Isegahama Seinosuke –
Ozeki Kiyokuni Katsuo
by Joe Kuroda
Isegahama
oyakata(former ozeki Kiyokuni) will be taking mandatory retirement from
the Nihon Sumo Association during the Kyushu basho as he reaches his
65th birthday on November 20, 2006.
He was born Tadao Sato in Ogachi-machi (now known as Yuzawa-shi, Akita Prefecture). Tadao was a big child when he graduated from elementary school. He started judo in middle school and became quite proficient at the sport. Tadao was scouted by then-Araiso oyakata (later Isegahama oyakata and former yokozuna Terukuni), but he had no desire to become a rikishi. However, the oyakata wanted him to practice sumo and received permission from his parents for the young boy to join the heya without Tadao's knowledge. Subsequently, Araiso oyakata invited Tadao to visit his heya during summer holiday, and, Tadao, thinking it was a great way to spend the summer, decided to go along. When he was ready to leave at the end of summer, he was told that his “visit” was to be permanent and that all the paperwork had already been completed.
Tadao made his dohyo debut at the September 1956 basho as Wakaikuni from Araiso-beya. He was only 14 years of age and completed mae-zumo as a shin-jo niban deshi (a second level pass). His first jonokuchi basho was at the January 1957 basho, where he finished with 4 wins and 4 losses. Yokozuna Taiho had his debut at the same time, but progressed up the banzuke much faster than Tadao: Tadao was still hovering in makushita when Taiho was promoted to yokozuna.
Tadao struggled in makushita and he was soon passed by his younger heya mate, Asasegawa (later M1) who was promoted to juryo at the November 1957 basho. By this time, Tadao changed his shikona from Wakaikuni to Umenosato, and then to Kiyokuni, taken from two previous Isegahama oyakatas’ active names, Kiyosegawa (sekiwake) and Terukuni. Asasegawa's promotion motivated Kiyokuni to train harder than ever before. As a result, finally, after 26 makushita basho, Kiyokuni was promoted to juryo at the May 1963 basho, and within three basho, was promoted to makuuchi.
In his second makuuchi basho, ranked at M13e, he lost his final bout on the last day against sekiwake Daigo to finish with 14 wins and 1 loss. Since yokozuna Taiho won all of his bouts (one with a fusen win), Kiyokuni did not win the yusho. However, he was awarded the gino-sho prize and was promoted to sekiwake for the following basho, having been in the yusho race with Taiho until the final day.
Five years later, at the July 1969 basho, Kiyokuni was promoted to ozeki and took the yusho in his first ozeki basho. He beat Fujinokawa (later sekiwake) by abisetaoshi (backward force-down) in the yusho-deciding bout. There were high expectations that he could reach yokozuna in two basho, but Kiyokuni ended up severely injuring his neck and spine early on, and could never recover fully from the injuries. These affected his performance significantly later on in his career.
Early in his career, Kiyokuni developed his hidari (left)-yotsu style. His arm strength was such that he once broke Taiho's elbow, and he had developed a reputation for injuring his opponents. He soon was christened with the nickname “Destroyer". He was also known for his clean tachiai style, often considered the paradigm of proper tachiai form.
From a typical ozeki standard, Kiyokuni was regarded as an excellent ozeki who missed the opportunity to become a yokozuna due to chronic injury. He was strong and had a well-established style, but his physical weakness was in his lower body. His lack of flexibility hurt his career and it may have stemmed largely from his rather lax attitude towards training – reportedly, he was not able to do a mata-wari (leg split) until he reached ozeki.
In late 1973, Kyokuni began to suffer from heart-related ailments, and at the age of 32 , at the January 1974 basho, he retired from active sumo life. He took the name Kiriyama oyakata, then with the passing of his shisho, he inherited Isegahama beya on April 7, 1977.
For a while, the oyakata was running the heya smoothly with his wife Sanae whom he married in May 1971. Then on August 12, 1985, an event that shook Japan engulfed the oyakata's family. Japan Air Line Flight 123, going from Tokyo to Osaka, crashed into a mountain range in Gunma Prefecture, killing 520 people on board including Isegahama oyakata's wife and his two children. Another well-known passenger on this flight was Kyu Sakamoto who is still remembered fondly for his song, "Ue wo Muuite Aruko (Let's Walk On while Looking Up)" or more commonly known as "Sukiyaki Song" outside Japan).
