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Ichinoya Mitsuru

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This article is about sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima, Ōshima. For others, see Ichinoya.
Ichinoya Mitsuru
一ノ矢 充
Personal information
BornTetsuhiro Matsuda
(1960-12-28) 28 December 1960 (age 63)
Kagoshima, Japan
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Weight98.5 kg (217 lb)[1]
Web presencewebsite
Career
StableTakasago
UniversityRyukyu University
Record484-518-6
DebutNovember, 1983
Highest rankSandanme 6 (July, 1991)
RetiredNovember, 2007
Championships2 (Jonidan)
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Ichinoya Mitsuru (born 28 December 1960 as Tetsuhiro Matsuda) is a former sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima, Ōshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was sandanme 6. He is a rare example of a national university graduate joining professional sumo. Entering Takasago stable at age 23, he fought until the age of 46, making him one of the oldest ever rikishi.

Career

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At 46 years of age, Ichinoya was the oldest man in professional sumo since the start of the Shōwa era in 1926.[2] When he began his sumo career in November 1983 his stablemate, former yokozuna Asashōryū was just three years old. He was the oldest wrestler in sumo for 62 tournaments, from the retirement of Dairyū in July 1997 until his own retirement in November 2007.

Ichinoya was interested in sumo from a very young age. He grew up on Tokunoshima island, which was the birthplace of the 46th Yokozuna Asashio Tarō III. He studied physics at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, and started up a sumo club there.[3] Upon graduation he attempted to enter professional sumo but was turned away by a number of stables due to lack of height (at 166 cm he was below the minimum requirement of 173 cm). After help from Wakamatsu Oyakata (the former Fusanishiki) he moved into Wakamatsu stable and did chores there and worked on stretching exercises before making his official debut in the November 1983 tournament.[4] In July 1989 he became the first graduate of a national university to win a yūshō or tournament championship when he took the jonidan division title.[5] In 1990 his stable master retired due to ill health and was replaced by the former Asashio Tarō IV. In 2002 Wakamatsu stable merged with Takasago stable. He never rose higher than the fourth sandanme division, but he was much admired simply for his longevity and his determination in fighting opponents more than twenty years his junior. At the tournament in May 2007, ranked at Jonidan 87, he fought back from 0-3 down to achieve a 4–3 score and kachi-koshi.[6] In November 2007, having completed 1000 professional bouts, he announced that he was retiring after 24 years in sumo.[7] He also announced his intention to marry.

Ichinoya remained as the general manager of Takasago stable, looking after its day-to-day running. He is also a keen computer enthusiast and keeps a regular blog on the heya's website.[8]

In February 2008 Ichinoya had his retirement ceremony, or danpatsu-shiki, at a hotel in Tokyo, along with his wedding reception. Asashōryū was among the attendees.

Interviewed in 2020 upon the occasion of his successor as oldest wrestler since the Showa era, Hanakaze, turning 50, Ichinoya (now known as Tetsuhiro Matsuda again) argued that although older wrestlers may not contribute much to sumo in sporting terms, they were important to the successful running of stables and the hosting of the tournaments.[9]

Career record

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Ichinoya Mitsuru[10]
Year January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1983 x x x x x (Maezumo)
1984 West Jonokuchi #43
6–1–PPPP
 		 West Jonidan #89
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #111
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #68
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #60
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #90
2–2–3
 
1985 East Jonidan #123
6–1
 		 East Jonidan #49
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #77
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #51
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #73
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #53
4–3
 
1986 East Jonidan #30
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #61
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #82
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #43
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #7
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #68
1–6
 
1987 West Jonidan #6
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #34
1–6
 		 West Jonidan #80
6–1
 		 East Jonidan #14
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #93
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #5
2–5
 
1988 West Jonidan #34
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #97
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #73
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #90
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #57
2–5
 		 West Sandanme #86
4–3
 
1989 East Sandanme #66
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #80
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #10
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #28
7–0–P
Champion
 		 West Sandanme #37
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #53
3–4
 
1990 West Sandanme #74
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #97
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #55
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #37
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #22
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #35
3–4
 
1991 East Sandanme #53
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #71
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #51
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #6
1–6
 		 West Sandanme #43
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #53
1–6
 
1992 West Sandanme #89
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #7
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #31
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #6
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #27
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #59
4–3
 
1993 East Jonidan #30
7–0–P
Champion
 		 East Sandanme #35
2–5
 		 East Sandanme #59
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #73
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #53
1–6
 		 East Sandanme #90
3–4
 
1994 West Jonidan #6
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #42
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #4
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #19
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #100
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #19
4–3
 
1995 West Sandanme #97
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #22
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #53
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #89
1–6
 		 West Jonidan #31
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #52
2–5
 
1996 West Jonidan #89
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #42
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #68
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #94
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #116
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #67
3–4
 
1997 East Jonidan #89
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #62
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #38
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #15
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #36
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #57
3–4
 
1998 East Jonidan #76
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #94
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #73
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #48
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #66
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #23
5–2
 
1999 West Sandanme #93
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #9
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #32
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #48
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #67
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #84
4–3
 
2000 West Jonidan #59
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #34
1–6
 		 East Jonidan #65
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #41
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #71
6–1
 		 East Jonidan #1
2–5
 
2001 East Jonidan #35
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #59
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #36
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #15
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #36
1–6
 		 West Jonidan #69
2–5
 
2002 East Jonidan #98
6–1
 		 West Jonidan #20
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #43
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #57
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #87
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #60
4–3
 
2003 West Jonidan #39
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #54
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #29
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #60
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #17
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #41
3–4
 
2004 West Jonidan #62
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #38
1–6
 		 West Jonidan #77
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #32
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #61
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #39
3–4
 
2005 West Jonidan #66
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #41
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #66
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #25
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #59
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #78
2–5
 
2006 East Jonidan #108
3–4
 		 East Jonokuchi #2
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #89
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #111
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #84
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #102
4–3
 
2007 East Jonidan #72
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #46
1–6
 		 East Jonidan #87
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #61
3–1–3
 		 East Jonidan #83
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #103
Retired
4–3
Record given as wins–losses–absences    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Ichnoya Mitsuru". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 12 September 2007.
  2. ^ Blair, Eric (August 2005). "Lower Division Rikishi". sumofanmag.com. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  3. ^ "Sumo 101: College graduates in sumo". Japan Times. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  4. ^ madorosumaru (24 March 2008). "Most skinny shindeshi ever?". Sumo Forum. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Ichinoya is 1st National University Grad to Take Yusho", Sumo World, September 1989.
  6. ^ Buckton, Mark (29 May 2007). "Hakuho wrestles his way into the history books". Japan Times Online. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  7. ^ http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20071126TDY20105.htm [dead link‍]
  8. ^ Buckton, Mark (15 May 2006). "With Wailing Walls and Dead Sea dips, who needs the World Cup?". Japan Times. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
  9. ^ Suzuki, Kensuke. "Hanakaze, at 50, longest-serving sumo wrestler since Showa Era". Asashi Shimbun. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Sumo reference". Retrieved 9 May 2013.
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