
 
1978 West Komusubi #1
11–4
F		 East Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 East Sekiwake #1
9–6
 		 East Sekiwake #1
7–8
 		 East Komusubi #1
8–7
 		 West Sekiwake #1
8–7
 
1979 East Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 East Sekiwake #1
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #4
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #7
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #1
8–7
O★		 East Komusubi #1
8–7
F
1980 East Komusubi #1
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #7
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #5
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #11
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #4
6–9
★
1981 East Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #4
1–14
 		 West Maegashira #12
3–12
 		 West Jūryō #6
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #4
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #8
Retired
0–0–0
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

References
  1. Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. pp. 197–198. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
  2. Howard, Lon (August 2007). "Eternal Banzuke Phase 5" (PDF). Sumo Fan Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  3. "Tamanofuji bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  4. "Tamanofuji Shigeru Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
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