21 Facts About Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hokkaido.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi was the sport's 61st yokozuna and won eight top division championships.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi wrestled for Kokonoe stable, as did Chiyonofuji, and the two were the first yokozuna stablemates to take part in a play-off for the championship, in 1989.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi was then elected as head for a full term by his fellow board members in a vote held in March 2016.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi was reappointed to a full term as chairman four times, most recently in 2024.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi changed the spelling of his shikonas given name to in November 1985.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi wished to acknowledge his home district of Tokachi, but the kanji for it literally means "ten wins" and it was felt that this might be bad luck, limiting his wins in any tournament to ten.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi changed the spelling of Nobuyoshi back to his legal way.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi then beat Konishiki in the next bout, thus winning the tournament.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi opened up his own stable, Hakkaku stable, which has had four top division wrestlers, Hokutoriki, Kaiho, Okinoumi, and Hokutofuji.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi occasionally appears on NHK sumo broadcasts as a commentator and analyst.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi had been serving as an executive director of the board under Kitanoumi since 2012.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi's appointment lasted until the end of March 2016.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi then won a contested ballot on March 28,2016, defeating Takanohana, and was confirmed for a further two-year term.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi was re-elected for additional two-year terms in 2018,2020 and 2022.

On his sixtieth birthday, on 22 June 2023, Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi declared his intention to perform a kanreki dohyo-iri at the Ryogoku Kokugikan on 2 September of the same year.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi announced his choice of attendants for the event, in the person of his two students, Okinoumi, as tachimochi, and Hokutofuji as tsuyuharai.

On 23 August 2023 members of Hakkaku stable participated in the tsunauchi to create the red tsuna that Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi will wear for the ceremony.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi was primarily an oshi-sumo specialist, preferring pushing and thrusting techniques that got his opponents out of the ring as quickly as possible.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi had a powerful tachi-ai, or initial charge, and his specialty was nodowa, a single-handed push to the throat.

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi said in an interview with Channel 4 television that the technique he most enjoyed was tsuri-dashi or lift out, although he was only credited with this kimarite once in official tournament competition.