Asahifuji Seiya
旭富士 正也
Asahifuji atSumiyoshi-taisha, March 2017
Personal information
Born	Seiya Suginomori (1960-07-06)July 6, 1960 (age 65) Tsugaru, Aomori, Japan
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	148 kg (326 lb)
Career
Stable	Ōshima
Record	573–323–46
Debut	January, 1981
Highest rank	Yokozuna (July, 1990)
Retired	January, 1992
Elder name	Ajigawa→Isegahama→Miyagino
Championships	4 (Makuuchi) 1 (Makushita) 1 (Sandanme) 1 (Jonokuchi)
Special Prizes	Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (2) Technique (5)
Gold Stars	2 (Kitanoumi,Futahaguro)
Last updated: August 2007

Asahifuji Seiya (旭富士 正也; bornSeiya Suginomori (杉野森 正也) on July 6, 1960) is a Japanese former professionalsumo wrestler fromAomori. He joined professional sumo in 1981, reaching the topmakuuchi division just two years later. He reached the second highest rank ofōzeki in 1987 and became the 63rdyokozuna in the history of the sport in 1990 at the age of 30. He won four tournaments and was a runner-up on nine other occasions. He retired in 1992 and was the stablemaster ofIsegahama stable from 1993 until 2025. As a coach he has produced twoyokozuna,Harumafuji andTerunofuji.

He was born in the fishing town ofKizukuri inNishitsugaru District. His father, who worked as an electrician, was a keen amateur sumo enthusiast and Vice President of the Prefectural Sumo Federation.^[1] He was determined to see his son succeed in sumo and even built adohyō in the garden for him to practice.^[1] Asahifuji also did well at sumo at school, finishing third in a national schoolboy competition, and later winning the West Japan Student Newcomers tournament while studying atKinki University.^[1] However, tiring of the never-ending training, he gave up sumo for a while and spent his time fishing.^[1] Eventually an acquaintance of his father introduced him to Ōshima-oyakata, formerōzekiAsahikuni, who had recently opened his ownheya or stable of wrestlers,Ōshima stable.^[1]

Asahifuji made his professional debut in January 1981. He was already 20 years old, considerably older than most new recruits who tended to be 15 or 16 at the time. However, because of his amateur sumo experience he was able to work his way up the ranks very quickly and won tournament championships in thejonokuchi,sandanme andmakushita divisions with perfect records. He reached the second highestjūryō division after only eight tournaments, a record that stood unbeaten until 2008. He was promoted to the topmakuuchi division in March 1983. He won his firstspecial prize for Fighting Spirit in the November 1984 tournament, where he finished runner-up. He reachedsekiwake rank for the first time in January 1986. After regular training sessions atTakasago stable, where he knewAsashio from his university days,^[2] he began to develop a more rounded technique,^[1] and after three double figure records he was promoted to sumo's second highest rank ofōzeki after the September 1987 tournament.

In January 1988 Asahifuji won his first top division tournament championship, which was also the first for the Tatsunami-Isegahamaicihimon or group of stables in nearly twenty years.^[2] In 1989 he won 40 out of a possible 45 bouts in the first three championships of the year and came very close to promotion to the highest rank ofyokozuna, but he was defeated byyokozunaHokutoumi in playoffs in both January and May 1989. His 13–2 record in May was his fifth consecutive runner-up performance, and his seventh overall, but he had been unable to win two tournaments in a row, regarded by theJapan Sumo Association as the minimum requirement foryokozuna promotion after the embarrassment ofFutahaguro's brief tenure at sumo top's rank.

After managing only 8–7 in the following tournament in July, Asahifuji endured a long slump. This was partly caused by longstanding pancreatic trouble,^[2] which had first been diagnosed in 1984 and had also afflicted his stablemaster during his active days.^[1] After a string of mediocre 8–7 and 9–6 scores it seemed Asahifuji would finish his career as anōzeki. However, by mid-1990 his health began to improve, and after encouragement from his stablemaster, who reminded him that he would soon turn 30 years of age and was down to his last chance, he won consecutive championships in May and July 1990. He scored 14–1 in both tournaments, securing hisyokozuna promotion on the final day in July by defeatingyokozunaChiyonofuji for only the fifth time in 28 meetings.

Asahifuji began hisyokozuna career with 12 straight wins in the September 1990 tournament, but he lost toKirishima on Day 13 and was defeated by Hokutoumi in the championship deciding bout on the final day. In November 1990 he finished runner-up again, to Chiyonofuji. In January and March 1991 he posted reasonable scores of 11–4 but was never really in contention for the championship in either tournament, although he did have a memorable win over the young rising starTakahanada in March.^[3] He had to wait until May 1991 for his first title as ayokozuna, when he defeatedKonishiki twice on the last day, once in their regulation match and once in the playoff, to finish with a 14–1 record.

