Fujizakura Yoshimori

{{Short description|Sumo wrestler}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | native_name = 富士櫻栄守 | name = Fujizakura Yoshimori | image = | birth_name = Yoshio Nakazawa | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1948|02|09}} | birth_place = Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan | height = {{height|meters=1.78}} | weight = {{convert|129|kg|lb st|abbr=on}} | heya = Takasago | rank = | record = 788-827-30 | debut = March, 1963 | highestrank = Sekiwake (March, 1974) | retireddate = March, 1985 | eldername = Nakamura | yushos = 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita) | prizes = Technique (3) Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (3) | goldstars = 9 Wajima (3) Wakanohana II (3) Kitanoumi (2) Kotozakura | weburl = | update = June 2020 }} '''Fujizakura Yoshimori''' (富士櫻栄守) (born 9 February 1948 as '''Yoshio Nakasawa''') is a former sumo wrestler from Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake''. He wrestled for Takasago stable. He made his debut in 1963 and had one of the longest professional careers of any wrestler, fighting 1613 bouts in total, of which 1543 were consecutive.<ref>{{cite book|author=Schilling, Mark|title=Sumo: A Fan's Guide|publisher=Japan Times|year=1994|isbn=4-7890-0725-1|page=77}}</ref> This latter record is second only to Aobajō. After his retirement in 1985 he was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and the head coach of Nakamura stable.

==Career== He was the eldest son of a farmer, and was enrolled in the judo club at junior high school. He made his professional debut in March 1963. He was given the ''shikona'' of Fujizakura, meaning "cherry of Fuji", a reference to the prefectural flower of Yamanashi, a small pale red and white flower that blooms only around Mount Fuji. He reached ''sekitori'' status in January 1970 and was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 1971. He was a runner-up in only his second ''honbasho'' or tournament in the division and was awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize. He fought in ''makuuchi'' for 73 tournaments in total, winning eight special prizes, and nine gold stars for defeating ''yokozuna''. His highest rank was ''sekiwake,'' which he reached in March 1974.

He was demoted to the ''jūryō'' division on two occasions in 1979 and 1980, but each time made an immediate comeback to ''makuuchi''. His final top division tournament was in January 1984, where he had to withdraw through injury – coincidentally, his long-time stablemate Takamiyama withdrew from the same tournament and this was also his final ''makuuchi'' appearance. This brought to an end Fujizakura's run of 1543 consecutive appearances from his professional debut, which was the most in sumo history at the time. As of 2017 it is second only to Aobajō's 1630 consecutive bouts. In September 2023, his record was tied by Tamawashi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sankei.com/article/20230914-CQX6WZ2X4BIBHLTJGOCODBHCJY/|title=玉鷲が歴代２位タイの１５４３回連続出場突き押しの先輩、富士桜に並ぶ|language=ja|date=14 September 2023|work=Sankei Shimbun|access-date=14 September 2023}}</ref>

He was a favourite of Emperor Shōwa, a noted fan of sumo.<ref name="peek">{{cite web|author=Michiko Kodama|title=Heya Peek: Nakamura Beya|url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_23/Heya_Peek.pdf|publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine|date=February 2009|accessdate=12 March 2009}}</ref> His May 1975 bout with Kirinji in which he thrust at his opponent over 50 times but lost, was named one of the "Best 10 All Time Battles in Ozumo" by the ''Nikkei'' newspaper.<ref name="peek"/>

==Retirement from sumo== Fujizakura retired in March 1985, after facing demotion to the ''makushita'' division. He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, opening up Nakamura stable in 1986,<ref name="Sharnoff">{{Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lora |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |pages=200|isbn=0-8348-0283-X}}</ref> taking four ''jonokuchi'' ranked wrestlers from Takasago stable. He had a policy of not accepting foreign-born wrestlers or ''makushita tsukedashi'' entrants with a college sumo background, and encouraged his wrestlers to obtain high school diplomas by correspondence courses over the internet.<ref>{{cite web|title=Education comes first at Nakamura stable|publisher=Japan Times|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2005/03/24/sumo/education-comes-first-at-nakamura-stable/#.XXqpCOSWymQ|date=24 March 2005|accessdate=12 September 2019}}</ref> He produced a handful of ''jūryō'' ranked wrestlers but none reached the top division. He also served as a judge of tournament bouts for over 20 years,<ref name="peek"/> and held the post of deputy director of Judging. Nakamura stable closed at the end of 2012, and he retired from the Sumo Association upon turning 65 in February 2013.

