In the last issue, we brought you the story of Minanogawa from childhood through his early Ozumo career and his imminent promotion to yokozuna. Purportedly, Minanogawa was granted yokozuna rank as a result of a “return favor” between his oyakata and the oyakata of the previously-appointed yokozuna, Musashiyama. As a result, in two consecutive basho, Ozumo witnessed the birth of two of the weakest yokozuna in the history of the sport.

At the time, there was another formidable power waiting in the wings, a man who would later be considered the greatest yokozuna of all time – Futabayama. Ranked Me 2 in the January 1936 basho, he was to face ozeki Minanogawa on day 5, but it was Minanogawa who appeared to be more nervous - and rightly so, as Futabayama, using his incredibly flexible physique, turned Minanogawa at the edge of the dohyo and threw him out.

Let’s just take a brief moment to look at the records of the four yokozuna, just prior to their promotions.

Clearly, Futabayama was invincible and he fully deserved his promotion. The other three had rather similar records among them. However, there was a difference with Tamanishiki - when he was promoted after the October 1932 basho with 7 wins and 4 losses, he already had ten ozeki basho. Except for this last basho, he never lost more than three bouts, and he had five yusho under his belt by this time.  He was the one who single-handedly carried Ozumo after the Shunjuen Incident by staying on with the Kyokai. So in a way, he was finally rewarded for his past accomplishments.

When Musashiyama was promoted after the 1935 May basho, he only had one yusho, and that was back when he was still komusubi at the May 1931 basho.  He became a yokozuna by winning only one yusho, and his reign at the highest rank was nothing short of disastrous.  He missed five of his eight yokozuna basho and he withdrew from two.   He only had one full basho, in which he barely got a kachi-koshi with a 7-6 record.

Futabayama won his first yusho at the  May 1936 basho and went on to win twelve more. From February 1932 to January 1936, Tamanishiki won five yusho, Minanogawa won two, and Musashiyama won none.  A truly tragic figure on the sidelines of this period was ozeki Shimizugawa, who was never promoted to yokozuna despite winning three yusho – a victim of not being with a “major” heya.

Minanogawa’s first yokozuna basho (he was actually an “ozeki-yokozuna” then) ended with an unimpressive 6-5 record, with one win by default. Some felt he may have been too tense, this being his first yokozuna basho; but his supporters knew he needed to gain more strength since he was now 32 years of age, so, they urged him to take up cycling. Even though Minanogawa had never ridden a bike before, he learned quickly and remarked that he felt his thighs were getting stronger and his endurance was increasing.

Some of Minanogawa’s supporters also believed that he should settle down and start a family. Initially, Minanogawa resisted, having a bitter memory of the brothel woman from whom he contracted a venereal disease.  When he was introduced to Miss Kazue Yoshioka from Kagawa, however, he decided immediately that he would marry her.  She even invited Minanogawa’s mother to live with them in their new home, and so began one of the few happy times in his life. This was not to last very long.

In 1940, Minanogawa’s mother died suddenly and he went into a depression.  As yokozuna, he should have been the center of attention, but the nation’s sumo interest was focused on Futabayama.  At best, sumo fans simply considered Minanogawa to be a weak-minded and feeble-spirited yokozuna, while others called him much worse.  To get him back on track, a supporter suggested that he move to Mitaka City in rural western Tokyo.   Minanogawa was all in favor of this move, but did not want to commute by train, so he bought an automobile. And so, the first rikishi ever to commute with a bicycle became the first rikishi ever to drive his own car to the Kokugikan!
 
At the May 1941 basho, Minanogawa suffered from a sciatic nerve problem, and with a 2-3 record, was forced to withdraw. He was already 36 and no one expected him to produce any more remarkable records. Many even thought that the fact that he lasted this long was an achievement in itself. He, himself, now thought about retirement.
 
With Futabayama as their yokozuna, Tatsunami Ichimon’s jungyo were always sold out, while the Dewanoumi group required every little extra bit to bring in the crowds. By this time, Maedayama was showing great promise and the Kyokai was hoping that he could soon take over Minanogawa’s spot. However, Maedayama was not ready yet, so the Kyokai asked Minanogawa to hang on until Maedayama or Akinoumi could achieve the highest rank.

In a way, Minanogawa was not quite ready to retire as there was no immediate prospect of obtaining a toshiyori share which would permit him to stay with the Kyokai. The house in Mitaka needed to be paid for as well, so he could not yet afford to purchase a share. His shisho, Sadogatake oyakata, wanted Minanogawa to eventually inherit his heya, but had no spare share or money to give to his protégé. 

Anticipating that his prospects after active sumo would diminish, Minanogawa accepted an offer from one of his supporters to study Law and Economics at Waseda University. The public did not consider this to be peculiar  - they always thought he was idiosyncratic.
           
