Asahidake Tsurunosuke

was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. His highest rank was ōzeki. He is the fourth ōzeki from Yamagata Prefecture and the first promoted at this rank since Genjiyama in October 1825, 52 years earlier.

History Asahidake was born in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture into a farming family and worked for a time as a fisherman. He eventually moved to Murakami, Echigo Province and began working as a boatman for the Shōnai Domain. He was noticed by the clan lord because of his strength and was brought to Edo to take part in the construction effort of the Odaiba. While in Edo, he was scouted by the stablemaster of Tatsutagawa stable and decided to join the Edo-based sumo association to train as a wrestler.

He began wrestling actively in October 1860 under the shikona, or ring name, and under the patronage of the Shōnai Domain. He later changed his ring name to evoke a mountain in his home prefecture. In 1867, while still a jūryō wrestler, he inflicted defeat on Shiranui, who was by then already a respected ōzeki and winner of several tournaments. In 1877 he was finally promoted to ōzeki, but only held the rank for two tournaments before retiring as a wrestler. After his retirement he remained within the sumo association and devoted himself entirely to training his wrestlers. In 1878, when he visited his hometown Yamagata on a regional tour, the prefectural governor at the time, Mishima Michitsune, arranged for the to grant Asahidake a yokozuna licence, allowing him to perform a yokozuna ring-entering ceremony. Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above championships that are labelled "unofficial" are historically conferred. For more information see yūshō.