29 Facts About Chiyonofuji Mitsugu

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, born Mitsugu Akimoto, was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna of the sport.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu was particularly remarkable for his longevity in sumo's top rank, which he held for a period of ten years from 1981 to 1991.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu finally retired in May 1991, just short of his thirty-sixth birthday.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu won the November Kyushu tournament, one of the six annual honbasho, a record eight consecutive years from 1981 until 1988, and set the record for the longest postwar run of consecutive wins.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu was born in Fukushima, a town in the Matsumae District of Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu was scouted at the age of 15 by Kokonoe stable's head Chiyonoyama, who had served as the 41st yokozuna and was from the same Fukushima town.

When Mitsugu started his professional sumo career, he was given his shikona surname of Chiyonofuji, which was formed from those of the two previous yokozuna from his stable, Chiyonoyama and Kitanofuji.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu reached the second highest juryo division in November 1974, and was promoted to the top makuuchi division in September 1975.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu finally won promotion back to the top division in January 1978.

Later, he advised Chiyonofuji Mitsugu to give up smoking, which helped him put on some extra weight.

In 1979, due to his shoulder trouble, Chiyonofuji Mitsugu briefly fell to the second division, but he soon came back.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu reached sekiwake, and stayed at this rank for only two tournament.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu later said that this victory was the foundation upon which he built his subsequent success as a yokozuna.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu was to win the Kyushu tournament eight consecutive years from 1981 to 1988, a record dominance of any of the six specific honbasho.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu was restricted to just one championship in the nine tournaments held from May 1983 to September 1984.

In September 1989 Chiyonofuji Mitsugu surpassed Oshio's record of 964 career wins and became the first sumo wrestler to receive the People's Honour Award from the Japanese Prime Minister.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu beat Itai on the next day, but this was to be his final win.

In September 1989 while Chiyonofuji Mitsugu was still active, the Japan Sumo Association decided to proffer the special status of ichidai-toshiyori to him, but he declined it because he intended to inherit another elder name.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu served for some years as a ringside judge.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu returned in the January 2012 elections as the Operations director, but was unseated two years later.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu chose not to run for a board position in the 2016 elections, citing a lack of support.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu announced his engagement shortly after his fifth tournament championship in May 1982.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu's second daughter, Kozue Akimoto, born in 1987, is a fashion model.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu had surgery for pancreatic cancer in July 2015, and was noticeably weak when speaking to reporters at the Aki basho in September of that year.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu died in Tokyo on July 31,2016, at the age of 61.

The chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, former yokozuna Hokutoumi who was a stablemate and protege of Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, was too grief-stricken to speak to the press in the immediate aftermath of Chiyonofuji Mitsugu's death.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu preferred a migi-yotsu, or left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu was well known for tsuridashi, or lift out.

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu had knowledge of a wide range of other techniques as well, employing 41 different kimarite in his career.