Shobushi Kanji

{{Short description|Japanese sumo wrestler (1991–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | image = Shokiri-1.jpg | caption = Shobushi performing ''shokkiri'', or comic sumo, with Takamisato at an exhibition in April 2017 | native_name = 勝武士幹士 | name = Shobushi Kanji | birth_name = Kiyotaka Ōmori | birth_date = {{birth date|1991|11|4|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|5|13|1991|11|4|mf=yes}} | death_place = Tokyo, Japan | height = {{height|meters=1.66}} | weight = {{convert|111.2|kg|lb st|abbr=on}} | heya = Takadagawa | record = 260-279 | debut = March, 2007 | highestrank = Sandanme 11 (November 2017) | retireddate = | yushos = | prizes = | goldstars = | update = }}

{{nihongo|'''Shobushi Kanji'''|勝武士幹士||real name {{nihongo|'''Kiyotaka Suetake'''|末武清孝|Suetake Kiyotaka}} and born {{nihongo|'''Kiyotaka Ōmori'''|大森清孝|Ōmori Kiyotaka}}; November 4, 1991 – May 13, 2020}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a9859edac13e34f3dd6745abc9b3d89fd77ef549|title=２８歳の勝武士さんがコロナ死八角理事長「言葉も見つかりません」|work=Yahoo Japan|language=Japanese|date=13 May 2020|accessdate=22 May 2020|archive-date=17 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517215520/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a9859edac13e34f3dd6745abc9b3d89fd77ef549|url-status=dead}}</ref> was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Kōfu, Yamanashi. He was the first sumo wrestler to die from COVID-19, and is also thought to be the first person in their 20s to die from the virus in Japan.<ref name=kyodo130520A>{{cite web |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/05/2710c4489399-breaking-news-sumo-wrestler-dies-after-being-infected-with-new-coronavirus.html|title=28-year-old sumo wrestler dies after coronavirus infection |author= |date=13 May 2020|website=english.kyodonews.net|publisher=Kyodo|access-date=13 May 2020}}</ref>

==Career== Shobushi did judo at Ryuo Junior High School in Kai. He joined Takadagawa stable in 2007. His highest rank was ''sandanme'' 11, which he achieved in November 2017. He was a {{nihongo|personal attendant|付け人|tsukebito}} to his stablemate Ryuden, who was a fellow Yamanashi Prefecture native and alumnus of his junior high school judo club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hochi.news/articles/20200513-OHT1T50266.html|title=勝武士さん、異例の一門葬も…親方衆ら対象多いが協会関係者「約１か月も頑張った証しとして」|date=14 May 2020|work=Hochi|language=Japanese|accessdate=18 May 2020}}</ref> Starting in March 2014, Shobushi was a performer of {{nihongo|comic sumo displays|初っ切り|shokkiri}} on regional tours and exhibition tournaments. His partner in the performances was Takamisato of the Azumazeki stable. Usually both wrestlers in ''shokkiri'' are from the same stable, but Azumazeki had no-one small enough to provide a contrast to the larger Takamisato, so Shobushi who was of short stature and weighed only around {{convert|110|kg}} was asked instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202005140000237.html|title=コンビ秘話…勝武士さん初っ切り相棒に聞く（上）|date=14 May 2020|work=Nikkan Sports|accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref> Following Takamisato's retirement in 2018 Shobushi's partner was Ebisumaru, who made his professional debut alongside Shobushi and is also from Takadagawa. Shobushi also performed at Takekaze's {{nihongo|retirement ceremony|断髪式|danpatsu-shiki}} in February 2020.

==Illness and death== Shobushi was the first sumo wrestler confirmed to have been infected with the COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, though his identity was not disclosed at the time.<ref name=kyodo100420A>{{cite web |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/04/d25d0f1d5acb-breaking-news-1st-sumo-wrestler-tests-positive-for-coronavirus.html|title=1st sumo wrestler tests positive for coronavirus |author= |date=10 April 2020|website=english.kyodonews.net|publisher=Kyodo|access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=kyodo130520A>{{cite web |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/05/2710c4489399-breaking-news-sumo-wrestler-dies-after-being-infected-with-new-coronavirus.html|title=28-year-old sumo wrestler dies after coronavirus infection |author= |date=13 May 2020|website=english.kyodonews.net|publisher=Kyodo|access-date=13 May 2020}}</ref> On April 4, 2020, he developed a fever, but was not able to get medical attention or get admitted to a hospital until April 8 when coughing up blood, due to the high number of people with symptoms that Japan was experiencing at the time.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-testing/as-japan-reopens-coronavirus-testing-slowed-by-bureaucracy-and-staff-shortages-idUSKBN23406H As Japan reopens, coronavirus testing slowed by bureaucracy and staff shortages], Reuters (28 May 2020)</ref> An initial test for coronavirus came back negative, but after being transferred to a different hospital he tested positive on April 10. He remained in intensive care from 19 April until his death from multiple organ failure brought on by COVID-19 related pneumonia on May 13.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1134/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612213942/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1134/|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 June 2020|title=Grand sumo confronts the coronavirus challenge|last=Hiroshi|first=Morita|date=11 June 2020|work=NHK World Japan|accessdate=15 June 2020}}</ref> Prior to his death, he suffered from diabetes and in 2016 had to withdraw from a bout because of hypoglycemia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202005130000668.html|title=巡業人気者の勝武士さん、土俵下で糖尿発症不戦敗も|work=Nikkan Sports|language=Japanese|accessdate=14 May 2020}}</ref> He was the first active sumo wrestler to die since {{ill|Wakamiume Masahiro|lt=Wakamiume|ja|若三梅雅裕 }} of the ''makushita'' division died of acute myelogenous leukemia in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/sports/list/202005/CK2020051402000124.html|title=コロナ感染の力士死去角界初三段目・２８歳勝武士さん|date=14 May 2020|work=Tokyo Shimbun|language=Japanese|accessdate=22 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520082041/https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/sports/list/202005/CK2020051402000124.html|archive-date=20 May 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> Shortly before the announcement of his death, the May tournament was cancelled.

