Record 591-251-61 Name Sadanoyama Shinmatsu Weight 129 kg Championships 6 (Makuuchi) Height 1.82 m | Retired March, 1968 Makuuchi rank Yokozuna Debut January, 1956 Role Sumo Wrestler Career start January 1956 | |
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Born Shinmatsu Sasada
February 18, 1938
Nagasaki, Japan ( 1938-02-18 ) Highest rank Yokozuna (January, 1965) Special Prizes Fighting Spirit (1)
Outstanding Performance (1)
Technique (1) Stable Dewanoumi stable (1955–1968) Similar People Tochinoumi Teruyoshi, Kashiwado Tsuyoshi, Kitanofuji Katsuaki, Mienoumi Tsuyoshi, Yutakayama Katsuo | ||
Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (佐田の山 晋松, born Shinmatsu Sasada, February 18, 1938 – April 27, 2017) was 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.
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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, 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.
He made a cameo appearance in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, as himself. Although more attention was focused on yokozuna Taihō and Kashiwado, with their rivalry referred to as the Hakuho era after a combination of their shikona, Sadanoyama in fact ended up winning more tournament championships than Kashiwado.
Sadanoyama announced his retirement suddenly in March 1968, despite having won the previous two tournaments, two days after 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.
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. 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 subsequently became head of the judging department, an unusual move for a former head of the Sumo Association. He stood down as an elder in 2003 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five.
Death
He died in a Tokyo hospital of pneumonia on April 27, 2017 at the age of 79.
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).