{{short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}} {{redirect|Tamanoumi|the earlier sumo wrestler|Tamanoumi Daitaro}} {{hatnote|In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Tamanoumi.}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | native_name = 玉の海 正洋 | name = Tamanoumi Masahiro | image = TamanoumiMasahiro.jpg | caption = Tamanoumi in 1970 or 1971 | birth_name = Taniguchi Masao | birth_date = {{birth date|1944|2|5}} | birth_place = Aichi | death_date = {{death date and age|1971|10|11|1944|2|5}} | height = {{height|meters=1.77}} | weight = {{convert|135|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | heya = Kataonami, formerly Nishonoseki | rank = | record = 619–305 | debut = March, 1959 | highestrank = Yokozuna (January, 1970) | yushos = 6 (Makuuchi)<br/>1 (Jonidan) | prizes = Outstanding Performance (4)<br/>Fighting Spirit (2) | goldstars = (4)<br />Tochinoumi (2)<br>Sadanoyama (2) | update = July 2007 }}
{{nihongo|'''Tamanoumi Masahiro'''|玉の海 正洋||February 5, 1944 – October 11, 1971|lead=yes}} was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aichi. He was the sport's 51st ''yokozuna''. Making his professional debut in 1959, he reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1964. He won six tournament championships and was runner-up in 12 others. Earlier in his career he also earned six special prizes and four gold stars. He was promoted to ''yokozuna'' simultaneously with his friend and rival Kitanofuji in January 1970 and the two men represented the dawning of a new era after the dominance of Taihō. He died suddenly in October 1971 after a delayed appendectomy.
==Career== He was born {{nihongo|Taniguchi Masao|谷口正夫}} in Osaka, but due to the bombing raids of that city he was evacuated to Gamagōri (Aichi Prefecture) where he grew up. He excelled at judo in junior high school. The future Katsuhikari was one year senior to him in his judo club. After being adopted into the {{nihongo|Takeuchi|竹内}} family, he changed his family name accordingly. Although planning to become a police officer, he was invited by former ''sekiwake'' Tamanoumi Daitaro to join Nishonoseki stable, the same stable as yokozuna Taihō.
He began his professional sumo career in March 1959, using the ''shikona'', or ring name, surname {{nihongo|Tamanoshima|玉乃嶋}}. In 1962 his coach, Tamanoumi Daitaro, set up his own Kataonami stable and Tamanoshima joined it. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in March 1964. In May 1964, he changed the spelling of his ''shikona'' surname to {{nihongo2|玉乃島}}. In 1965 a change in the rules meant that wrestlers from the same group of stables could meet each other in tournament competition, and Tamanoshima defeated Taihō in their first official match. He was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ''ōzeki'' in November 1966 at the age of 22. At first, he was unable to reach a score in double figures at ''ōzeki'' rank, but his results began to improve significantly from November 1967. In May 1968, after three runner-up performances in a row, he finally captured his first ''yūshō,'' or tournament title, with a 13–2 record. The Yokozuna Deliberation Committee decided against promotion to ''yokozuna'' after this result due to the absence of both Taihō and Kashiwado from the tournament and his two losses to low-rankers in the first week. His second title came in September 1969. In November 1969 he posted a 10–5 record, and in January 1970 he took part in a playoff for the title with fellow ''ōzeki'' Kitanofuji. Tamanoshima lost the match, but after the tournament both Kitanofuji and Tamanoshima were promoted to the ''yokozuna'' rank.<ref>{{cite web | author=Newton, Clyde | title=Two Ozeki aiming to boost promotion hopes in Osaka | publisher=The Japan Times | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ss20020310a1.html | date=2002-03-10 | accessdate=2012-10-06}}</ref> With Kashiwado already retired, and Taihō soon to follow, the two ushered in a new Kita-Tama era.thumb|Original tegata of the 51st Yokozuna Tamanoumi
Upon reaching ''yokozuna'' Tamanoshima changed his ring name to Tamanoumi Masahiro, taking his coach's old ''shikona'' surname. His first tournament championship as a ''yokozuna'' came in September 1970 and he followed it up with another victory in November, defeating Taihō in a playoff. In July 1971 Tamanoumi won his sixth and final championship, his first with a perfect 15–0 record.