At the  January 1942 basho, Minanogawa – now 38 - finished with 9 wins and 6 losses. Ozeki Akinoumi had a 13-2 record, beating both yokozuna, Futabayama and Futahaguro.  Futahaguro had been promoted to yokozuna at the previous basho, but he was Futabayama’s junior heya-mate, so Minanogawa’s retirement was again postponed. But now, with Akinoumi coming so close to becoming yokozuna, Minanogawa’s retirement was finally approved.

There was still the question of the toshiyori. Luckily, at a Kyokai directors’ meeting, Sadogatake oyakata submitted a proposal to establish a one generation toshiyori share system for retiring yokozuna, and thus, yokozuna Minanogawa became Toshiyori Minanogawa.

Soon, there was a director’s vacancy in the Kyokai and Dewanoumi oyakata invited Minanogawa to serve since his attendance at Waseda labeled him as “erudite”. He was nominated quickly, but everyone soon realized what a huge mistake this was:  Minanogawa was no longer interested in sumo-related activities, and in fact, was content just tending to his vegetable garden.

Before long, an opportunity arose as a fitness instructor at a flying school. Minanogawa had no second thoughts about taking this position and resigned from his Kyokai post, giving up the toshiyori share which could have provided a lifetime of security for him and his family.

This all transpired right after World War II, when everyone was struggling to eke out a living, while still having a dream of a new life.  A nationwide election for Parliament seats generated a great deal of interest and excitement, and now-civilian Tomojiro was caught up in the frenzy as well. He believed that his career as yokozuna and his college education would bolster his chances for election. He campaigned on the premise that he had been a yokozuna, so he would not get beaten. In his district, there were 12 new Parliament members to be elected but there were 134 candidates, some with deep local and political connections.  When the election results were announced, Tomojiro did not see his name in the winners’ column. In fact, he had suffered a resounding defeat, finishing 70th.  Despite this loss, Tomojiro never lost hope, and much to the consternation of his family and friends, he ran again for a political post and, once more, lost badly.  He spent almost all of the money he received from the Kyokai on the political campaigns, and had to put his land and house up for sale as he was running out of funds very quickly. He needed a job - any job.

Tomojiro opened a private investigation office. He mostly followed wayward husbands at the behest of their wives. He did not last long in this profession because he was just too large and was easily noticed when trailing his target. Then, through a former supporter, he found other work: first, as a financial advisor and later, as an insurance salesman. The former yokozuna’s habit of moving from one job to another was taking a toll on his family life, and his wife finally left him, taking with her their only son. Despite such a traumatic incident, Tomojiro never appeared to be fazed and he went on with his life as if nothing happened. “Well, you know, I gave whatever little I had to her. I have no idea where she went. I have my own small apartment. Now I can live without having a worry in my life. It’s great,” Tomojiro told an acquaintance.

In 1958, Tomojiro was asked to appear in a Hollywood film directed by John Houston and starring John Wayne.  The film was “The Barbarian and the Geisha” and was based on the true story of American diplomat Townsend Harris and his time in Japan in the 1850s and ‘60s.  Tomojiro was given a bit part as the head of a yakuza gang and had several scenes with John Wayne, who really impressed him.  “He was taller and heavier than me at that time and strong as a bull. He could drink two bottles of whiskey without feeling a thing,” Tomojiro told a friend.  In fact, Tomojiro hoped to become an established actor and fully expected that he would be called up again for more “leading” roles.  However, the movie itself bombed in the U.S. and in the Japanese film industry, someone like Tomojiro was a dime a dozen. Soon his name and memory faded away from the public eye completely.

A newspaper article appeared during the January  1965  basho reporting that yokozuna Minanogawa was residing in a home for the aged, without any income and unable to afford even a pack of cigarettes.  He had injured his back a couple of years before and had been hospitalized while working as a commissioned salesman.  Since he could no longer work, and without any other means of income, he was transferred to a facility called “Sunmail Showa” located in Western Tokyo.  When a reporter visited him there, Tomojiro was sharing a small semi-private room.  He was 62 and his only possessions were a set of toiletries and a tea cup. Ever cheerful, Tomojiro did not seem dismayed by his predicament. His only complaints were about the too-small bed and the lack of clothing large enough for his frame. 

The Kyokai executives finally felt they had to do something to alleviate the former yokozuna’s woes, so they asked for donations from the rikishi and officials. This news was conveyed to Tomojiro and his expectations grew as he surmised that the sekitori of those days were earning far more than he did during his own sumo career.  Tomojiro began to plan for a quick windfall.  He even visited a real estate agent, thinking he could rent a sizable apartment and, perhaps, reconcile with his estranged wife and son.  In those days a typical office worker was earning 40,000 to 50,000 yen per month, but Tomojiro believed he could get at least 1.3 million yen from the Kyokai’s collection.

