13 Facts About Wakashimazu Mutsuo

Wakashimazu Mutsuo won two top division yusho or tournament championships.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo retired in 1987 and founded Matsugane stable in 1990.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo was a classmate of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi at junior high school.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo 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.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo made his debut alongside future top division regulars Daijuyama and Kirishima.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo reached the salaried sekitori ranks in March 1980 upon promotion to the juryo division and reached the top makuuchi division in January 1981.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo moved quickly through the division, winning five special prizes, two for Fighting Spirit and three for Technique.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo reached sumo's second highest rank of ozeki in January 1983 after two runner-up performances and 34 wins out of 45 in the three preceding tournaments.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo retired in July 1987 at the age of thirty, leaving the Futagoyama stable without anyone in the san'yaku ranks for the first time in over fifteen years.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo finally produced another sekitori in March 2010 when Matsutani was promoted to juryo.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo stepped down from his judging duties and did not run for re-election to the Sumo Association board in 2018.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo swapped elder names with the former yokozuna Kisenosato, and became Araiso-oyakata.

Wakashimazu Mutsuo 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 Kotoyuki.