==Fighting style== Fujizakura was a pusher-thruster who preferred ''oshi-sumo'' techniques to fighting on the ''mawashi'' or belt (''yotsu-sumo''). His speciality was ''tsuppari'', a series of rapid thrusts to the opponent's chest. He was small by sumo standards, but was such an enthusiastic trainer in his younger days that he even had to be warned by his stablemaster at the time, former ''yokozuna'' Maedayama, not to over-train.

==Personal life== His eldest son {{Interlanguage link|Shinwa Nakasawa|ja|3=中澤信栄}}, born in 1976, is a folk singer.

==Career record== {{Sumo record box start|Fujizakura Yoshimori<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Fujizakura Yoshimori Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=4077 | date= | accessdate=2012-07-27}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start|1963}} {{Basho}} {{Basho|MAEZUMOU}} {{Basho|jk|25|e|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|61|w|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|73|e|2|5}} {{Basho|jo|87|e|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1964}} {{Basho|jo|60|e|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|39|e|2|5}} {{Basho|jo|56|e|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|60|e|5|2}} {{Basho|jo|18|e|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|75|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1965}} {{Basho|sa|56|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|66|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|89|e|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|1|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|83|w|1|6}} {{Basho|jo|13|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1966}} {{Basho|sa|73|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|45|e|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|16|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|22|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|83|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|58|w|3|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1967}} {{Basho|ma|69|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|58|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|11|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|59|e|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|7|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|22|e|3|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1968}} {{Basho|sa|28|w|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|54|w|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|28|e|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|11|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|17|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|22|w|3|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1969}} {{Basho|ma|27|w|7|0 Champion}} {{Basho|ma|1|e|1|6}} {{Basho|ma|15|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|12|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|3|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|5|w|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1970}} {{Basho|j|13|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|6|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|13|e|10|5}} {{Basho|j|5|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|11|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|7|w|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1971}} {{Basho|j|11|w|10|5}} {{Basho|j|4|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|3|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|2|w|10|5}} {{Basho|m|12|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|6|w|11|4||j|f}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1972}} {{Basho|m|1|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|2|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|5|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|1|w|9|6}} {{Basho|k|2|e|4|11}} {{Basho|m|5|w|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1973}} {{Basho|m|9|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|12|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|8|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|4|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|5|e|8|7|||*}} {{Basho|m|2|w|10|5|||t}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1974}} {{Basho|k|1|e|9|6|||t}} {{Basho|s|1|w|2|13}} {{Basho|m|8|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|3|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|8|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|6|w|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1975}} {{Basho|m|10|e|10|5}} {{Basho|m|3|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|1|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|2|e|10|5}} {{Basho|k|1|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|1|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1976}} {{Basho|k|2|e|3|12}} {{Basho|m|7|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|2|e|7|8|||*}} {{Basho|m|3|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|3|w|8|7|||*}} {{Basho|k|1|w|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1977}} {{Basho|m|2|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|7|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|4|e|9|6}} {{Basho|k|1|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|4|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|4|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1978}} {{Basho|m|1|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|4|e|8|7|||o}} {{Basho|m|1|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|2|w|9|6|||o|*}} {{Basho|s|1|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|3|e|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1979}} {{Basho|m|4|w|10|5|||t|*}} {{Basho|k|1|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|2|e|3|12}} {{Basho|m|12|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|2|w|10|5|PP}} {{Basho|m|11|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1980}} {{Basho|m|3|w|7|8|||*|*}} {{Basho|m|3|w|3|12|||*}} {{Basho|m|11|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|11|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|3|e|12|3|P Champion}} {{Basho|m|10|e|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1981}} {{Basho|m|6|w|10|5|||f|*}} {{Basho|k|1|w|3|12}} {{Basho|m|4|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|9|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|10|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|10|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1982}} {{Basho|m|4|w|3|12}} {{Basho|m|7|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|9|e|10|5}} {{Basho|m|1|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|1|w|4|11}} {{Basho|m|6|e|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1983}} {{Basho|m|6|w|4|11}} {{Basho|m|11|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|12|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|6|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|10|e|10|5|||f}} {{Basho|m|1|e|4|11}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1984}} {{Basho|m|10|w|0|4|11}} {{Basho|KYUJO|rank=j|r-no=5|tozai=w}} {{Basho|j|5|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|2|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|6|e|10|5}} {{Basho|j|3|w|4|7|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1985}} {{Basho|KYUJO|rank=j|r-no=9|tozai=w}} {{Basho|INTAI|rank=j|r-no=9|tozai=w|win=3|loss=12}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fujinishiki, Yoshimori}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Sumo wrestlers from Yamanashi Prefecture Category:Sekiwake Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen Category:Takasago stable sumo wrestlers