Kotoinazuma Yoshihiro

{{Short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | image = Kotoinazuma 2012 Jan.JPG | native_name = 琴稲妻佳弘 | name = Kotoinazuma Yoshihiro | birth_name = Masahiro Tamura | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1962|04|26}} | birth_place = Niiharu, Gunma, Japan | height = {{height|meters=1.81}} | weight = {{convert|137|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | heya = Sadogatake | rank = | record = 752–802–30 | debut = March 1978 | highestrank = Komusubi (November 1995) | retireddate = July 1999 | eldername = Kumegawa | yushos = | prizes = Outstanding Performance (1)<br />Fighting Spirit (1) | goldstars = | update = August 2012 }} '''Kotoinazuma Yoshihiro''' (born 26 April 1962 as '''Masahiro Tamura''') is a former sumo wrestler from Niiharu, Gunma, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1978, and reached the top division in 1987. His highest rank was ''komusubi'' and he earned two special prizes. After retirement he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association and as of 2016 he is a coach at Sadogatake stable under the name Kumegawa.<ref>{{cite web | title=Oyakata (Coaches) | publisher=Nihon Sumo Kyokai | url=http://www.sumo.or.jp/EnSumoDataKyokaiMember/oyakata | access-date=2016-08-17}}</ref>

==Career== He was recruited by the former ''yokozuna'' Kotozakura of the Sadogatake stable. For his first appearance on the ''banzuke'' ranking sheets he was given the ''shikona'' of Kotoinazuma, with the prefix of Koto, the Japanese stringed instrument, used by all members of his stable, and the suffix "Inazuma" meaning "lightning."<ref name="patmore"/>

Kotoinazuma was a late-blooming wrestler. It took him over nine years from his professional debut in March 1978 to reach the top ''makuuchi'' division, in November 1987. He was one of the few wrestlers to reach the top division despite twice going 0–7 in the lower divisions. (He also shares with ''yokozuna'' Kitanoumi the odd distinction of following an undefeated 7–0 score with a 0–7.) In addition it took Kotoinazuma 100 career tournaments before he earned a special prize (an Outstanding Performance Award in September 1994), which is the most in sumo history.<ref name="koto">{{cite web|url=http://kyodonews.net/news/2016/01/25/47072|title=Sumo: Kotoshogiku maintains late-blooming stable tradition|date=25 January 2016|publisher=Kyodo News|access-date=1 March 2016}}</ref> He is also the second slowest to make it to a ''sanyaku'' rank, at 106 tournaments from sumo entry.<ref name="koto"/> This occurred when he was promoted to the rank of ''komusubi'' for the November 1995 tournament. This was to be his only tournament in ''sanyaku'', as he had a losing record of six wins against nine losses. However, he did have his first and only win over a ''yokozuna'' in this tournament, defeating Takanohana. (He never upset a ''yokozuna'' at a ''maegashira'' rank and so did not receive any gold stars). He fought his final tournament in ''makuuchi'' in September 1998, by which time he was the oldest man in the top division. He competed in 60 top division tournaments without ever achieving double-digit wins, which is a record. He announced his retirement in July 1999 after facing certain demotion to the unsalaried ''makushita'' division. He had been an active wrestler for 21 years and fought 1551 bouts across 129 tournaments.

==Retirement from sumo== Kotoinazuma became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Kumegawa Oyakata. He works as a coach at Sadogatake stable, and as a judge of tournament bouts.

==Fighting style== Kotoinazuma was one of the lighter men in the top division at around {{convert|130|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, and he lacked the power and skill to compete with the strongest wrestlers in the top division.<ref name="patmore">{{cite book|last=Patmore|first=Angela|title=The Giants of Sumo|year=1990|publisher=MacDonald/Queen Anee Press|isbn=9780356181202|pages=111–112}}</ref> Although he was fairly adept at pushing and thrusting techniques, he favoured ''yotsu-sumo'' or grappling techniques. His preferred grip on his opponent's ''mawashi'' was ''migi-yotsu'', a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He would regularly use his left hand outer grip to win by ''uwate-nage'' or overarm throw, although his most common winning ''kimarite'' was ''yori-kiri'', a straightforward force out. He also had the slap down, scoop throw and outer leg trip in his repertoire.<ref name="patmore"/>

