Yōtsukasa Dai

{{Short description|Japanese sumo wrestler (1973–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | image = | native_name = 燁司大 | name = Yōtsukasa Dai | birth_name = Daishi Suzuki | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1973|09|23}} | birth_place = Matsusaka, Mie, Japan | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2025|08|11|1973|09|23}} | death_place = | height = {{height|meters=1.78}} | weight = {{convert|149|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | heya = Irumagawa | university = Nihon University | rank = | record = 357-379-12 | debut = January 1996 | highestrank = Maegashira 11 (January 2004) | retireddate = November 2005 | eldername = See retirement | yushos = | prizes = | goldstars = | update = }}

'''Yōtsukasa Dai''' (born '''Daishi Suzuki'''; 23 September 1973 – 11 August 2025) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Matsusaka, Mie. He made his professional debut in January 1996, and reached the top division in May 1999. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 11. He retired in November 2005. He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and worked as a coach at Irumagawa stable, leaving in 2012.

==Career== Dai began doing sumo from the fourth grade of elementary school. At Nihon University he was a member of the Nichi-Dai Sumo Club and was in the same year as Kaihō. Because of his amateur achievements he was given special dispensation to begin his professional career at the bottom of the third highest ''makushita'' division. He joined Irumagawa stable, run by another Nihon University graduate, ex-''sekiwake'' Tochitsukasa. He made his debut in January 1996, fighting under his own surname of Suzuki. Upon reaching ''sekitori'' status in May 1998 he switched to the ''shikona'' of Yōtsukasa, the ''tsukasa'' suffix being a common one at his stable. His stablemaster liked the combination of the "fire" and "flower" kanji, hoping that his sumo would "ignite fire and transform himself as a brilliant flower".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/topic/7771-yotsukasa/#comment-70420|title=Yotsukasa|last=Jonosuke|date=30 November 2005|publisher=Sumo Forum|access-date=3 January 2017}}</ref> He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division a year later in May 1999. He withdrew injured from his third top division tournament and was demoted back to the ''jūryō'' division as a result. In November 2001 he lost ''sekitori'' status altogether after a 3–12 record at Jūryō 11 but he returned to the ''jūryō'' division in November 2002 and was promoted back to the ''makuuchi'' division in May 2003 after an absence of 22 tournaments. His last appearance in the top division was in March 2004.

==Retirement and death== Yōksukasa's final tournament was in November 2005. Ranked right at the bottom of the ''jūryō'' division at no. 14 East, he lost every one of his first fourteen matches, defaulting on the final day to end with a rare 0–15 record. He was the first ''sekitori'' to suffer this embarrassing score since Hoshitango in 2000. He immediately announced his retirement rather than face demotion to ''makushita''.

Yōtsukasa was unable to acquire permanent elder stock in the Japan Sumo Association and so had to borrow elder names owned by active wrestlers or stable-masters. He was variously known as Yōtsukasa (jun-toshiyori), Hatachiyama (owned by Tochinohana), Wakafuji (Otsukasa), Sekinoto (Iwakiyama), Onogawa (Kitanoumi), Sendagawa, (Maenoyama) and Takenawa (Tochinonada). He was finally forced to leave the Sumo Association in January 2012 when Tochinonada retired and no other elder names were available. He later worked for a cleaning company in Tokyo.

On 12 August 2025, it was announced that Yōtsukasa died on 11 August, following a long period of illness. He was 51.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202508120001363.html|title=元幕内燁司の鈴木大司さんが51歳で死去日大出身、最高位は東前頭11枚目|date=12 August 2025|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=12 August 2025|lang=ja}}</ref>

==Fighting style== Yōtsukasa was an ''oshi-sumo'' specialist, preferring ''tsuki-oshi'' (pushing and thrusting) techniques to fighting on the ''mawashi'' or belt. He won most of his bouts by a straightforward ''oshi-dashi'', or push out, although his personal favourite was ''tsuki-otoshi'', or thrust over.

==Career record== {{Sumo record box start|Yōtsukasa Dai<ref>{{cite web | title=Yotsukasa Dai Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=64 | access-date=6 March 2013}}</ref> }} {{Sumo record year start link|1996}} {{Basho|mt|60||6|1}} {{Basho|ma|31|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|42|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|32|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|21|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|13|w|1|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1997}} {{Basho|ma|38|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|48|w|6|1|P}} {{Basho|ma|22|e|6|1|P}} {{Basho|ma|8|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|4|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|2|e|3|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1998}} {{Basho|ma|6|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|5|e|6|1}} {{Basho|j|12|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|8|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|11|e|9|6}} {{Basho|j|7|w|7|8}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|1999}} {{Basho|j|9|w|9|6}} {{Basho|j|1|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|15|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|12|e|7|8}} {{Basho|m|13|w|0|3|12}} {{Basho|j|7|e|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2000}} {{Basho|j|2|w|3|12}} {{Basho|j|10|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|6|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|5|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|7|w|5|10}} {{Basho|j|11|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2001}} {{Basho|j|5|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|5|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|7|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|4|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|7|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|11|e|3|12}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2002}} {{Basho|ma|8|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|14|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|12|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|8|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|2|w|5|2}} {{Basho|j|10|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2003}} {{Basho|j|7|e|10|5}} {{Basho|j|1|w|9|6}} {{Basho|m|13|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|1|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|13|w|7|8}} {{Basho|m|15|w|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2004}} {{Basho|m|11|e|5|10}} {{Basho|m|17|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|3|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|5|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|6|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|5|w|4|11}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2005}} {{Basho|j|9|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|12|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|10|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|11|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|13|w|7|8}} {{Basho|INTAI|rank=j|r-no=14|tozai=e|win=0|loss=15}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Goo Sumo|A=|142}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yotsukasa, Dai}} Category:1973 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Nihon University alumni Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Sumo wrestlers from Mie Prefecture Category:Sportspeople from Matsusaka