Yoshiyuki Homarefuji

is a retired professional sumo wrestler from the town of Ajigasawa in Aomori prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in January 2008 and wrestled for Isegahama stable, one of the more successful stables in sumo today. He reached the top makuuchi division for the first time in May 2013. His highest rank was maegashira 6. He retired in 2019 to become an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Tateyama.

Early life and sumo background Miura Yoshiyuki started practicing sumo in his third year of primary school. This was the same primary school as the well-known sumo wrestler Mainoumi had attended several years before. Miura has stated his reason for wanting to practice sumo was that he wanted to be strong so he could protect a girl he liked at the time. In his third year of middle school (where Mainoumi also attended) he came in second overall in a national junior high school sumo competition. At this time, he was introduced to former yokozuna Asahifuji, who was scouting for prospective wrestlers for his Isegahama stable, through an intermediary. Miura decided at this point that if he were to become a professional sumo wrestler he would join this stable.

He found his stride from the November 2012 tournament after his third jūryō promotion. He recorded three consecutive 10-5 tournaments in this division, and was added to the ranks of the top makuuchi division for the first time in May 2013. He was the first wrestler from Aomori prefecture (a place known for producing many strong wrestlers) to enter makuuchi since Takarafuji (also from the Isegahama stable) in July 2011. Homarefuji only lasted one tournament however, as a 5–10 record in lower makuuchi saw him again in the ranks of jūryō. For the next sixteen months, he became a jūryō regular, recording around the same number of winning and losing tournaments. In the last three tournaments of this period in September 2014, he managed a string of winning tournaments which culminated in an 11–4 record, his strongest showing ever since becoming a sekitori.

In the following November he was re-promoted to makuuchi. He had two consecutive winning 8–7 tournaments and reached maegashira 7 for the March tournament in Osaka. Since then his progress had stalled and he was demoted back to jūryō for the March 2016 tournament. He reappeared in makuuchi in September 2016, but had to withdraw from the tournament on Day 4 after getting injured on the opening day. He lost sekitori status when he was demoted from the jūryō division after the July 2018 tournament, and after missing several tournaments through injury he had fallen to sandanme 77 by May 2019. He competed in just one match in the May 2019 tournament, which he won, resulting in a drop to jonidan.

Retirement from sumo After a 6-1 record in jonidan in July he won four of his seven bouts in September 2019 before announcing his retirement. He is staying in sumo as a toshiyori or elder of the Japan Sumo Association and a coach at Isegahama stable. He is now known as Tateyama Oyakata, the elder share previously held by the former head of the Kataonami stable, ex-sekiwake Tamanofuji. His danpatsu-shiki, or retirement ceremony, was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 19 February 2022.

Fighting style Homarefuji was an oshi-sumo specialist who preferred pushing and slapping techniques to fighting on the mawashi or belt. His most common winning kimarite or technique is oshi-dashi, or push-out. According to his Japan Sumo Association profile, as of January 2015 he had won 44 of his last 75 bouts and 61 per cent had been won by oshidashi.

Personal life Homarefuji announced his engagement in February 2017, and his wedding reception was held in June at the Tokyo Royal Park hotel with 500 guest attending.

Career record