Wakashima Gonshirō

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In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Wakashima.
Wakashima Gonshirō
若島 権四郎
Wakashima Gonshiro sumo.jpg
Personal information
BornTakahashi Gonshirō
(1876-01-19)January 19, 1876
Chiba, Japan
DiedOctober 23, 1943(1943-10-23) (aged 67)
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight116 kg (256 lb)
Career
StableTomozuna, Nakamura
Record82-33-13draws (Makuuchi)
DebutMay, 1891
Highest rankYokozuna (April, 1905)
RetiredJanuary, 1907
Championships4 (Osaka makuuchi, unofficial)
* Up to date as of October 2007.

Wakashima Gonshirō (Japanese: 若島 権四郎, January 19, 1876 – October 23, 1943) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. He was the sport's 21st yokozuna.

Career[]

He was born Takahashi Gonshirō (高橋 権四郎), but later changed his surname to Katō (加藤). Wakashima was the first official yokozuna from Osaka sumo. He began his career in Tokyo sumo at the Tomozuna stable, joining in May 1891 at the age of 15. He reached the top makuuchi division in 1896, peaking at maegashira 7. He was very popular with geisha, but his interest in this side of life caused his progress in sumo to slacken. In addition, he suffered from smallpox. He left in January 1898, joining Osaka sumo, and entering Nakamura stable. It is believed he was awarded the Osaka sumo yokozuna licence by the family in January 1903 though the evidence is obscure. In June 1903, he fought against wrestlers in Tokyo sumo. He gave a very strong performance, defeating yokozuna Umegatani Tōtarō II and emerged as a threat to the dominance of the strongest yokozuna in Tokyo sumo, Hitachiyama.[1] His strength was acknowledged when, after a series of meetings between the Osaka and Tokyo sumo associations, he was awarded a yokozuna license by the family in April 1905. The only wrestler active in Osaka sumo to ever receive this recognition.[1] He retired at the early age of 31 in January 1907 owing to an injury suffered in a cycling accident in September 1905, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Tokyo sumo top division record[]

Wakashima[2]
- Spring Summer
1896 West Maegashira #12
4–2–1
3d
 		 West Maegashira #7
1–7–1
1h
 
1897 West Maegashira #12
1–7–2
 		 West Maegashira #14
4–5–1
 
1898 West Maegashira #13
3–5–1
1d
 		 Sat out
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Key:d=Draw(s) (引分);   h=Hold(s) (預り)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

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

Osaka sumo top division record[]

  • Osaka sumo existed independently for many years before merging with Tokyo sumo in 1926. 1–2 tournaments were held yearly, though the actual time they were held was often erratic.
  • In his first Osaka tournament Wakashima competed at makuuchi, but was unranked.
Wakashima Gonshiro[3]
First Second
1898 Maegashira
4–1–3
1d
 		 West Maegashira #12
7–2
 
1899 West Maegashira #8
7–1–1
 		 Not held
1900 West Komusubi
7–0–1
1d 1h
Unofficial
 		 Not held
1901 West Ōzeki
7–0–1
1h
Unofficial
 		 Not held
1902 East Ōzeki
8–0
1h
Unofficial
 		 Not held
1903 East Yokozuna
8–1
 		 East Yokozuna
4–0–4
1d
 
1904 East Yokozuna
6–1–2
 		 East Yokozuna
7–1–1
1d
 
1905 Sat out East Yokozuna
8–0–1
1d
Unofficial
 
1906 Sat out Sat out
1907
Retired
–
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Key:d=Draw(s) (引分);   h=Hold(s) (預り)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

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

*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded in Osaka sumo before its merger with Tokyo sumo, and the unofficial championships above are historically conferred. For more information, see yūshō.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "68 Yokozuna in 400 Years". Le Monde Du Sumo. June 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  2. ^ "Wakashima Daigoro Rikishi Information". Sumo References. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  3. ^ "NAME Rikishi Information" (in Japanese). 横綱力士幕内星取表.

External links[]


Preceded by
Umegatani Tōtarō II 		21st Yokozuna
1905–1907 		Succeeded by
Tachiyama Mineemon
Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once
Retrieved from ""