Washūyama Yoshikazu

{{Short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | native_name = 鷲羽山佳和 | name = Washūyama Yoshikazu | image = | birth_name = Yoshikazu Sukui | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1949|4|2}} | birth_place = Okayama, Japan | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{height|meters=1.75}} | weight = {{convert|110|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | heya = Dewanoumi | rank = | record = 699-650-83 | debut = March, 1967 | highestrank = Sekiwake (May, 1976) | retireddate = November, 1985 | eldername = Dewanoumi | yushos = 3 (Jūryō) | prizes = Fighting Spirit (3)<br/>Technique (5) | goldstars = 2 (Kotozakura, Kitanoumi) | blogurl = | weburl = | email = | update = Feb 2015 }} '''Washūyama Yoshikazu''' (born 2 April 1949 as '''Yoshikazu Sukui''') is a former sumo wrestler from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. He joined sumo in 1967 and reached the top makuuchi division in 1973. His highest rank was ''sekiwake''. After his retirement in 1985 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and was the head coach of Dewanoumi stable from 1996 until 2014.

==Career== His ''shikona'' or sumo name was derived from the Washuzan mountain in his native Okayama prefecture.<ref name="Sharnoff">{{Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lora |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |isbn=0-8348-0283-X}}</ref> (He was to become so popular that people would refer to the mountain as Washūyama.<ref name="Sharnoff"/>) He made his professional debut in March 1967, reaching the second highest ''jūryō'' division in July 1972. He was promoted to the ''makuuchi'' division in May 1973 and made an immediate impression, finishing as the tournament runner-up with 11 wins and earning the Fighting Spirit prize. However, injury problems over the next couple of years prevented him from progressing much further and he was demoted back to the ''jūryō'' division on two occasions. His fortunes turned around towards the end of 1975 when he won his second Fighting Spirit prize, and in January 1976 he was once again tournament runner-up. This earned him promotion to the titled ''san'yaku'' ranks for the first time in March 1976 at the rank of ''komusubi''. Another strong showing earned him immediate promotion to ''sekiwake'', which was to be his highest rank.

In 1982 Washūyama dropped to the ''jūryō'' division once more, although he kept on fighting until November 1985 when he finally announced his retirement at the age of 36.

==Fighting style== Washuyama was one of the lightest sumo wrestlers ever seen in the top division, at around 100 kg and rather short at 175 cm. He was very popular with the tournament crowds, earning the nickname of ''chibikko gangu'' or "midget gang" for the way he seemed to swarm around his larger opponents attacking from all sides.<ref name="Sharnoff"/> He became a real nemesis for the giant Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama,<ref name="Sharnoff"/> who was nearly twice his size. His technical skill is evidenced by the five ''Ginosho'', or Technique Awards he picked up during his career.

==Retirement from sumo== Washūyama remained in the sumo world as a coach at his old stable, under the name Sakaigawa. In 1996 he assumed the Dewanoumi name and took charge of the stable while the previous head, Sadanoyama, became Sakaigawa and concentrated on his role as the Japan Sumo Association chairman. Washūyama was also on the Sumo Association's board as a director. He reached the mandatory retirement age for an ''oyakata'' of 65 in April 2014 and handed over control of the stable to former ''maegashira'' Oginohana. In March 2018 he was appointed as a ''hyōgiin'' or outside voter in the Sumo Association, although he has no ''oyakata'' status.

==Top division record== {{Sumo record box start|Washūyama Yoshikazu<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Washūyama Yoshikazu Rikishi Information| publisher=Sumo Reference| url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?shikona=Washuyama&heya=-1&shusshin=-1&b=-1&high=-1&hd=-1&entry=-1&intai=-1&sort=1 |date= | accessdate=2012-09-05}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start|1967}} {{Basho}} {{Basho|MAEZUMOU}} {{Basho|jk|22|w|6|1|P}} {{Basho|jo|67|e|5|2}} {{Basho|jo|20|e|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|85|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1968}} {{Basho|sa|54|w|4|3}} {{Basho|sa|42|e|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|55|w|2|5}} {{Basho|sa|71|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|80|w|5|2}} {{Basho|sa|47|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1969}} {{Basho|sa|36|e|6|1}} {{Basho|sa|2|e|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|7|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|44|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|51|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|40|w|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1970}} {{Basho|ma|22|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|32|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|46|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|53|w|3|4}} {{Basho|sa|2|e|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|35|e|6|1|P}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1971}} {{Basho|ma|14|e|0|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|43|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|51|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|27|w|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|8|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|6|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1972}} {{Basho|ma|3|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|5|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|2|w|5|1|1}} {{Basho|kyujo|rank=j|r-no=10|tozai=w}} {{Basho|j|10|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|12|e|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1973}} {{Basho|j|7|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|2|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|13|w|11|4||j|f}} {{Basho|m|2|e|6|9}} {{Basho|m|3|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|6|w|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1974}} {{Basho|m|7|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|4|e|7|8|||*}} {{Basho|m|5|w|2|6|7}} {{Basho|j|1|e|10|5}} {{Basho|m|10|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|12|e|1|3|11}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1975}} {{Basho|j|9|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|7|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|5|e|10|5}} {{Basho|m|12|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|7|e|11|4|||f}} {{Basho|m|1|e|5|10|||*}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1976}} {{Basho|m|6|e|12|3||j|t}} {{Basho|k|1|e|10|5|||f}} {{Basho|s|1|e|8|7|||t}} {{Basho|s|1|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|3|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|4|w|10|5|||t}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1977}} {{Basho|k||w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|1|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|4|w|8|7|||t}} {{Basho|m|1|w|9|6|||t}} {{Basho|s|1|w|3|12}} {{Basho|m|4|e|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1978}} {{Basho|kyujo|rank=m|r-no=8|tozai=w}} {{Basho|j|7|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|6|e|11|4|P<br>Champion}} {{Basho|j|1|e|10|5|PP<br>Champion}} {{Basho|m|10|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|11|e|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1979}} {{Basho|m|7|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|3|e|1|6|8}} {{Basho|m|13|w|4|11}} {{Basho|j|4|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|14|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|10|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1980}} {{Basho|m|2|w|5|10}} {{Basho|m|6|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|1|e|3|12}} {{Basho|m|10|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|6|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|1|e|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1981}} {{Basho|m|7|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|10|w|10|5}} {{Basho|m|3|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|4|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|4|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|1|e|4|4|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1982}} {{Basho|kyujo|rank=m|r-no=10|tozai=e}} {{Basho|j|4|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|9|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|10|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|4|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|9|w|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1983}} {{Basho|j|1|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|3|e|11|4<br>Champion}} {{Basho|m|11|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|12|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|3|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|1|e|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1984}} {{Basho|m|11|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|2|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|1|w|10|5}} {{Basho|m|11|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|1|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|1|e|6|9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1985}} {{Basho|j|7|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|8|w|10|5}} {{Basho|j|4|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|6|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|7|e|6|9}} {{Basho|intai|rank=J|r-no=11|tozai=W|win=6|loss=9}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washuyama, Yoshikazu}} Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Sportspeople from Kurashiki Category:Sekiwake Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen