Kirinji Kazuharu, real name Kazuharu Tarusawa was a sumo wrestler from Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
14 Facts About Kirinji Kazuharu
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Kirinji Kazuharu made his professional debut in 1967, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1974.
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Kirinji Kazuharu made his professional debut in May 1967 at the age of just 14, joining Nishonoseki stable.
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Kirinji Kazuharu reached the top makuuchi division in September 1974 and remained there for 84 tournaments, a record at the time second only to Takamiyama's 97.
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Kirinji Kazuharu fought in 1221 top division bouts in total, the eleventh highest in history.
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Kirinji Kazuharu spent ten tournaments at komusubi rank, the first in March 1975 and the last thirteen years later in January 1988, making him one of the oldest postwar sanyaku wrestlers.
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Kirinji Kazuharu reached his highest rank of sekiwake for the first time in July 1975 and held it on seven occasions in total.
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Kirinji Kazuharu never won a top division tournament but was a runner-up on two occasions, to Kitanoumi in September 1978 and to Chiyonofuji in March 1982.
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Kirinji Kazuharu won eleven sansho, or special prizes, placing him joint tenth on the all-time list, and earned six kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna.
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Kirinji Kazuharu was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize at the end of that tournament.
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Two days into the September 1988 tournament, where at 35 years of age he was the oldest in his division, Kirinji Kazuharu pulled out with a knee injury.
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Kirinji Kazuharu announced his retirement from sumo on the 14th day.
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Kirinji Kazuharu remained in the sumo world as a coach at Nishonoseki stable under the elder name Kitajin Oyakata.
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Kirinji Kazuharu reached the mandatory retirement age for coaches of 65 in March 2018 and left the Japan Sumo Association.