After this tragedy, the oyakata appeared to have lost his will and passion to build a powerhouse heya, and the heya began to deteriorate. Some even said that the oyakata was seen more often in a pachinko parlor than on the training dohyo. He re-married, but reports permeated that the new okamisan (oyakata’s wife) did not appear to be fully enthused with her role. Today, the once mighty Isegahama-beya, with dozens of recruits when the oyakata took over, is down to two recruits - jonidan Shosho and jonokuchi, Fukunokuni, each finishing with 3 wins and 4 losses this past Aki basho.
The heya currently has a toshiyori - Wakafuji (former M1 Katsuhikari), who is scheduled to retire in August 2007; wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa (former J7 Shiraiwa); sewanin Saisu (former M2 Saisu); two gyoji (one the sanyaku ranked Shikimori Kandayu), two yobidashi (one the associate tate-yobidashi Hideo), and one tokoyama.
In a weekly magazine article published two years ago, Isegahama oyakata complained of the lack of spirited sumo bouts, even hinting at "yaocho" (fixed) bouts. He also implied that there was wide spread usage of steroids among the rikishi and a lot of money changing hands in dealing with toshiyori shares and college rikishi recruitment. He expressed his bitterness when his nephews, the current maegashira Tamanoshima and makushita Tamamitsukni, then in college, were snapped up by rival Kataonami-beya, which had more financial resources.
As the articles contained unsubstantiated comments, the oyakata was called in by the Sumo Association directors to explain his accusations. The oyakata responded that his comment was overblown, but nevertheless, his executive rank was stripped away. However he was reinstated as auditor two months later. Wakafuji oyakata, from his heya, was the chairman of the audit committee and he may have opened the door for Isegahama oyakata to return to the Association's fold.
The fate of his heya at the time of writing is not clear, but in all likelihood it will be disbanded, and those with the heya will be transferred to another heya within the Ichimon group such as Kiriyama or Asashiyama.
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He was born Tadao Sato in Ogachi-machi (now known as Yuzawa-shi, Akita Prefecture). Tadao was a big child when he graduated from elementary school. He started judo in middle school and became quite proficient at the sport. Tadao was scouted by then-Araiso oyakata (later Isegahama oyakata and former yokozuna Terukuni), but he had no desire to become a rikishi. However, the oyakata wanted him to practice sumo and received permission from his parents for the young boy to join the heya without Tadao's knowledge. Subsequently, Araiso oyakata invited Tadao to visit his heya during summer holiday, and, Tadao, thinking it was a great way to spend the summer, decided to go along. When he was ready to leave at the end of summer, he was told that his “visit” was to be permanent and that all the paperwork had already been completed.
Tadao made his dohyo debut at the September 1956 basho as Wakaikuni from Araiso-beya. He was only 14 years of age and completed mae-zumo as a shin-jo niban deshi (a second level pass). His first jonokuchi basho was at the January 1957 basho, where he finished with 4 wins and 4 losses. Yokozuna Taiho had his debut at the same time, but progressed up the banzuke much faster than Tadao: Tadao was still hovering in makushita when Taiho was promoted to yokozuna.
Tadao struggled in makushita and he was soon passed by his younger heya mate, Asasegawa (later M1) who was promoted to juryo at the November 1957 basho. By this time, Tadao changed his shikona from Wakaikuni to Umenosato, and then to Kiyokuni, taken from two previous Isegahama oyakatas’ active names, Kiyosegawa (sekiwake) and Terukuni. Asasegawa's promotion motivated Kiyokuni to train harder than ever before. As a result, finally, after 26 makushita basho, Kiyokuni was promoted to juryo at the May 1963 basho, and within three basho, was promoted to makuuchi.
In his second makuuchi basho, ranked at M13e, he lost his final bout on the last day against sekiwake Daigo to finish with 14 wins and 1 loss. Since yokozuna Taiho won all of his bouts (one with a fusen win), Kiyokuni did not win the yusho. However, he was awarded the gino-sho prize and was promoted to sekiwake for the following basho, having been in the yusho race with Taiho until the final day.
Five years later, at the July 1969 basho, Kiyokuni was promoted to ozeki and took the yusho in his first ozeki basho. He beat Fujinokawa (later sekiwake) by abisetaoshi (backward force-down) in the yusho-deciding bout. There were high expectations that he could reach yokozuna in two basho, but Kiyokuni ended up severely injuring his neck and spine early on, and could never recover fully from the injuries. These affected his performance significantly later on in his career.
Early in his career, Kiyokuni developed his hidari (left)-yotsu style. His arm strength was such that he once broke Taiho's elbow, and he had developed a reputation for injuring his opponents. He soon was christened with the nickname “Destroyer". He was also known for his clean tachiai style, often considered the paradigm of proper tachiai form.
