Asashio Tarō (Japanese: 朝潮 太郎, November 13, 1929 – October 23, 1988) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. He was the sport's 46th yokozuna. He was also a sumo coach and head of Takasago stable.
Career
He was born Fumitoshi Yonekawa (米川 文敏) on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. Due to the Amami Islands being occupied by the United States, in 1948 he stowed away on a cargo ship and was supported by a relative in Hyogo Prefecture. Making his professional debut in October 1948, he at first fought under his real name. He was billed in sumo as being from Kobe in Hyogo until the United States returned the Anami Islands to Japan in 1953, and was thereafter billed as being from Kagoshima Prefecture.
In September 1950 he reached the second highest jūryō division and won the championship with a 14–1 record. This earned him immediate promotion to the top makuuchi division in January 1951. He adopted the shikona or ring name of Asashio Tarō in 1952. In his early career he earned seven kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna, three of them coming in one tournament in January 1955 when he beat Yoshibayama on Day 5 and then Chiyonoyama and Tochinishiki on Days 8 and 9.[1] In January 1956 he changed the spelling of his ring name to 朝汐 太郎, but changed it back in July 1960.
With coach Takasago celebrating Asashio's tournament win in March 1956
Asashio won five top division tournament championships, all but one of them in Osaka.[2] He won this tournament three years in a row from 1956 to 1958. His first title was won at sekiwake rank in a three way playoff that also involved future yokozunaWakanohana Kanji I and maegashiraWakahaguro.[2] He earned promotion to ōzeki a year later after winning his second championship. In November 1958 he won the tournament in Kyūshū with a 14–1 record. After runner-up honours in the next two tournaments he was finally promoted to yokozuna at nearly 30 years of age. His time at sumo's highest rank was difficult as he missed many bouts through injury. He had to sit out the three tournaments following his yokozuna debut and was only able to win one further tournament, in March 1961. He did not take part in the January 1962 tournament and announced his retirement at the age of 32.
Asashio remained in the sumo world as an elder under the name of Furiwake, and became head coach of Takasago stable in 1971 after the death of the previous stablemaster, former yokozunaMaedayama. As Takasago-oyakata he coached Asashio Tarō IV and Konishiki to the rank of ōzeki. He predicted that Konishiki would reach the rank of yokozuna before his 25th birthday, but it did not happen.[4] He also recruited the Samoan wrestler Nankairyū but after a heated argument with Takasago, Nankairyū ran away from the stable in September 1988.[5] Takasago died of a stroke a few weeks later.
Pre-modern top division record
The New Year tournament began and the Spring tournament returned to Osaka in 1953.
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