Wakashima Gonshirō

Wakashima Gonshirō
若島 権四郎
Personal information
Born Gonshirō Takahashi
(1876-01-19)January 19, 1876
Chiba, Japan
Died October 23, 1943(1943-10-23) (aged 67)
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 116 kg (256 lb)
Career
Stable Tomozuna, Nakamura
Record 82-33-13draws (Makuuchi)
Debut May, 1891
Highest rank Yokozuna (April, 1905)
Retired January, 1907
Championships 4 (Osaka makuuchi, unofficial)
* Up to date as of October 2007.

Wakashima Gonshirō (若島 権四郎, January 19, 1876 October 23, 1943) was a sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 21st yokozuna.

Career

Wakashima was the first official yokozuna from Osaka sumo. He began his career in Tokyo sumo at the Tomozuna stable, joining in May 1891 at the age of 15. He reached the top makuuchi division in 1896, peaking at maegashira 7. He was very popular with geisha, but his interest in this side of life caused his progress in sumo to slacken. In addition, he suffered from smallpox. He left in January 1898, joining Osaka sumo, and entering Nakamura stable. It is believed he was awarded the Osaka sumo yokozuna licence by the Gojo family in January 1903 though the evidence is obscure. In June 1903, he fought against wrestlers in Tokyo sumo. He gave a very strong performance, defeating yokozuna Umegatani Tōtarō II and emerged as a threat to the dominance of the strongest yokozuna in Tokyo sumo, Hitachiyama.[1] His strength was acknowledged when, after a series of meetings between the Osaka and Tokyo sumo associations, he was awarded a yokozuna license by the Yoshida family in April 1905. The only wrestler active in Osaka sumo to ever receive this recognition.[1] He retired at the early age of 31 in January 1907 owing to an injury suffered in a cycling accident in September 1905, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Tokyo sumo top division record

Wakashima[2]
- Spring Summer
1896 West Maegashira #12
421
3d

 
West Maegashira #7
171
1h

 
1897 West Maegashira #12
172
 
West Maegashira #14
451
 
1898 West Maegashira #13
351
1d

 
Sat out
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 Jūryō Makushita Sandanme Jonidan Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna Ōzeki Sekiwake Komusubi Maegashira

Osaka sumo top division record

Wakashima Gonshiro[3]
First Second
1898 Maegashira
413
1d

 
West Maegashira #12
72
 
1899 West Maegashira #8
711
 
Not held
1900 West Komusubi
701
1d 1h
Unofficial

 
Not held
1901 West Ōzeki
701
1h
Unofficial

 
Not held
1902 East Ōzeki
80
1h
Unofficial

 
Not held
1903 East Yokozuna
81
 
East Yokozuna
404
1d

 
1904 East Yokozuna
612
 
East Yokozuna
711
1d

 
1905 Sat out East Yokozuna
801
1d
Unofficial

 
1906 Sat out Sat out
1907
Retired
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 Jūryō Makushita Sandanme Jonidan Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna Ōzeki Sekiwake Komusubi Maegashira

*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded in Osaka sumo before its merger with Tokyo sumo, and the unofficial championships above are historically conferred. For more information, see yūshō.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "68 Yokozuna in 400 Years". Le Monde Du Sumo. June 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  2. "Wakashima Daigoro Rikishi Information". Sumo References. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  3. "NAME Rikishi Information" (in Japanese). 横綱力士幕内星取表.

External links

Previous:
Umegatani Tōtarō II
21st Yokozuna
1905 - 1907
Next:
Tachiyama Mineemon
Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can share the title


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