From a typical ozeki standard, Kiyokuni was regarded as an excellent ozeki who missed the opportunity to become a yokozuna due to chronic injury. He was strong and had a well-established style, but his physical weakness was in his lower body. His lack of flexibility hurt his career and it may have stemmed largely from his rather lax attitude towards training – reportedly, he was not able to do a mata-wari (leg split) until he reached ozeki.
In late 1973, Kyokuni began to suffer from heart-related ailments, and at the age of 32 , at the January 1974 basho, he retired from active sumo life. He took the name Kiriyama oyakata, then with the passing of his shisho, he inherited Isegahama beya on April 7, 1977.
For a while, the oyakata was running the heya smoothly with his wife Sanae whom he married in May 1971. Then on August 12, 1985, an event that shook Japan engulfed the oyakata's family. Japan Air Line Flight 123, going from Tokyo to Osaka, crashed into a mountain range in Gunma Prefecture, killing 520 people on board including Isegahama oyakata's wife and his two children. Another well-known passenger on this flight was Kyu Sakamoto who is still remembered fondly for his song, "Ue wo Muuite Aruko (Let's Walk On while Looking Up)" or more commonly known as "Sukiyaki Song" outside Japan).
After this tragedy, the oyakata appeared to have lost his will and passion to build a powerhouse heya, and the heya began to deteriorate. Some even said that the oyakata was seen more often in a pachinko parlor than on the training dohyo. He re-married, but reports permeated that the new okamisan (oyakata’s wife) did not appear to be fully enthused with her role. Today, the once mighty Isegahama-beya, with dozens of recruits when the oyakata took over, is down to two recruits - jonidan Shosho and jonokuchi, Fukunokuni, each finishing with 3 wins and 4 losses this past Aki basho.
The heya currently has a toshiyori - Wakafuji (former M1 Katsuhikari), who is scheduled to retire in August 2007; wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa (former J7 Shiraiwa); sewanin Saisu (former M2 Saisu); two gyoji (one the sanyaku ranked Shikimori Kandayu), two yobidashi (one the associate tate-yobidashi Hideo), and one tokoyama.
In a weekly magazine article published two years ago, Isegahama oyakata complained of the lack of spirited sumo bouts, even hinting at "yaocho" (fixed) bouts. He also implied that there was wide spread usage of steroids among the rikishi and a lot of money changing hands in dealing with toshiyori shares and college rikishi recruitment. He expressed his bitterness when his nephews, the current maegashira Tamanoshima and makushita Tamamitsukni, then in college, were snapped up by rival Kataonami-beya, which had more financial resources.
As the articles contained unsubstantiated comments, the oyakata was called in by the Sumo Association directors to explain his accusations. The oyakata responded that his comment was overblown, but nevertheless, his executive rank was stripped away. However he was reinstated as auditor two months later. Wakafuji oyakata, from his heya, was the chairman of the audit committee and he may have opened the door for Isegahama oyakata to return to the Association's fold.
The fate of his heya at the time of writing is not clear, but in all likelihood it will be disbanded, and those with the heya will be transferred to another heya within the Ichimon group such as Kiriyama or Asashiyama.
Isegahama Seinosuke
| Shikona: | Wakaikuni => Umenosato => Kiyokuni Katsuo |
| Real name: | Tadao Sato |
| Born on: | November 20, 1941 |
| Born in: | Ogachi-machi (now Yuzawa-shi) Akita Prefecture |
| Heya: | Araiso => Isegahama |
| Dohyo debut: | September 1956 |
| Juryo debut: | May 1963 |
| Makuuchi debut: | November 1963 |
| Final basho: | January 1974 |
| Highest rank: | Ozeki |
| Height: | 182 cm |
| Weight: | 134 kg |
| Favorite techniques: | Hidari-yotsu, yorikiri |
| Shukunsho: | 3 |
| Ginosho: | 4 |
| Yusho: | 1 (Makuuchi) |
| Record: | 103 basho, 706 wins, 507 losses(3 fusen), 32 kyujo, 1210 appearances, 0.582 winning percentage. |
| Makuuchi record: | 62 basho, 506 wins, 384 losses (3 fusen), 31 kyujo, 887 appearances, 0.569 winning percentage |
| Ozeki record: | 28 basho, 233 wins, 147 losses (3 fusen), 31 kyujo, 277 appearances, 0.613 winning percentage |
| Basho: | Banzuke-gai 1, Jonokuchi 1, Jonidan 4, Sandanme 6, Makushita 26, Juryo 3 Hiramaku 15, Komusubi 7, Sekiwake 12, Ozeki 28. |
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