Sumo Scene / Ex-ozeki Asahikuni, Who Made Up for his Short Stature With Hard Work, Dies; Studying Opponents, Treatments Led to Nickname of ‘Dr. Sumo’

By Kuniyuki Kamimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

11:41 JST, November 28, 2024

The news of the death of former ozeki Asahikuni, whose birth name was Takeo Ota, came out on Oct. 22, shortly before the announcement of the rankings for the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. He was 77.

Asahikuni was a well-known ozeki who made his mark in the 1970s. After his retirement, he became stablemaster Oshima and allowed a Mongolian wrestler to join the sumo world for the first time, paving the way for the rise of Mongolian-born wrestlers.

What I remember most about Asahikuni was his tenacious fighting style, which led some people to call him “piranha.”

According to official statistics, he was 1.74 meters tall during his wrestling career, which is short for a sumo wrester. There was one episode in which he repeatedly failed the physical exam for new recruits but was finally able to pass after showing up with a big lump on his head.

Asahikuni is said to have stood out because of his enthusiasm for studying and researching various aspects of sumo, and he had another nickname: “Dr. Sumo.” He not only analyzed his opponents and studied their techniques but also reportedly read medical books and looked into treatments when he was sick or injured. His back was a maze of acupuncture marks and bandages.

Although he was awarded the Technique Prize six times and remained at the rank of ozeki for 21 tournaments, Asahikuni was never able to win a title in the makuuchi division.

However, he came close on two occasions.

In the 1976 Spring tournament, when he was a sekiwake, he advanced to a playoff with a 13-2 record but lost to yokozuna Wajima. And in the 1977 Autumn tournament, after being promoted to ozeki, Asahikuni compiled an impressive 14-1 record, with the only loss to yokozuna Kitanoumi. As the yokozuna finished the 15-day tournament with a perfect record, Asahikuni’s dream of winning a title was dashed again.

Takanohana, Kaiketsu and Mienoumi, who all competed as ozeki around the same time as Asahikuni, all came away with at least one title.

Asahikuni reportedly expressed his disappointment at the time of his retirement, saying, “I wanted to win a title at least once.”

Despite his own frustration, no one can dispute that Asahikuni was a great sumo wrestler who made up for his short stature with diligence. He might not have been a high-profile star, but he was definitely an indispensable figure in sumo history during the Showa era (1926-89). 

— Kamimura is a sumo expert.