Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu
Sadanoyama celebrates his first tournament victory in May 1961
Personal information
Born	Shinmatsu Sasada February 18, 1938 Nagasaki, Japan
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11 ^1⁄2 in)
Weight	129 kg (284 lb)
Career
Stable	Dewanoumi
Record	591-251-61
Debut	January, 1956
Highest rank	Yokozuna (January, 1965)
Retired	March, 1968
Championships	6 (Makuuchi)
Special Prizes	Fighting Spirit (1) Outstanding Performance (1) Technique (1)
Gold Stars	2 (Wakanohana I, Azumafuji)
* Up to date as of August 2012.

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (佐田の山 晋松, born February 18, 1938 as Shinmatsu Sasada) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 50th yokozuna. After his retirement he was the head coach of Dewanoumi stable and served as head of the Japan Sumo Association.

Career

Born in Arikawa, Minamimatsuura District, he made his professional debut in January 1956, and reached sekitori status four years later upon promotion to the jūryō division in March 1960. He made his top makuuchi division debut in January 1961. Sadanoyama won his first tournament title in only his third tournament in the top division, from the rank of maegashira 13. The achievement of winning a tournament from the maegashira ranks is sometimes seen as a jinx on subsequent success in sumo,^[1] but Sadanoyama disproved that theory by going on to reach ōzeki in March 1962 after winning his second title, and then yokozuna in January 1965 after capturing his third championship.

Sadanoyama's handprint on a Ryōgoku monument

He made a cameo appearance in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, as himself.^[2]

Sadanoyama announced his retirement suddenly in March 1968, despite having won the previous two tournaments, following a surprise loss to a new maegashira, the Hawaiian born Takamiyama. It has been suggested that the shock of losing to a foreigner may have prompted a premature retirement.^[1]

Retirement from sumo

Sadanoyama remained in the sumo world after his retirement, as an elder. Having married the daughter of the previous stable boss, former maegashira Dewanohana Kuniichi, he became head coach of the Dewanoumi stable. One of the most powerful heya in sumo, he produced a string of top division wrestlers, including Mienoumi, Dewanohana Yoshitaka, Washūyama, Ōnishiki, Ryōgoku, Oginishiki and Mainoumi. In February 1992 he became head of the Japan Sumo Association. He was chosen ahead of his contemporaries Taihō and Kashiwado partly because he was in better health than either of them.^[1] He changed his toshiyori name to Sakaigawa in 1996, handing over the Dewanoumi name and the day-to-day running of his stable to the former Washuyama. He did not run for re-election in 1998, after it became clear he lacked enough support, and was replaced by former ōzeki Yutakayama from the rival Tokitsukaze faction. He stood down as an elder in 2003 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five.

Fighting style

Sadanoyama was known for employing pushing and thrusting techniques such as tsuppari (a series of rapid thrusts to the chest) and regularly won by such kimarite as oshi dashi (push out) and tsuki dashi (thrust out). However he was also good on the mawashi where he preferred a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip, and often won by yori kiri (force out) and uwatenage (overarm throw).

Career record

• The Kyushu tournament was first held in 1957, and the Nagoya tournament in 1958.

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu^[3]

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
1956	(Maezumo)	West Jonokuchi #10 5–3	East Jonidan #88 6–2	Not held	West Jonidan #34 7–1	Not held
1957	East Sandanme #85 4–4	East Sandanme #82 4–4	East Sandanme #72 5–3	Not held	West Sandanme #42 7–1	East Sandanme #13 5–3
1958	West Sandanme #3 5–3	West Makushita #72 5–3	East Makushita #66 5–3	East Makushita #56 6–2	East Makushita #43 5–3	West Makushita #32 4–4
1959	West Makushita #31 5–3	East Makushita #28 5–3	West Makushita #23 6–2	West Makushita #10 5–3	East Makushita #9 4–4	West Makushita #6 5–3
1960	West Makushita #4 6–2	East Jūryō #16 11–4	West Jūryō #9 10–5	West Jūryō #3 7–8	West Jūryō #4 8–7	East Jūryō #2 11–4
1961	East Maegashira #12 10–5	West Maegashira #4 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15	West Maegashira #13 12–3 F	East Maegashira #2 11–4 O★★	East Sekiwake #2 8–7	East Sekiwake #2 8–7
1962	West Sekiwake #1 9–6	East Sekiwake #2 13–2–P T	West Ōzeki #1 13–2	East Ōzeki #1 9–6	East Ōzeki #2 13–2–P	East Ōzeki #1 11–4
1963	East Ōzeki #1 12–3	East Ōzeki #1 0–5–10	East Ōzeki #3 11–4	West Ōzeki #1 13–2–P	East Ōzeki #1 10–5	East Ōzeki #2 8–7
1964	East Ōzeki #2 9–3–3	East Ōzeki #1 9–6	East Ōzeki #2 11–4	West Ōzeki #1 8–7	West Ōzeki #2 13–2	East Ōzeki #1 13–2
1965	East Ōzeki #1 13–2	West Yokozuna #1 12–3	West Yokozuna #1 14–1	East Yokozuna #1 12–3	West Yokozuna #1 12–3–P	East Yokozuna #1 11–4
1966	West Yokozuna #1 5–6–4	West Yokozuna #1 5–5–5	West Yokozuna #2 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15	West Yokozuna #2 11–4	East Yokozuna #2 12–3	East Yokozuna #2 10–5
1967	East Yokozuna #2 14–1	West Yokozuna #1 9–6	East Yokozuna #2 12–3	East Yokozuna #2 10–5	West Yokozuna #1 12–3	West Yokozuna #1 13–2
1968	East Yokozuna #1 13–2	East Yokozuna #1 Retired 2–4
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion 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

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of James Bond allies in the 1965 film You Only Live Twice
• List of yokozuna

References

1. Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
2. "You Only Live Twice". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
3. "Sadanoyama Shinmatsu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-07-29.

External links

• Japan Sumo Association profile