Toyonishiki Kiichiro

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername =豊錦 喜一郎 Toyonishiki Kiichiro


birthname =Harley Ozaki
dateofbirth =birth date|1920|2|3
placeofbirth =Colorado, US
dateofdeath =death date and age|1998|9|26|1920|2|3
placeofdeath =
height =height|meters=1.88
weight =convert|96|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya =Dewanoumi
rank =
record =6-4-0 (Makuuchi)
debut =January, 1938
highestrank =Maegashira 17 (November, 1945)
retireddate =November, 1945
yushos =
prizes =
goldstars =
blogurl =
weburl =
email =
update =May 2008

Toyonishiki Kiichiro (3 February 1920 - 26 September 1998) was a Japanese-American sumo wrestler who joined the sport shortly before World War II. He was one of the first foreign-born wrestlers to reach the top "makuuchi" division.

Career

He was born as Harley Ozaki in Pierce, Colorado, although he was to list Chikujo, Fukuoka as his birthplace on the "banzuke" ranking sheets. He joined Dewanoumi stable in January 1938. He had been introduced to the stable by a relative during a visit to Japan.Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lorna |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |id=ISBN 0-8348-0283-x] Initially he knew nothing about sumo, assuming that the sand covered clay "dohyo" was made of concrete.

He was the fifth Japanese-American in sumo and the first to reach elite "sekitori" status. He never had a losing score in his eight years in sumo. He was promoted to the second "juryo" division in January 1943 and reached the top "makuuchi" division in May 1944. He scored six wins against four losses, but this was to be his last tournament before being drafted into the Japanese army.

He still had American citizenship and had really wanted to fight for the United States, but as he could not return to the US he agreed to change his citizenship at the urging of the Japan Sumo Association. He adopted the Japanese name of Kiichiro Ozaki.

He survived the war but decided not to return to sumo, believing he could make a better living as an interpreter. He regained his US citizenship and in his later years ran an ryokan (inn) in Tokyo with his wife.

Record as sekitori

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 120%"
-!!Spring!Summer!Autumn
-

1943
West Juryo #14 (8-7)
East Juryo #9 (10-5)
no tournament held
-
1944
West Juryo #1 (8-7)
West Maegashira #20 (6-4)
bgcolor=gray|In army
-
1945
no tournament held
bgcolor=gray|In army
East Maegashira #17 (Retired)
-

References

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of past sumo wrestlers

External links

* [http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=3859 Tournament results]