Tochiazuma Daisuke

栃 東 大 裕
Tochiazuma Daisuke

Personal data
real name	Shiga Daisuke
Born	November 9, 1976
place of birth	Adachi, Tokyo Prefecture
size	1.80 m
Weight	155 kg
Career
Heya	Tamanoi
Career record	560-317-169
debut	November 1994
Highest rank	Ōzeki (January 2002)
Tournament victories	3 (Makuuchi) 1 each in Juryo, Makushita, Sandanme, Jonidan and Jonokuchi
resignation	May 2007

Tochiazuma Daisuke , Japanese 栃 東 大 裕 , proper Shiga Daisuke ( 志 賀 太 祐 ; born November 9, 1976 in Adachi , Tokyo Prefecture ) is a former Japanese sumo wrestler and holder of the second-highest rank Ōzeki .

Tochiazuma is the youngest son of Tamanoi Tomoyori, who fought as Sekiwake Tochiazuma himself , won the January tournament in 1972 and founded the "stable" Tamanoi Beya after his wrestling days. Tochiazuma was also trained in this. In 1994 he began his ascent in the Jonokuchi Division and reached the Jūryō in 1996 , becoming sekitori . On this occasion, he, who had previously competed under his maiden name, took on the old ring name of his father. At this point he had won a tournament in each of the leagues he went through.

As early as 1997 Tochiazuma rose in the sanyaku -Ränge and was listed for most of the intervening years as a sekiwake, even though he experienced multiple injury-related setbacks. In January 2002 he was zeki for the first time and promptly won the tournament - exactly 30 years after his father's tournament victory. However, his next result was insufficient for a promotion to yokozuna . Tochiazuma was only able to win another tournament in the Makuuchi Division in November 2003 , but he was unable to add any follow-up success to this either. He could not repeat his tournament victory in the 2006 New Year's tournament in the following tournament.

Twice Tochiazuma lost his Ōzeki rank and was demoted to sekiwake after he could not compete due to a shoulder or knee injury, and twice he managed to rise again. Since the introduction of the corresponding rule in 1969, Tochiazuma has been the only wrestler to do this. The reason for the last demotion, a shoulder blade fracture he suffered in November 2004 fighting Kokkai , initially seemed to mark the end of Tochiazuma's career. But contrary to the statements of his heya, he entered the ring again next January and achieved a better result than he would have mathematically required.

For health reasons, Tochiazuma announced his resignation on May 7, 2007. In 2009, when his father and manager of the Tamanoi stable retired, he took over the Tamanoi-Beya, but until then remained with the Kyokai under his previous Shikona.

As an outstanding technician, Tochiazuma was able to win seven Gino-shō (prizes for outstanding technology). He also received two Kanto-shō for special fighting spirit and three Shuku-shō for special achievements.

Web links

• Info page of the Japanese Sumo Association