Wakashimazu Mutsuo

(born Mutsuo Hidaka; 12 January 1957 – 15 March 2026) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Nakatane, Kagoshima. His highest rank was ōzeki. He won two top-division yūshō or tournament championships. Mutsuo retired in 1987 and founded Matsugane stable in 1990 (now known as Hanaregoma stable).

Early life and career Mutsuo came from a family of farmers. He was a classmate of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi at junior high school. Wakashimazu wrestled for Futagoyama stable/Takanohana stable, joining in March 1975. Unlike most professional sumo wrestlers, he did not join from junior high school but instead joined after completing high school. He was a high school sumo champion but needed some persuasion from his stablemaster that he would be able to put on enough weight to succeed in professional sumo. He made his debut alongside future top division regulars Daijuyama and Kirishima. He reached the salaried sekitori ranks in March 1980 upon promotion to the jūryō division and reached the top makuuchi division in January 1981. He scored 10 wins in his makuuchi debut. He moved quickly through the division, winning five special prizes, two for Fighting Spirit and three for Technique. He reached sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki in January 1983 after two runner-up performances and 34 wins out of 45 in the three preceding tournaments. After a 10–5 in his ōzeki debut, he broke his leg in the following tournament, but made a remarkably quick recovery, with a 13–2 score and runner-up honours in the next tournament in May 1983. In addition, two of his wrestlers, Matsutani and the sandanme ranked Wakarikido, were suspended for two tournaments for illegal betting on baseball. He stepped down from his judging duties and did not run for re-election to the Sumo Association board in 2018.

In December 2021, as he was approaching the mandatory retirement age of 65, he stood down as head coach of his stable, which was transferred to one of his coaches, the former maegashira Tamanoshima, and renamed Hanaregoma stable. He swapped elder names with the former yokozuna Kisenosato, and became Araiso-oyakata. He was planning to stay with the Sumo Association for a further five years as a consultant, but in July 2023, it was announced that he was retiring definitively, as he wished to retire before his 70th birthday, transferring the Araiso name to former sekiwake Kotoyūki.

Personal life and death Mutsuo was married to former pop/enka singer Mizue Takada from 1985. Upon his promotion to the top division in 1981, he mentioned Takada in an interview as an ideal wife, four years before it happened.

Mutsuo died on 15 March 2026 of pneumonia, at the age of 69. His funeral was held on 24 March.