Tachiyama Mineemon

{{short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}} {{hatnote|In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Tachiyama.}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | native_name = 太刀山峯右衞門 | name =Tachiyama Mineemon | image= Tachiyama.jpg | caption = Tachiyama, circa 1916 | birth_name = Oimoto Yajirō | birth_date = {{Birth date|1877|8|15}} | birth_place = Toyama, Japan | death_date = {{death date and age|1941|3|4|1877|8|15}} | height = {{height|meters=1.88}} | weight = {{convert|150|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} | heya = Tomozuna | rank = | record =211-30-73(11 draws) | debut = May, 1900 | highestrank = Yokozuna (February, 1911) | retireddate = January, 1918 | eldername = Azumazeki | yushos = 9 (Makuuchi, official) 2 (Makuuchi, unofficial) | goldstars = | update = June 25, 2020 }}

{{nihongo|'''Tachiyama Mineemon'''|太刀山峯右衞門||August 15, 1877 – April 3, 1941|lead=yes}} was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 22nd ''yokozuna''. He was well known for his extreme strength and skill. He won 99 out of 100 matches from 1909 to 1916 (not counting draws), and also won eleven top division tournament championships (two of them unofficial as they were before the championship system was established in 1909).

==Career== His real name was {{nihongo|Oimoto Yajirō|老本弥次郎}}. Tachiyama joined Tomozuna stable at the insistence of Itagaki Taisuke and Saigō Tsugumichi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_joho_kyoku/yomu/004/039.html|script-title=ja:板垣退助までも勧誘に乗り出した有望力士|language=Japanese|publisher=Japan Sumo Association|accessdate=2008-07-09|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526195443/http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_joho_kyoku/yomu/004/039.html|archivedate=2011-05-26}}</ref> There, he became stablemate with Kunimiyama, who later became an ''ōzeki''. However he was so strong that most of the wrestlers in the stable were unable to practice with him. Therefore, Hitachiyama Taniemon became his practical coach. He was promoted to ''yokozuna'' in February 1911.

His most feared skill was ''tsuki'', or pushing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/datas/288.html|title=Tachiyama Mineemon|publisher=National Diet Library|year=2004|accessdate=2008-04-17}}</ref> On the 3rd day of June 1910 tournament, Tachiyama's thrusts caused ''komusubi'' Kohitachi Yoshitaro to fly over spectators where he fell in the fourth row of seats. Kohitachi was wounded and left the tournament. Tachiyama is reported to have waved a shell weighing {{convert|400|kg|lb|abbr=on}} with one arm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sumo/profile/1/19030101.htm|script-title=ja:太刀山峯右エ門|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> He was, however, good on the ''mawashi'' as well.<ref name="Sharnoff">{{Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lora |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |isbn=0-8348-0283-X}}</ref>

Much taller and stronger than his contemporaries, Tachiyama never had a losing record ''(make-koshi)'' in his eighteen-year career, and whilst at the ''yokozuna'' rank lost only three bouts.<ref name="Sharnoff"/> He once won 43 bouts in a row, lost one to Nishinoumi Kajirō II, then won another 56 in a row.<ref name="Sharnoff"/> If he had not lost that match (which he claimed many years later was deliberate, to help out his rival ''yokozuna'' who was struggling at the time),<ref name="Sharnoff"/> he would have set an all-time record of 100 consecutive wins. As it stands, his second winning streak of 56 bouts, which began on the 9th day of the January 1912 tournament, is the fifth best in history after Futabayama, Tanikaze, Hakuho and Umegatani I.<ref name="Sharnoff"/>

His run ended on the 8th day of May 1916 tournament, when he was finally defeated by Tochigiyama Moriya. This tournament saw his final championship win, and he still holds the record for the oldest ever ''yūshō'' winner as of 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2022/09/28/sumo/ironman-tamawashi-second-title/|title='Ironman' Tamawashi gets his due with second Emperor's Cup|last=Gunning|first=John|date=28 September 2022|work=Japan Times|access-date=29 September 2022}}</ref> On the final day of January 1917 tournament, he was defeated by Ōnishiki Uichirō. Tochigiyama and Ōnishiki were pupils of Hitachiyama. After this second loss, he retired.

