Ōtsukasa Nobuhide

{{Short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | image = Otsukasa 08 Sep.jpg | native_name = 皇司信秀 | name = Ōtsukasa Nobuhide | birth_name = Nobuhide Ōuchi | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|2|18}} | birth_place = Hyōgo, Japan | height = {{height|meters=1.75}} | weight = {{convert|149|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | heya = Irumagawa | rank = | record = 616–660–1 | debut = March, 1993 | highestrank = Maegashira 4 (July, 2001) | retireddate = March, 2009 | eldername = Wakafuji | yushos = 2 (Jūryō)<br />1 (Makushita) | prizes = | goldstars = | update = Mar 2009 }} '''Ōtsukasa Nobuhide ''' ({{nihongo|皇司信秀| Ōtsukasanobuhide}}, born February 18, 1971, as '''Nobuhide Ōuchi''') is a former sumo wrestler from Miki, Hyōgo, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1993. The highest rank he reached was ''maegashira'' 4. He retired in March 2009 and is now a sumo coach.

==Career== Ōtsukasa began sumo at Miki Middle School and was a member of Ichikawa High School's sumo club, where he won national high school sumo championships. He continued his amateur sumo career at Nihon University.

Ōtsukasa was recruited by the former ''sekiwake'' Tochitsukasa, also a Nihon University alumni and head of the then-newly formed Irumagawa stable. He made his professional debut in March 1993. Due to his amateur achievements, he was given ''makushita tsukedashi'' status, meaning he could enter in the third-highest ''makushita'' division. Initially fighting under his real name of Ōuchi, he won the ''makushita'' ''yūshō'' or championship in only his second tournament, with a perfect 7–0 record. However, it was not until January 1996 that he became a ''sekitori'' by earning promotion to the second-highest ''jūryō'' division, upon which he adopted the ''shikona'' of Ōtsukasa. After a couple of short spells back in the ''makushita'' division, he took the ''jūryō'' division championship in May 1999 with an 11–4 record. He made the top ''makuuchi'' division for the first time in September 1999. The 39 tournaments it took him from his professional debut to reach ''makuuchi'' is the third-slowest amongst former collegiate wrestlers.

During his ''sekitori'' career (75 tournaments in total) Ōtsukasa was a classic "elevator wrestler", too good for ''jūryō'' but not quite good enough for the top division. He was promoted to ''makuuchi'' no less than 11 times in total.<ref name="szumo">{{cite web | author= | title=Rikishi in Juryo and Makunouchi | publisher=szumo.hu | url=http://www.szumo.hu/sekitori/Otsukasa.html | date= | accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> This is two fewer than the record of 13 promotions held by Ōshio, a record Ōtsukasa said he would have liked to break. Ōtsukasa was ranked in the top division for three of the six tournaments held in 2007 but did not manage a majority of wins against losses in ''makuuchi'' after July 2004. His last promotion in March 2008 made him the third-oldest postwar wrestler to earn promotion to the top division at 37 years. He won his first four bouts on his final return but then lost 10 in a row to finish with a 5–10 score.

He won a second ''jūryō'' championship in January 2005. After the retirement of Kotonowaka in November 2005 he was the oldest man in the ''sekitori'' ranks (the top two divisions). Restricted by a shoulder injury, he produced only one winning record after January 2008. After the 2009 Haru ''basho'', Ōtsukasa would have dropped out of ''jūryō'' (see retirement below). His departure left Tosanoumi, who is two days under a year younger than Ōtsukasa, as the oldest active ''sekitori''.

==Fighting style== His most frequently used ''kimarite'' or technique was a simple ''yori-kiri'' or force out, but he also favoured pushing or thrusting moves such as ''oshi-dashi'' and ''tsuki-otoshi'', and pull downs such as ''hataki-komi'' and ''hiki-otoshi''. At 175 cm or 5 ft 9 in he was one of the shortest wrestlers in the top two divisions.

