1. Biography
Kiminishiki Toshimasa's career in sumo began in his youth, leading him through the ranks to the sport's top division and a notable record in the Juryo division.
1.1. Early life and sumo entry
Born Toshimasa Gomi on 6 July 1937 in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, he was encouraged to enter the sumo world by 桐ノ花KirinohanaJapanese, a former Jūryō wrestler from Tatsunami stable. After graduating from junior high school in his hometown, Gomi made his professional sumo debut at the age of 15 in May 1953. In his second tournament, the September 1953 basho, he began competing in the Jonidan division under the shikona (ring name) Boshuyama (房州山BōshūyamaJapanese). He later changed his ring name to Chibanonami (千葉ノ浪ChibanonamiJapanese) before finally adopting Kiminishiki (君錦KiminishikiJapanese).
1.2. Professional sumo career
Kiminishiki steadily climbed the sumo ranks, reaching the Jūryō division in March 1960. He achieved promotion to the Makuuchi (top) division in July 1961 at the age of 24. His physical build during his active career was 70 in (177 cm) and 276 lb (125 kg). He specialized in a right-hand yotsu-zumo style, particularly favoring the yori-kiri (force out) technique.
Despite his strengths, Kiminishiki found sustained success in the upper Makuuchi ranks challenging. He was described as being "slow to win" (勝ち味が遅かった), which limited his ability to perform consistently against higher-ranked opponents. He reached his highest rank of Maegashira 3 East in the May 1963 tournament. During his career, he faced Yokozuna and Ōzeki wrestlers twice but suffered significant losses in both encounters. His only victory against a San'yaku (champion rank) opponent was a win over Komusubi Fujinishiki in the May 1963 tournament, which was also his highest-ranked basho.
2. Career summary and statistics
Kiminishiki Toshimasa's professional sumo career spanned 81 tournaments, with a notable period in the top division.
2.1. Overall record
Throughout his career, Kiminishiki accumulated a total of 504 wins, 469 losses, 1 draw, and 24 absences, resulting in a winning percentage of .518. He spent 21 tournaments in the Makuuchi division, where his record was 138 wins, 168 losses, and 9 absences, with a winning percentage of .451. A significant achievement in his career was winning the Jūryō division championship once, in March 1966, with a strong record of 13 wins and 2 losses.
2.2. Tournament results by year
The following table shows Kiminishiki Toshimasa's career tournament record. The Kyushu tournament was first held in 1957, and the Nagoya tournament in 1958.
| Year | January | March | May | July | September | November |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | N/A | N/A | Jonokuchi West 2 2-1 | N/A | Jonidan East 48 6-2 | N/A |
| 1954 | Jonidan West 19 4-4 | Jonidan East 3 4-4 | Sandanme West 71 6-2 | N/A | Sandanme East 50 6-2 | N/A |
| 1955 | Sandanme West 32 4-4 | Sandanme West 23 4-4 | Sandanme West 19 5-3 | N/A | Sandanme West 4 4-4 | N/A |
| 1956 | Sandanme East 2 4-4 | Makushita East 65 4-4 | Makushita East 63 5-3 | N/A | Makushita West 58 5-3 | N/A |
| 1957 | Makushita West 48 3-5 | Makushita West 52 5-3 | Makushita West 41 4-4 | N/A | Makushita West 41 6-2 | Makushita West 27 6-2 |
| 1958 | Makushita East 18 5-3 | Makushita East 13 3-5 | Makushita East 18 3-5 | Makushita East 22 5-3 | Makushita East 18 6-2 | Makushita West 7 3-5 |
| 1959 | Makushita East 10 4-4 | Makushita East 10 4-4 | Makushita East 10 5-3 | Makushita West 7 5-3 | Makushita East 7 5-3 | Makushita West 3 6-2 |
| 1960 | Makushita West 2 5-3 | Jūryō West 16 8-7 | Jūryō East 11 8-7 | Jūryō East 11 8-7 | Jūryō East 7 7-8 | Jūryō East 8 9-6 |
| 1961 | Jūryō East 5 6-9 | Jūryō West 7 8-7 | Jūryō West 5 11-3-1draw | Maegashira West 12 7-8 | Maegashira West 12 4-11 | Jūryō East 5 10-5 |
| 1962 | Jūryō East 1 10-5 | Maegashira East 13 9-6 | Maegashira East 4 5-10 | Maegashira West 9 5-10 | Maegashira East 13 8-7 | Maegashira East 11 6-9 |
| 1963 | Maegashira West 13 8-7 | Maegashira East 9 10-5 | Maegashira East 3 5-10 | Maegashira East 7 3-7-5 | Jūryō East 1 3-12 | Jūryō East 8 6-9 |
| 1964 | Jūryō West 10 13-2 | Jūryō East 3 5-10 | Jūryō West 8 10-5 | Jūryō East 4 11-4 | Maegashira East 14 8-7 | Maegashira West 13 8-7 |
| 1965 | Maegashira West 8 6-9 | Maegashira East 10 7-8 | Maegashira East 11 8-7 | Maegashira East 8 6-9 | Maegashira West 10 4-7-4 | Jūryō West 2 6-9 |
| 1966 | Jūryō East 5 7-8 | Jūryō East 6 13-2 Champion | Maegashira West 14 8-7 | Maegashira East 12 6-9 | Maegashira East 14 7-8 | Jūryō East 1 7-8 |
| 1967 | Jūryō East 2 7-8 | Jūryō East 3 8-7 | Jūryō East 4 6-9 | Jūryō West 6 8-7 | Jūryō West 3 6-9 | Jūryō West 6 5-10 |
| 1968 | Jūryō East 12 9-6 | Jūryō West 6 7-8 | Jūryō West 8 0-0-15 Retired | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2.3. Makuuchi head-to-head record
Kiminishiki's win-loss records against specific opponents during his time in the Makuuchi division are detailed below.