==Fighting style== At {{height|meters=1.77}} and {{convert|135|kg|lb|abbr=on}} Tamanoumi was not particularly large, but he had great strength and agility. His favoured ''kimarite'' were ''yori kiri'' (force out), ''uwatenage'' (overarm throw) and ''tsuri dashi'' (lift out). He preferred a ''migi yotsu'' (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip on his opponent's ''mawashi''. ==Death== [[File:Tamanoumi handprint.JPG|thumb|right|Tamanoumi's handprint displayed on a monument in Ryōgoku, Tokyo]] Tamanoumi had needed an appendectomy since at least July 1971, but he felt the responsibility of a ''yokozuna'''s duties and had not wanted to withdraw from the September 1971 tournament. After competing there taking painkillers and remarkably managing a 12-3 record, he went into hospital only after being an attendant at Taihō's retirement ceremony on October 2.<ref name="kuroda">{{cite web|author=Kuroda, Joe|title=The 51st Yokozuna Tamanoumi Masashiro (1944–1971)|publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine|url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_19/Rikishi_of_Old.pdf|date=June 2008|accessdate=2008-07-11}}</ref> Due to the delay in having the operation he was on the brink of peritonitis. The procedure seemed to have gone well and he was due to leave hospital on October 12, but on the morning of the 11th he collapsed and could not be saved. It emerged he had suffered a pulmonary embolism.<ref name="kuroda"/> He was only the fourth man in history to die whilst an active yokozuna.<ref name="Sharnoff">{{Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lora |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |isbn=0-8348-0283-X}}</ref> Kitanofuji was a good friend of Tamanoumi as well as a rival and was shocked by his death. He was just 27 years old and considered to be in his prime and likely to have won many more championships had he lived. In his last seven tournaments he had won four and been runner-up in the other three, and had lost only nine out of 105 bouts. His winning percentage as a ''yokozuna'' was .867, second only to Futabayama in the 20th century,<ref name="Sharnoff"/> and he gave away only three'' kinboshi'' in that time.
==Career record== {{Sumo record box start|Tamanoumi Masahiro<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Tamanoumi Masahiro Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=4028 | date= | accessdate=2012-07-29}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start|1959}} {{Basho}} {{Basho|MAEZUMOU}} {{Basho|jk|27|w|6|2}} {{Basho|jo|105|w|8|0<br>Champion}} {{Basho|sa|104|e|5|3}} {{Basho|sa|72|w|4|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1960}} {{Basho|sa|71|w|4|4}} {{Basho|sa|61|e|5|3}} {{Basho|sa|40|w|6|2}} {{Basho|sa|9|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|19|w|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|77|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1961}} {{Basho|ma|70|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|48|e|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|22|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|20|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|14|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|18|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1962}} {{Basho|ma|17|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|15|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|11|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|8|w|1|6}} {{Basho|ma|27|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|22|w|3|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1963}} {{Basho|ma|25|w|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|14|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|12|e|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|4|e|6|1}} {{Basho|j|18|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|15|w|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1964}} {{Basho|j|4|w|11|4}} {{Basho|m|15|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|9|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|6|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|4|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|1|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1965}} {{Basho|k|1|e|5|10}} {{Basho|m|3|e|9|6|||o|*|*}} {{Basho|k|1|w|8|7|||o}} {{Basho|s|1|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|1|w|7|8|||*}} {{Basho|m|2|w|4|11}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1966}} {{Basho|m|8|w|13|2||j|f}} {{Basho|m|1|e|9|6|||*}} {{Basho|s|1|w|10|5|||f}} {{Basho|s|1|w|9|6|||o}} {{Basho|s|1|e|11|4|||o}} {{Basho|o||w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1967}} {{Basho|o|1|w|9|6}} {{Basho|o|1|w|7|8}} {{Basho|o|1|w|8|7}} {{Basho|o|1|e|9|6}} {{Basho|o|1|w|9|6}} {{Basho|o|1|w|11|4||j}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1968}} {{Basho|o|1|e|12|3||j}} {{Basho|o|1|e|12|3||j}} {{Basho|o|1|e|13|2||y}} {{Basho|o|1|e|10|5}} {{Basho|o|1|w|10|5}} {{Basho|o|1|e|12|3||j}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1969}} {{Basho|o|1|e|12|3||j}} {{Basho|o|1|e|10|5}} {{Basho|o|1|w|8|7}} {{Basho|o|2|w|9|6}} {{Basho|o|2|w|13|2||y}} {{Basho|o|1|e|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1970}} {{Basho|o|1|w|13|2|P|j}} {{Basho|y|1|w|13|2||j}} {{Basho|y|2|e|12|3||j}} {{Basho|y|2|e|9|6}} {{Basho|y|1|w|14|1||y}} {{Basho|y|1|e|14|1|P|y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1971}} {{Basho|y|1|e|14|1|P|j}} {{Basho|y|1|e|14|1||y}} {{Basho|y|1|e|13|2||j}} {{Basho|y|1|w|15|0||y}} {{Basho|y|1|e|12|3||j}} {{Basho|INTAI|win=|loss=}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}
==See also== *Glossary of sumo terms *List of past sumo wrestlers *List of sumo tournament top division champions *List of sumo tournament top division runners-up *List of yokozuna
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *[http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/kiroku_daicho/mei_yokozuna/tamanoumi.html Japanese Sumo Association Biography]
{{Yokozuna box | previous = Sadanoyama Shinmatsu | number = 51st | active = January 1970 – October 1971| next = Kitanofuji Katsuaki}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tamanoumi Masahiro}} Category:1944 births Category:1971 deaths Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Sumo wrestlers from Aichi Prefecture Category:Yokozuna Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen