Takanohana Kenshi

, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori. Making his debut in May 1965, his highest rank was ōzeki, which he reached in November 1972. He then went on to hold the rank for what was then a record fifty tournaments, before retiring in January 1981. He was extremely popular and was nicknamed the due to his good looks and relatively slim build. He was the younger brother of Wakanohana Kanji I, and the father of Wakanohana Masaru and Takanohana Kōji. After retiring from competition, he coached both of his sons to the rank of yokozuna as head of Futagoyama stable.

Early life Takanohana was born in Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan as the youngest of ten children. He was a champion swimmer in middle school, but did not think he could make a living out of it. He was determined to join professional sumo, in spite of some opposition from his family, who had wanted him to continue swimming. He was considered a possible candidate for the Olympic team of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. The two stables merged, and the newly renamed "Futagoyama stable" had one quarter of all the top ranked rikishi in it at one point, including two yokozuna, an ōzeki and many others regularly in the junior san'yaku ranks. During this time it was undoubtedly the most powerful stable the sumo world has seen in the postwar period. He oversaw the promotion of both of his sons to yokozuna, the first time ever that two siblings have held sumo's highest rank.

He was married in 1970 to a former actress and beauty queen, Fujita Noriko, who was once "Miss Ōita Prefecture".

Death

In February 2005, his son publicly announced that his father was struggling with mouth cancer (he had been a heavy smoker of Mild Seven cigarettes for most of his life). He underwent extensive treatment, but no recovery was possible, and on 30 May 2005, he succumbed to the disease at the age of 55. There was an acrimonious battle between Takanohana's sons over who should be head mourner at his funeral. More than 1200 attended the event, which was held in Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo.

Career record