The Nishonoseki ''ichimon'' (a group of related stables) was planning to hold a ''ichimon'' funeral for Shobushi, which are normally reserved for wrestlers who go on to be elders of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). The JSA chairman, Hakkaku, said after Shobushi's death, "We cannot find any words to say when we think about the broken hearts of his family. It must have been so very painful to fight the disease for over a month but, like a sumo wrestler, he persevered and endured, fighting to the very end. We only wish that he rests in peace now."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/japanese-sumo-wrestler-shobushi-dies-of-covid-19-at-age-28-153945504.html|title=Japanese sumo wrestler Shobushi dies of COVID-19 at age 28|date=13 May 2020|work=Yahoo! Sports|accessdate=18 May 2020}}</ref>

==Fighting style== Shobushi was an ''oshi-sumo'' specialist who preferred pushing and thrusting rather than fighting on the ''mawashi.'' His most common winning ''kimarite'' or techniques were ''oshi-dashi'' (push out) and ''tsuki-otoshi'' (thrust over).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi_kim.aspx?r=7169|title=Wins of Shobushi|publisher=Sumo Reference|accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref>

==Career record== {{Sumo record box start|Shobushi Kanji<ref name="sdb">{{cite web | author= | title=Shobushi Kanji Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=12449 | date= | accessdate=17 May 2020}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start link|2007}} {{Basho}} {{Basho|MAEZUMOU}} {{Basho|jk|24|e|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|117|e|3|4}} {{Basho|jk|3|e|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|99|e|2|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2008}} {{Basho|jk|2|w|6|1}} {{Basho|jo|40|e|2|5}} {{Basho|jo|73|e|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|46|w|2|5}} {{Basho|jo|82|e|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|103|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2009}} {{Basho|jo|61|w|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|33|e|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|56|w|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|33|w|6|1}} {{Basho|sa|70|w|1|6}} {{Basho|jo|4|w|2|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2010}} {{Basho|jo|37|e|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|56|e|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|78|e|5|2}} {{Basho|jo|34|e|6|1}} {{Basho|sa|70|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|100|w|2|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2011}} {{Basho|jo|34|e|5|2}} {{Basho|CANCELLED|absent=0}} {{Basho|sa|97|e|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|49|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|68|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|94|e|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2012}} {{Basho|sa|77|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|45|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|75|e|1|6}} {{Basho|jo|9|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|92|e|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|73|e|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2013}} {{Basho|sa|55|e|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|73|e|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|54|w|1|6}} {{Basho|sa|86|w|3|4}} {{Basho|jo|6|e|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|74|e|2|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2014}} {{Basho|jo|1|e|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|81|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|49|w|0|7}} {{Basho|sa|99|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|65|e|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|82|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2015}} {{Basho|sa|50|e|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|75|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|96|e|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|76|e|1|6}} {{Basho|jo|23|e|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|88|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2016}} {{Basho|sa|54|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|27|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|56|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|41|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|25|e|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|12|e|1|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2017}} {{Basho|sa|41|e|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|72|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|90|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|70|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|37|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|11|e|2|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2018}} {{Basho|sa|41|e|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|65|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|81|w|2|5}} {{Basho|jo|6|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|87|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|72|e|3|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2019}} {{Basho|sa|85|e|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|95|w|2|5}} {{Basho|jo|25|w|4|3}} {{Basho|jo|5|e|2|5}} {{Basho|jo|41|e|5|2}} {{Basho|jo|4|e|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2020}} {{Basho|sa|84|e|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|64|w|3|4}} {{Basho|CANCELLED|rank=sa|r-no=82|tozai=w|absent=0}} {{Basho|INTAI|rank=sa|r-no=82|tozai=w|win=|loss=}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.takadagawa.com/rikishi/shobushi-page.html Profile at Takadagawa stable] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=I9qAzDqHC5c&feature=emb_title Shobushi and Ebisumaru's shokkiri performance. February 1, 2020] (Japan Sumo Association Official channel)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shobushi, Kanji}} Category:1991 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Sumo wrestlers from Yamanashi Prefecture Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Category:21st-century Japanese sportsmen