Although there were previous reports about this in the Japanese press, they had ambiguous language, and were based on “associates”. Today, the report comes in directly from the NSK: “Former Sekiwake Yoshikaze (Real name Masatsugu Onishi) has retired, and taken on the toshiyori name Nakamura”.
His stablemaster, Oguruma oyakata, complimented Yoshikaze for doing straight-forward sumo.
Yoshikaze will now become Nakamura oyakata. The date of his danpatsu-shiki is not known at this time, but given the number of retirements lately, and that Aminishiki’s ceremony will take place on October 2020, there is a distinct possibility of this not happening before 2021.
While the sumo world can still be a bit shy about social media, we do get occasional glimpses into their lives through platforms like Twitter and Instagram. This morning, the former Hamatensei shared photos from his private danpatsushiki ceremony. The youngster, still just 23 after an 8 year sumo career at Shikoroyama beya, expressed his appreciation to his supporters, his oyakata, family, and anideshi and ototodeshi (fellow wrestlers).
He had quite an injury plagued career, never escaping Jonidan division and dropping off the banzuke a couple of times before, according to his statement on Twitter, the doctors have finally put a hard end to his career. Aside from a neck hernia which limited his arm motions, he suffered multiple knee injuries. After the third surgery his doctors told him they could do it again but he probably wouldn’t be able to walk or would find it extremely difficult to do basic things.
In his final year at the heya he was able to graduate from high school and, interestingly, started driving lessons. That is very unusual because rikishi are not allowed to drive. However, driving school in Japan is quite intensive so there is a substantial amount of classroom training and videos. Perhaps that’s how he got around the prohibition. Bottom line, the guy was 23 with no high school education or skills beyond what he learned in the heya. So it would not surprise me if he got an exception for his second career. He mentions many times struggling with the heya lifestyle and the rigid social structure.
Orora, Anatoliy Mikhakhanov, famously was the largest rikishi ever, at just under 300kg just before his retirement. The “get your hands down” rule did not apply to him. Since retirement he’s been working to get in shape. If I were to replicate this particular exercise, I would lose my big toe.