==Retirement from sumo== Ōtsukasa pulled out of the March 2009 tournament on the 13th day with only one win, facing certain demotion to ''makushita'' for the first time since 1998. Before the start of the 14th day's matches, he officially announced his retirement from sumo at the age of 38. He said that although he would have liked to have reached a ''san'yaku'' rank, he left with no regrets.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jonosuke|title=Former Makuuchi rikishi Otsukasa retires|publisher=Ciber Sumo.com|url=http://www.cibersumo.com/articulos/viewnews.shtml?id=20090329545771133003|date=29 March 2009|accessdate=7 April 2009}}</ref> He has stayed in the sumo world as a coach at Irumagawa stable, having purchased the ''toshiyori'' name of Wakafuji. His ''danpatsu-shiki'', or official retirement ceremony, was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on January 30, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/kyokai/event/index.html#01|title=Coming Events|publisher=Japan Sumo Association|accessdate=10 November 2009}}</ref> In February 2022 he transferred to Kise stable.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Kakizoe inherits Irumagawa stable, name changes to Ikazuchi stable, revived for the first time in 62 years, Irumagawa retires in April|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202301260000568.html|date=26 January 2023|work=Nikkan Sports|language=Japanese|access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life== He married in October 2013 and the wedding reception was held in August 2014.<ref>[https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sports/201409/0007297392.shtml]{{dead link|date=February 2022|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

==Career record== {{Sumo record box start|Ōtsukasa Nobuhide<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Ōtsukasa Nobuhide Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?shikona=%C5%8Ctsukasa&heya=-1&shusshin=-1&b=-1&high=-1&hd=-1&entry=-1&intai=-1&sort=1 | date= | accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start link|1993}} {{Basho}} {{Basho|mt|60||4|3}} {{Basho|ma|48|w|7|0<br>Champion}} {{Basho|ma|5|e|3|3|1}} {{Basho|ma|10|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|22|e|2|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1994}} {{Basho|ma|40|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|52|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|31|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|48|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|30|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|19|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1995}} {{Basho|ma|14|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|9|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|4|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|1|e|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|16|e|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|3|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1996}} {{Basho|j|12|w|4|11}} {{Basho|ma|6|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|18|e|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|3|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|2|e|5|2}} {{Basho|j|12|w|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1997}} {{Basho|j|8|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|6|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|9|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|7|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|12|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|7|w|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1998}} {{Basho|j|11|e|6|9}} {{Basho|ma|1|e|4|3}} {{Basho|j|12|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|7|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|11|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|8|w|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1999}} {{Basho|j|11|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|10|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|6|e|11|4<br>Champion}} {{Basho|j|1|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|14|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|11|w|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2000}} {{Basho|m|10|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|1|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|3|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|12|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|11|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|13|e|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2001}} {{Basho|j|3|w|10|5}} {{Basho|m|12|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|8|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|4|w|4|11}} {{Basho|m|9|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|11|e|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2002}} {{Basho|m|7|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|5|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|7|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|9|e|5|10}} {{Basho|m|12|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|3|w|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2003}} {{Basho|m|13|e|4|11}} {{Basho|j|2|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|14|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|10|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|15|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|13|w|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2004}} {{Basho|j|2|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|1|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|2|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|14|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|13|w|3|12}} {{Basho|j|4|w|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2005}} {{Basho|j|7|w|12|3<br>Champion}} {{Basho|m|16|w|4|11}} {{Basho|j|4|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|1|w|4|11}} {{Basho|j|8|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|11|e|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2006}} {{Basho|j|4|w|10|5}} {{Basho|m|15|w|4|11}} {{Basho|j|5|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|8|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|5|e|10|5}} {{Basho|m|15|e|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2007}} {{Basho|m|16|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|1|e|11|4}} {{Basho|m|11|e|4|11}} {{Basho|m|17|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|2|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|3|w|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2008}} {{Basho|j|4|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|16|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|4|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|10|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|12|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|4|e|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2009}} {{Basho|j|8|e|6|9}} {{Basho|INTAI|rank=j|r-no=12|tozai=e|win=1|loss=12}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Goo Sumo|A=|59}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otsukasa Nobuhide}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:People from Miki, Hyōgo Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Sumo wrestlers from Hyōgo Prefecture Category:Nihon University alumni