When Tomojiro met with Kyokai chairman Tokitsukaze, former yokozuna Futabayama, he was given two envelopes – one from the rikishi and the other from the chairman himself. He could not wait to leave the meeting to see how much the envelopes contained, so he quickly excused himself. In the rikishi’s envelope, he found only a fraction of what he expected - 325,000 yen.  In the chairman’s envelope, there was 100,000 yen, probably a donation from the chairman’s own pocket. Tomojiro felt totally rejected, realizing that his dream of reuniting with his family was now just that - a dream. He knew he could not even afford to rent a small apartment for any significant amount of time.  For him, the donations meant nothing at all.

When he returned to the seniors’ home, Tomojiro told his roommate how little he received from the Kyokai and how he no longer cared about the money.  His roommate, however, proposed that Tomojiro parlay his money by betting on motor boat racing. After all, the roommate used to gamble like that before. Tomojiro, though, knew that if the man had been successful at wagering, he would not be in the same predicament as Tomojiro, but, nevertheless thought, “Well, I never expected to receive any money anyway.  It DID just drop out of the sky, so why not go for it?”

Here again Tomojiro acted without giving any thought to the consequences, as, properly invested, the money could have permitted him to live in comfort for months, if not years.  And so, Tomojiro and his roommate went to the boat races. His first bet was on a “safe” race and Tomojiro quickly doubled his money.  His roommate then told him to go for another safe bet on a later race which could have netted him the amount he initially expected from the Kyokai. But Tomojiro became greedy, even thinking of running for another election and buying a new house. He decided to try for winnings of as much as 8 million yen, i.e., all or nothing.

Well, Tomojiro and his roommate ended up losing everything. Cheerful as always, though, he figured he had nothing to begin with and so he never cursed his fate or his roommate.

Tokitsukaze oyakata, the Kyokai chairman, died on December 16, 1968, at 56 years of age. Tomojiro learned of his death and of the Kyokai funeral planned for Christmas Day from an acquaintance.  Tokitsukaze oyakata had always been kind to him and Tomojiro remembered the oyakata’s generosity, still feeling a great deal of gratitude.  The friend offered to provide condolence money for him and Tomojiro went to the Kokugikan in a worn-out and faded suit, the only one he owned.  A magazine cameraman took a picture of him walking with difficulty with a cane, showing no sign of his former robust self.

In February 1969, a man came to visit Tomojiro at the seniors’ home.  He handed a business card to Tomojiro – “Yonetaro Sakai, Owner, Murayama Sai, Wildbird Restaurant”.  He had been an ardent fan of Minanogawa and was dismayed to find him living alone and penniless in a seniors’ home, with no family or friends. He asked Tomojiro to join him at his restaurant in Musashimura, Tokyo’s westernmost mountainous region.  Tomojiro would be given his own shelter and food as well as some chores to do so that he could at least earn a stipend. He promised Tomojiro food and drink, and some cigarettes, as well.

With the generosity of his old fan, Tomojiro was finally able to live without worry. He was given a small apartment a few minutes walk from the restaurant. Every day, he was at the entrance, greeting the patrons and taking care of their belongings. No guest ever imagined that they were being served by a former yokozuna - to them he was just a large, plain old man. Though Tomojiro always seemed jovial - irrespective of the woes that had befallen him - this time, he seemed genuinely happy.

Two years later, on January 20, 1971, a delivery man visiting Tomojiro’s apartment found him fallen over a table, on which the only picture he ever had witnessing his sumo success was placed - his bout against Nayoriiwa.  Tomojiro was 67 years old. The next day, as newspapers reported the great yokozuna Taiho losing to Kotozakura on day 11 of the January 1971 basho, a small article told of Minanogawa’s death from a stroke.

Only thirty people attended Minanogawa’s funeral at Cho-En Ji Temple in Musashimurayama City on January 25, 1971.  “Even though Minanogawa was an honest man, he often had too much wild ambition.  He failed at his business ventures and was easily coaxed into half-baked ideas by others,” former sekiwake Tenryu told the reporters as he left the ceremony.

Minanogawa was a gentle giant with no killer instinct on the dohyo.  With his gifted physique, he could have achieved great heights. It is quite reasonable to say that he never fulfilled his potential.  He was a rather moody rikishi; when he was forced to train hard, he was more than capable of doing so, but most of the time, he was just plain lazy and never really had the ambition to train rigorously. He was always eager to try new ventures and chase his dreams, but he soon got bored and was never able to sustain the effort. He marched to his own drummer in his private life and was never afraid to take chances.   Losing his father so early in his life may have contributed to his inability to maintain a stable family.  As a result, he lost his wife and never reconciled with his own son. In his final days, he had neither family nor friends. Only in the end, through the generosity of a sumo fan, Minanogawa was able to lead a somewhat normal life, but he died penniless. It was a tragic ending for one who made it to the pinnacle of Ozumo.  

For a complete listing of Minanogawa’s makunouchi records, please click here.

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