Kitabayama Hidetoshi


Kitabayama Hidetoshi was a former sumo wrestler and coach from Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was ōzeki.

Career

Kitabayama entered sumo in May 1954, joining Tokitsukaze stable. He was recruited by the legendary former yokozuna Futabayama. He was 173 cm tall and weighed 119 kg, which would make him extremely small by today's sumo standards. After winning the jūryō championship in September 1958 with a 14–1 record he entered the top makuuchi division in November 1958. He was a runner-up in only his second top division tournament and quickly made the san'yaku ranks, reaching sekiwake in November 1959. He was to remain at sekiwake rank for nine of the next ten tournaments. After finishing runner-up to maegashira Sadanoyama in the May 1961 tournament with an 11–4 record he was promoted to ōzeki. He had won 28 bouts over the previous three tournaments, not normally enough for ōzeki promotion, but there were only two ōzeki at the time, and two ageing yokozuna and so the standard was lowered slightly. In an era dominated by Taihō he was only able to win one tournament championship, in July 1963, when he defeated Sadanoyama in a playoff. He was also runner-up for a third time in the May 1964 tournament. He held his ōzeki rank for a total of 30 tournaments over a period of five years. This was the first time a sumo wrestler has competed as ozeki for thirty or more tournaments.

Retirement from sumo

Kitabayama retired from active competition in May 1966, following two losing scores in his last two tournaments. He remained in the sumo world as an elder under the toshiyori name Edagawa and worked as a coach at Tokitsukaze stable. He was also on the board of Directors of the Japan Sumo Association and worked as a judge of tournament bouts. He left the Sumo Association in 2000 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty-five. He died in 2010 from cancer of the liver.

Fighting style

Kitabayama's favoured techniques were hidari-yotsu, yori kiri and utchari. Other kimarite he regularly used were uwatenage and tsuridashi.

Career record