| Wrestler | Wins | Losses | Wrestler | Wins | Losses | Wrestler | Wins | Losses | Wrestler | Wins | Losses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aonohana | 2 | 4 | Asasegawa | 1 | 2 | Asanoumi | 2 | 2 | Arashinami | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Ichinoya | 1 | 3 | Iwaze | 7 | 4 | Udagawa | 10 | 2 | Oteyama | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Ougiyama | 1 | 1 | Oozora | 3 | 4 | Oginohana | 9 | 4 | Kaiyama | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Uminoyama | 1 | 10 | Kairyuyama | 1 | 7 | Kanenohana | 7 | 6 | Kiyosegawa | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Kuriyamakeizo | 1 | 2 | Kotetsuyama | 3 | 1 | Kotozakura | 1 | 0 | Sakahoko | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Sadanoyama | 0 | 2 | Shinkawa | 1 | 0 | Daiho | 1 | 5 | Daishin | 1 | 2(1) | ||||
| Taiho | 0 | 1 | Daiyu | 1 | 1 | Tamanami | 1 | 2 | Tsunenishiki | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Tsurugamine | 2 | 5 | Dewanishiki | 3 | 2 | Amamizuyama | 2 | 0 | Tochiosan | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Tochinoumi | 0 | 2 | Tochihikari | 0 | 2 | Toyokuni | 2 | 2 | Nariyama | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Hasegawa | 0 | 4 | Hanahikari | 2 | 1 | Hirokawa | 3 | 6 | Fukudayama | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Fukonohana | 0 | 1 | Fusanofuji | 9 | 6(1) | Fujinishiki | 3 | 6 | Hoshikabuto | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Maedagawa | 5 | 3 | Maenoyama | 0 | 1 | Matsunobori | 0 | 2 | Maezumayama | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Misogifuji | 0 | 1 | Miyanohana | 1 | 0 | Miyabashira | 1 | 0 | Meibudani | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Yoshinohana | 3 | 4 | Yoshinoyama | 1 | 1 | Wakamoma | 0 | 1 | Wakasugiyama | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Wakachichibu | 0 | 9 | Wakatenryu | 2 | 4 | Wakanaruto | 3 | 3 | Wakanoumi | 4 | 3 | ||||
| Wakanokuni | 4 | 1 | Wakanoshu | 1 | 3 | Wakafutase | 1 | 0 | Wakamishiro | 4 | 4 |
Notes: Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of default losses included in the wins and losses.
3. Ring name history
Kiminishiki Toshimasa used the following ring names during his professional sumo career:
- Boshuyama (房州山BōshūyamaJapanese, September 1953 tournament)
- Chibanonami (千葉ノ浪ChibanonamiJapanese, January 1954 tournament)
- Kiminishiki (君錦KiminishikiJapanese, March 1954 tournament - May 1968 tournament)
4. Post-retirement life and death
After retiring from sumo, Kiminishiki Toshimasa engaged in activities related to his hometown before his passing.
4.1. Post-retirement activities
Kiminishiki retired from sumo in May 1968 at the age of 30. Following his retirement, he returned to his hometown of Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture, where he opened and operated a sumo-themed restaurant named "Kiminishiki." The restaurant served sumo cuisine, reflecting his past career. However, the restaurant eventually closed its doors in 2008.
4.2. Death
Kiminishiki Toshimasa passed away on 16 July 2013, at the age of 76.
5. Assessment
Kiminishiki Toshimasa carved out a respectable career in professional sumo, marked by his sustained presence in the Jūryō and Makuuchi divisions. While he achieved a Jūryō championship and reached the rank of Maegashira 3, his performance in the uppermost echelons of the Makuuchi division was challenging. His preferred style of right-hand yotsu-zumo and yori-kiri were fundamental to his wrestling, but his struggles against higher-ranked opponents, including Yokozuna and Ōzeki, indicated the limitations of his rise. Despite these challenges, his nearly 15-year career and consistent presence in the upper divisions established him as a dedicated rikishi of his era.
6. See also
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo tournament second division champions