In 1917, he said to wrestlers, "I will give you one bale of rice if you can walk around the ''dohyō'' shouldering me." A boy, who had not made his debut in professional sumo yet, acceded to his request. He failed at the first attempt but succeeded at the second.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sumo/profile/1/19260101.htm|script-title=ja:玉錦三右エ門|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref> About 15 years later, that boy became ''yokozuna'' Tamanishiki San'emon.

His style of ''yokozuna dohyō-iri'' (ring-entering ceremony) came to be known as ''Shiranui'' after it was imitated by later ''yokozuna'' Haguroyama. However, he insisted that his style was Unryū Kyūkichi's.<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=The 11th Yokozuna Shiranui Koemon| publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine | url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_12/Rikishi_of_Old.htm| date=| accessdate=2007-10-09}}</ref>

His sheer strength and physical presence drew comparisons with Raiden Tameemon,<ref>{{cite book|author=Newton, Clyde|title=Dynamic Sumo|publisher=Kodansha|year=1994|pages=57|isbn=4-7700-1802-9}}</ref> but also meant he was perhaps less popular with the general public than his predecessors Hitachiyama and Umegatani II.

After retiring from active competition he was briefly an elder of the Sumo Association under the name Azumazeki, but left the sumo world in May 1919. In 1937 he became the first ''yokozuna'' to perform a ''kanreki dohyō-iri'', or '60th year ring entrance ceremony' to commemorate his years as ''yokozuna''.

==Top Division Record== {{Sumo record box start 1875-1926 thin|Tachiyama<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Tachiyama Mineemon Rikishi Information| publisher=Sumo Reference| url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?shikona=Tachiyama&heya=-1&shusshin=-1&b=-1&high=-1&hd=-1&entry=-1&intai=-1&sort=1}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start|1903}} {{Basho|m|9|e|6|3|1}} {{Basho|m|2|e|4|4|1 1d}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1904}} {{Basho|m|2|e|7|2|1}} {{Basho|m|1|e|8|1|1 Unofficial|y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1905}} {{Basho|m|1|e|7|1|1 1h}} {{Basho|s||e|5|2|2 1d}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1906}} {{Basho|s||e|7|2|1}} {{Basho|s||e|4|1|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1907}} {{Basho|s||e|5|1|3 1d}} {{Basho|s||e|8|1|1 Unofficial|y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1908}} {{Basho|s||e|6|2|1 1h}} {{Basho|s||e|7|1|1 1d}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1909}} {{Basho|s||w|6|1|2 1d}} {{Basho|o||w|8|2||j}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1910}} {{Basho|o||w|6|0|1 2d 1h|j}} {{Basho|o||w|9|0 1d||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1911}} {{Basho|o||w|8|0 1d 1h||y}} {{Basho|y||w|10|0||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1912}} {{Basho|y||e|8|1 1d||y}} {{Basho|y||w|10|0||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1913}} {{Basho|note|'''Sat out'''}} {{Basho|y||e|10|0||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1914}} {{Basho|y||e|10|0||y}} {{Basho|y||w|8|0|1 1h|j}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1915}} {{Basho|note|'''Sat out'''}} {{Basho|y||w|10|0||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1916}} {{Basho|note|'''Sat out'''}} {{Basho|y||w|9|1||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1917}} {{Basho|y||e|9|1||j}} {{Basho|note|'''Sat out'''}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1918}} {{Basho|intai|rank=y|tozai=w|win=|loss=}} {{Basho}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end 1890-1929}}

''*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above championships that are labelled "unofficial" are historically conferred. For more information see yūshō.''

==References== {{Commons category}} {{reflist}}

{{Yokozuna box | previous = Wakashima Gonshirō | number = 22nd | active = 1911–1918 | next = Ōkido Moriemon}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tachiyama Mineemon}} Category:1877 births Category:1941 deaths Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Yokozuna Category:Sportspeople from Toyama (city) Category:Sumo wrestlers from Toyama Prefecture Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen