Last bashō, I documented four newcomers to the Third Division (Makushita). Kusano managed to win six straight, losing on day 13 in the Yūsho deciding bout to Fujiseiun. Aonishiki, the Ukrainian, also went 6-1 and will also get a hefty promotion for Nagoya – perhaps finding himself just outside the top 15 ranks. Kotetsu and Hamanoumi were make-koshi (3-4) and will head back to Sandanme.

Joining them will be Rinko (from Nishonoseki) who posted a disastrous 1-6. For Nagoya, we should see not just one – but two – Makushita 60 Tsukedashi. Both have familiar last names!

Ishizaki (石崎)

Ishizaki is following in the footsteps of his high school and university senpai and long-time friend, and brother Asakōryū, into the sumo world. He started sumo as a child at Shijonowate Sumo Federation and was 3 rd in the All-Japan Elementary School tournament in 6 th Grade. In the third year of Junior High, he was 8 th in the All-Japan Jr. High School Tournament.

Like his brother, he attended Meitoku Gijuku High School. As a sophomore he was 8 th in the All-Japan High School. The next year, he finished 3 rd in the All-Japan and runner up in the East Japan Student Championship (under 135kg). His high school career also included a 3 rd place finish in the Japan University Selection Tournament in Kanazawa, a runner-up in the All-Japan (no weight class), and another 3rd place finish in the National Athletic Meet. He attended NSSU, like his brother where he also won ribbons and trophies (3rd Place in the All-Japan (twice), 3rd Place in the World Combat Games.

He did not join sumo right after graduation, rather he went to teach at the Nagahama School for the Disabled and wrestled in corporate sumo (3 rd place at the National Teachers’ Championship). He decided that he would not let the chance to wrestle as a professional pass him by and joined the same stable as his brother. Given this pedigree and performance, we can expect him to join his brother in a white training mawashi soon. He is 23 years old (a little older than the typical college recruit because of the corporate experience), 172 cm (5’7’’) and weighs in at 120 kg (264 pounds) and comes out of Shijonowate, Ōsaka Prefecture – obviously same as Asakōryū.

Kawabuchi (川渕) – proper shikona to come.

Kawabuchi is also following in the footsteps of his brother, who fights out of Shikoroyama-beya (and has a jonokuchi division championship on his debut). They both came out of Kanazawa Gakuin High School, but the older brother started professional sumo at that point. The younger brother went on to Nihon University. Kawabuchi2 (as his older brother uses the shikona Kawabuchi) started sumo at Higashi Osaka Sumo Dojo. He won the All-Japan Elementary School Championship at 4th Grade. He attended Saisei Junior High, where he won the national Junior High School Team Tournament.

He attended Kanazawa Gakuin High School where he was named Top High Schooler for 2019. He was the Champion at the All-Japan Wight Class Junior Division, won the All-Japan Individual Weight Class, the All-Japan High School Usa, and was World Junior Heavyweight Class Champion.

As a high school champion, he joined Nihon University Sumo Club. As a Freshman he was 3rd in the All Japan 135kg+ weight class, 3rd in the All-Japan, and 2 nd in East Japan Freshman tournaments. He had multiple top finishes in the All Japan 135+ weight class, the National Student Selection Competition, the National University Kyushu, and won the National University Usa, the National Select University Tournament, the East Japan 135kg+, an the East Japan Student Championship.

All this experience gives him the Makushita 60 qualification. He did not join Shikoroyama stable, like his brother – but levered the Nihon University connections to join Kise-beya under former Higonoumi.

He is 22 years old, and a giant of a man at 187 cm (6’1’’) and 199 kg (438 pounds). He comes out of Ōsaka City (Ōsaka Prefecture). So the Ōsaka boys are well represented at this shin-makushita report for those entering at tsukedashi!

Tatsuōshō (立王尚)

Tatsuōshō is a 20 year old wrestler from Tatsunami-beya. He hails from Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture and is 184 cm (6’0’’) and 143 kg (315 lbs). He comes from Central Agricultural High School (Chubu). He started with judo in elementary school, but in freshman year of high school switched to sumo because of his grandmother. His wish is to become the first Yokozuna out of Okinawa! He made his debut in Haru 2022 and has a career record of 56-35. He has been in Sandanme for most of the past two years, steadily climbing the ranks. He had an amazing 6-1 record at Sandanme 7 East that will throw him into mid-Makushita for Nagoya.

Higonomaru (肥後ノ丸)

Higonomaru is perfect for the brother/Nagoya Makushita Debut theme. He is the younger brother of Makushita’s Higonoumi (Higonoumi 2). He is a 19 year old wrestler, hailing from Kise-beya like his brother. He comes out of Kumamoto City (Kumamoto Prefecture) and is 184cm (6’0’’) and 143 kg (316 lbs). He has flown up the banzuke since his Haru 2023 debut, with a career record of 34-15 and briefly appeared in Kintamayama’s celebrity youngsters page because of his rapid rise to Sandanme.

His father is a former Tokistukaze-beya wrestler who won a jonidan championship but retired because of injury. The sumo bug is in their family – so Higonomaru started sumo in 6th grade.

Unlike his older brother, Higonomaru went to high school where he was on the Kumamoto Agricultural High School team. He claims he wants to make Jūryō in three years and is seemingly on his way. He had a 5-2 record at Sandanme 9 East last tournament and will be in the lower third of Makushita – not a bad place to be after 8 tournaments in sumo to meet his stated goal.

Mikazuchiyama (御雷山)

Mikazuchiyama, from Shikoroyama-beya, is currently 19 years old. He came from Tsukuba City in Ibaraki Prefecture. He is 174cm (5’8’’) and 149 kg (327 lbs). He currently has a 91-77 career record, making his debut in the 2020 Haru tournament. He claims to be from the same hometown as the 34th Yokozuna, Minanogawa.

He has a judo background from his primary and middle school days and was a specialist in Haraigoshi technique (throw over the hips). He participated in the Wanpaku sumo tournaments in 4th and 5th grade – making the second round. He developed a passion for sumo and went knocking on the door of Shikoroyama-beya himself to join.

He is still young (at 19) to enter Makushita. He had a 5-2 record at Sandanme 20 East and has been generally in upper Sandanme since Natsu 2023. So he may be able to hang around in the bottom of Makushita. Let’s see if he can break out of that region in the coming year!

Kanazawa (金沢)

Kanazawa is a 21-year-old wrestler from Naruto-beya, who will make his makushita debut with stablemate Kawamura (see below). He comes out of Toyohashi City in Aichi Prefecture – so he will be making his Makushita debut from his “home turf”. He is 184 cm (6’0’’) and 172 kg (379 lbs). He has a career record of 53-35-3 (the absences came early in his career as a wave of Covid swept through Naruto-beya).

He has a Japanese father and a Italian-Paraguayan mother and comes from a Judo background. His unique heritage should make him one to watch. He attended Toyohashi Central High School and was a member of the Powerlifting Club (Best 8 in an Aichi Prefectural Tournament). He is the second from his school to join sumo after Tokitsukaze-beya’s Sōtenryū. He joined sumo in Haru 2022, after being scouted by Naruto-Oyakata for many years (at least since Junior High School).

He is a yotsu wrestler. He made rapid progress up the ranks, but seemed stalled in the Sandanme 40-60 range for the past year and a half. He has three straight kachi-koshi (including a 4-3 at Sandanme 7 west) that puts him into Makushita for the Nagoya basho.

Kawamura (川村)

Kawamura is a 22-year-old wrestler, also out of Naruto-beya. He comes out of Suzukai City in Mie Prefecture. He is 180 cm (5’11’’) and 125 kg (276 lbs). He has a career record of 122-100-23. He is small, but has a competitive spirit. Due to his competitive nature, his father recommended sumo as a child – which he did, but dropped out of it when he attended school. He was on the Ishiyakushi High School Weightlifting Club where he won a prize as a Freshman (2nd Place in the 85kg lifting in Mie Prefecture). His knew acquaintances of Naruto Oyakata and dropped out of high school to go pro!

His debut bashō was Natsu 2018, so he has taken his time to reach Makushita. Even now, he will be promoted all the way from Sandanme 35 East due to a 6-1 performance – which is a bit of an outlier for him. He may be expected to struggle in his 3 rd Division Debut. That competitive spirit has kept him around – he dropped from Division 4 to Division 6 due to an injury in 2021 and has come back from it to reach this career high rank – so he cannot be counted out.

Kyokukaiyū (旭海雄)

Our final entry in this digest is Kyokukaiyū, a 24 year old wrestler from Ōshima-beya (of Kyokutenhō). Like his stable-Master, Kyokukaiyū hails from Mongolia, and thus had to wait some time to get his visa and undergo additional training as a foreigner before making his debut in Aki 2023 (mae-zumo in Kyusho 2023). My understanding is that the “kaiyū” in his shikona comes from his name, meaning heroic sea in Mongolian – Dalaibaatar (and I believe the Baatar does mean heroic, but you can forgive me for not picking up much Mongolian on my two brief visits there!). He came to Japan at the age of 16 to do sumo.

He joined Asahigaoka High School in Kanagawa prefecture and won prizes (3 rd at the National High School Sumo Selection Tournament and 3 rd at the Kanto Open Weight Tournament). From there, he attended NSSU where he also placed in national tournaments (3 rd in the East Japan Freshman Tournament, 3rd in the 135kg+ Division of the East Japan College Weight Class Tournament, and he got a Sandanme Tsukedashi qualification (that went unused) form being in the Top 8 of the All Japan. He also finished in the top 16 of the National Select Sumo Tournament his Senior Year.

He is an Oshi type wrestler, with an 18-3 career record that rocketed him straight from jonokuchi to makushita. He arrives in makushita courtesy of a Sandanme championship (7-0) at the bottom of the division (Sandanme 87 west). So he will be with fellow university starts Ishizaki and Kawabuchi at the bottom of the makushita division. Any fights between those three will be interesting to watch!

Summary

In summary, this tournament’s makushita debutants will be quite interesting – with three university stars, a few high school sumo club members, three brother pairs Higonoumi/Higonomaru, Kawabuchi/Kawabuchi 2, and Asakōryū/Ishizaki), a few weight lifters – one with Paraguayan heritage, and a young recruit out of junior high school who has steadily climbed the ranks! With this report, I am now looking forward to the Nagoya tournament.

But first…. I must join Andy at this weekend’s Sumo and Sushi. No return to the ring for me this year… I happened to have lost about 45 pounds – so I need to “rebuild my body” as they say. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to seeing Konishiki and his troupe and to have some live sumo in front of me without going back to Japan. If we can all just get the streaming situations sorted, that’d be great.

Muhōmatsu/Hochiyama – whatever you call me, I am Justinough.