==Personal life== Kotoinazuma's interests include music and golf.<ref name="patmore"/>

He received treatment for gout and a side-effect of the therapeutic agent was hair loss. This meant that the ''tokoyama'' or hairdressers had difficulty in producing the elaborate ginkgo leaf style ''oichomage'' or topknot that professional sumo wrestlers are required to wear on the ''dohyō''.<ref name="patmore"/> He had a physical resemblance to another top division wrestler of the time, Sasshūnada, who also had a receding hair-line.

==Career record== {{Sumo record box start|Kotoinazuma Yoshihiro<ref>{{cite web | title=Kotoinazuma Yoshihiro Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=37 | access-date=2012-08-26}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start|1978}} {{Basho}} {{Basho|MAEZUMOU}} {{Basho|jk|19|w|5|2}} {{Basho|jo|58|w|5|2}} {{Basho|jo|20|e|1|6}} {{Basho|jo|60|e|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1979}} {{Basho|jo|43|w|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|21|e|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|84|e|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|67|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|80|e|7|0|P}} {{Basho|ma|60|e|0|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1980}} {{Basho|sa|30|e|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|43|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|71|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|58|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|26|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|49|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1981}} {{Basho|sa|32|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|8|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|47|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|34|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|25|e|0|7}} {{Basho|ma|55|e|6|1}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1982}} {{Basho|ma|26|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|14|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|22|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|49|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|36|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|27|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1983}} {{Basho|ma|19|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|38|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|21|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|14|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|29|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|17|w|2|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1984}} {{Basho|ma|32|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|42|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|32|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|22|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|15|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|23|w|6|1}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1985}} {{Basho|ma|8|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|4|e|5|2}} {{Basho|j|13|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|8|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|6|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|12|e|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1986}} {{Basho|j|7|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|11|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|13|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|8|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|11|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|7|e|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1987}} {{Basho|j|4|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|1|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|1|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|6|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|2|w|10|5}} {{Basho|m|12|e|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1988}} {{Basho|m|11|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|2|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|1|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|14|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|10|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|5|w|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1989}} {{Basho|m|9|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|3|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|6|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|10|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|8|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|9|w|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1990}} {{Basho|m|3|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|9|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|3|e|4|11}} {{Basho|m|12|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|10|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|5|e|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1991}} {{Basho|m|9|e|3|5|7}} {{Basho|KYUJO|rank=j|r-no=3|tozai=e}} {{Basho|j|3|e|10|5}} {{Basho|m|15|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|12|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|14|w|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1992}} {{Basho|m|16|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|12|w|3|4|8}} {{Basho|j|4|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|6|e|11|4|P}} {{Basho|m|15|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|10|w|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1993}} {{Basho|m|12|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|8|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|12|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|8|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|14|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|9|e|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1994}} {{Basho|m|12|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|8|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|13|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|10|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|5|e|8|7|||o}} {{Basho|m|1|e|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1995}} {{Basho|m|5|e|5|10}} {{Basho|m|9|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|14|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|9|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|1|w|9|6|||f}} {{Basho|k|1|e|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1996}} {{Basho|m|2|w|2|13}} {{Basho|m|13|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|6|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|7|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|2|w|4|11}} {{Basho|m|6|w|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1997}} {{Basho|m|12|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|7|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|8|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|2|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|5|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|6|w|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1998}} {{Basho|m|11|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|10|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|14|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|12|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|14|e|4|11}} {{Basho|j|3|w|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1999}} {{Basho|j|7|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|12|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|8|e|8|7}} {{Basho|INTAI|rank=j|r-no=5|tozai=w|win=3|loss=12}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Goo Sumo|A=|45}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotoinazuma, Yoshihiro}} Category:1962 births Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Living people Category:Sumo wrestlers from Gunma Prefecture Category:Komusubi Category:Sadogatake stable sumo wrestlers