Akinoumi Setsuo

安藝ノ海 節男 Akinoumi Setsuo
Personal information
Born	Setsuo Nagata May 30, 1914 Hiroshima, Japan
Died	March 25, 1979 (aged 64)
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9 ^1⁄2 in)
Weight	127.5 kg (281 lb)
Career
Stable	Dewanoumi
Record	209-101-38
Debut	February 1932
Highest rank	Yokozuna (May 1942)
Retired	November, 1946
Championships	1 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jonokuchi)
Gold Stars	1 (Futabayama)
* Up to date as of August 2007.

Akinoumi Setsuo (安藝ノ海 節男 Akinoumi Setsuo, May 30, 1914 – March 25, 1979), born Setsuo Nagata, was a sumo wrestler from Hiroshima, Japan. He was the sport's 37th yokozuna.

Career

Akinoumi brings Futabayama's record winning streak to an end in January 1939, as reported in the Yomiuri Shimbun

Akinoumi made his professional debut in February 1932 and reached the top makuuchi division in January 1938. He was the man who ended Futabayama's record 69 bout winning streak in January 1939. As he was only ranked as a maegashira at the time, it was regarded as an enormous upset. He defeated the yokozuna by sotogake, an outer leg trip. He had practiced this technique in training with Komanosato, who had been Futabayama's 69th and final defeated opponent. He was overwhelmed by his achievement, but was told by his stablemaster, "Become a rikishi not to be praised when he wins but to cause an uproar when he loses."^[1]

His only top division championship came in May 1941 when he was ranked as a sekiwake. He earned promotion to yokozuna in May 1942 after two runner-up performances. Akinoumi was not a particularly successful yokozuna, lasting only eight tournaments at the rank and not managing to win any further championships. He is arguably better remembered for his victory over Futabayama than his exploits as a grand champion.^[2]

Retirement from sumo

Akinoumi retired in November 1946, and became an elder of the Sumo Association with the name of Fujishima. He married the daughter of Dewanoumi Oyakata, the former yokozuna Tsunenohana, but was unfaithful to her, his geisha mistress giving birth the same day that his wife did.^[2] They were later divorced. This put an end to any hopes of becoming the head of Dewanoumi stable, and he left the sumo world in January 1955.^[3] He later remarried. He ran achanko restaurant, and when that when out of business, a clothing store. He also appeared as a sumo commentator on broadcasts of tournaments. He celebrated his 60th birthday in 1974 but for reasons which are unclear, did not get to perform the kanreki dohyō-iri ceremony. He died in 1979 of congestive heart failure.

Top division record

• Through most of the 1930s and 1940s only two tournaments were held a year, and in 1946 only one was held.

Akinoumi Setsuo^[4]

-	Spring Haru basho, Tokyo	Summer Natsu basho, Tokyo	Autumn Aki basho, Tokyo
1938	West Maegashira #16 8–5	West Maegashira #10 9–4	Not held
1939	West Maegashira #3 6–7 ★	East Maegashira #4 10–5	Not held
1940	West Sekiwake 10–5	West Sekiwake 14–1	Not held
1941	East Ōzeki 12–3	East Ōzeki 9–6	Not held
1942	West Ōzeki 13–2	West Ōzeki 13–2	Not held
1943	East Yokozuna 12–3	West Yokozuna 11–4	Not held
1944	Sat out due to injury	West Yokozuna 5–5	Sat out due to injury
1945	Not held	East Yokozuna 6–1	East Yokozuna 4–6
1946	Not held	Not held	East Yokozuna Retired 0–0–13
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Retired Lower Divisions Key:  ★=Kinboshi(s);   d=Draw(s) (引分);   h=Hold(s) (預り) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of yokozuna

References

1. "Jonosuke" (9 January 2007). "Akinoumi". Sumo Forum. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
2. Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
3. "Akinoumi Setsuo Kabu History". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
4. "Akinoumi Setsuo Rikishi Information". Sumo References. Retrieved 2007-10-05.

External links

• Japan Sumo Association profile