Nishinoumi Kajirō II

Nishinoumi Kajirō II
西ノ海 嘉治郎
Nishinoumi Kajirō II ca. 1916
Personal information
Born	Kyuhachi Makise February 6, 1880 Kagoshima, Japan
Died	January 27, 1931 (aged 50)
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	139 kg (306 lb)
Career
Stable	Izutsu
Record	106-38-70-27draws-9holds (Makuuchi)
Debut	January, 1900
Highest rank	Yokozuna (February, 1916)
Retired	May, 1918
Championships	1 (Makuuchi)
* Up to date as of September 2007.

Nishinoumi Kajirō II (西ノ海 嘉治郎, February 6, 1880 – January 27, 1931) was a sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 25th yokozuna.

Career

Nishinoumi was promoted to the top makuuchi division in May 1906. He was awarded a yokozuna licence by the house of Yoshida Tsukasa in February 1916 after winning a championship at January 1916 tournament. He was 36 years old at the time of his promotion, making him the oldest wrestler to be promoted to yokozuna in the 20th century.^[1] In the top makuuchi division, he won 106 bouts and lost 38 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 73.6.

He favoured the yokozuna dohyō-iri (yokozuna ring-entering ceremony) style that has come to be known as Unryū .^[1]

After his retirement, he was an elder known as Izutsu and produced many top division wrestlers, such as yokozuna Nishinoumi Kajirō III. During his tenure Izutsu's influence in the Japan Sumo Association increased, but he was blamed for using his position unfairly by his opponents. He eventually committed suicide by hanging on January 27, 1931.

His adopted daughter's sons are Sakahoko Akihiro and Terao Tsunefumi.

Top division record

Nishinoumi^[2]

-	Spring	Summer
1906	x	West Maegashira #10 3–4–1 1d 1h
1907	West Maegashira #7 3–1–6	West Maegashira #8 6–1–1 2d
1908	West Sekiwake 4–2–1 3d	West Sekiwake 7–1–1 1d
1909	East Sekiwake 3–0–7	East Sekiwake 5–2–1 2d
1910	East Ōzeki 2–1–2 3d 2h	East Ōzeki 1–1–7 1h
1911	East Ōzeki 6–1 2d 1h	East Ōzeki 1–2–5 1d 1h
1912	West Ōzeki 7–1 2d	East Ōzeki 7–2 1d
1913	East Ōzeki 4–3 2d 1h	West Ōzeki 5–3 2d
1914	West Ōzeki 6–2 1d 1h	East Ōzeki 6–3 1d
1915	East Ōzeki 4–1–3 1d 1h	East Ōzeki 6–2–1 1d
1916	East Ōzeki 8–0–1 1d	East Yokozuna 8–2
1917	West Yokozuna 2–2–6	West Yokozuna 2–1–7
1918	Sat out	East Yokozuna 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) Divisions: Makuuchi — JÅ«ryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — ÅŒzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

References

1. Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
2. "Nishinoumi Kajiro Rikishi Informetion". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2007-10-16.

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of yokozuna