This was to prove Asahifuji's only tournament championship as ayokozuna, as the rest of his career was dogged by illness and injury. He managed only a bare majority of 8–7 in July 1991, the last tournament he was to complete. He pulled out of the September 1991 tournament with an injured shoulder on the sixth day, and hampered by the return of his old pancreatic problems missed the November 1991 tournament altogether. He returned in January 1992 but after losing his opening three bouts toAkebono, his nemesisAkinoshima (for the fifth time in a row) and finallyWakahanada, he announced his retirement at the age of 31. Asahifuji's three bout losing streak from the opening day was equal to the worst ever for ayokozuna in the 15-day era untilKisenosato lost his first four bouts in November 2018. He gave the worsening condition of his pancreas as the reason for his retirement. Hisdanpatsu-shiki or retirement ceremony was held in September 1992. There were no activeyokozuna at the time, so he was unable to follow the tradition of having one serve as histachimochi andtsuyuharai for the event.

Asahifuji has remained in the sumo world as acoach. He had married a niece of the former Kasugayama (formermaegashiraŌnobori) in 1988, and seemed set to reviveKasugayama stable,^[2] but instead he took overAjigawa stable in 1993 due to the poor health of the previous incumbent (formersekiwakeMutsuarashi). In November 2007 Asahifuji acquired the Isegahamaelder name and renamed his stable "Isegahama stable."

Both as Ajigawa and Isegahama, he had a prolific career, elevating several wrestlers to the top ranks of the sport. The first top division wrestler he produced wasAminishiki in 2000, who reached thesekiwake rank in 2007. Aminishiki's brotherAsōfuji, who retired in 2011 after amatch-fixing scandal, was also briefly a top division wrestler. One of Asahifuji's greatest success as a trainer came first withHarumafuji, who he recruited in 2001 and who initially fought under theshikona of Ama. Harumafuji reached the second highest rank ofōzeki in November 2008 and won his first top division championship in May 2009. Harumafuji took his second championship in July 2011, the same tournament in whichTakarafuji, like Asahifuji aKindai University graduate, made his top division debut.Homarefuji reachedjūryō in 2012, and in September of that year Harumafuji was promoted toyokozuna following two consecutive 15–0 championships. Isegahama had motivated Harumafuji by telling him before his July 2011 championship, "If you are content with being ozeki then it is all over. You do not become a yokozuna just by wanting to be a yokozuna."^[4] Like Asahifuji, Harumafuji performed theyokozuna ring entering ceremony ordohyō-iri in the Shiranui style.^[5] He has continued to produce top wrestlers, withTakarafuji reachingkomusubi rank andTerunofuji, inherited from the defunctMagaki stable, being promoted toōzeki, both in 2015. Terunofuji fell to thejonidan division through injury in 2019. Isegahama refused to accept Terunofuji's request to be allowed to retire, and his faith was rewarded when Terunofuji staged a spectacular comeback and reached theyokozuna rank in July 2021.

In the final years of his coaching career, he continued to nurture promising young wrestlers, withMidorifuji winning promotion tomakuuchi in 2021,^[6] whileAtamifuji andNishikifuji advanced to that division in 2022.^[7][8] In 2024, another pupil of Asahifuji,Takerufuji, made hismakuuchi debut and became the first wrestler in 110 years to win the championship in his inaugural top division tournament.^[9]

He has also worked as ajudge at tournament matches. InApril 2025, Asahifuji was awarded theOrder of the Polar Star, the highest Mongolian distinction that can be bestowed on a foreigner, for his success in training Mongolian sumo wrestlers.^[10]

Asahifuji turned 60 in July 2020. Hiskanreki dohyō-iri, originally postponed from May 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,^[11] was held atRyōgoku Kokugikan on 3 October 2021.^[12] Two of Isegahama stable's retired wrestlers, Ajigawa (formersekiwakeAminishiki) andyokozunaHarumafuji, served as histsuyuharai andtachimochi, respectively. He told reporters shortly after the original postponement that he would need to put on weight to be able to wear histsuna.^[13]

In April 2024, as head of hisichimon, he took on the responsibility of hostingMiyagino stable following theHokuseihō violence scandal and the subsequent closure of the stable. The merger of the two stables made Isegahama stable the largest active stable in the sport.^[14][15]

Following the resignation and final retirement of former stablemaster Miyagino (the 69thyokozunaHakuhō) in June 2025, Isegahama was announced as the successor to the Miyaginoelder stock after the departure of the former Hakuhō, and would hand over his stable to his pupilTerunofuji.^[16][17] According to the press conference, this choice was explained by Miyagino's desire to see his former apprentices supervised, as they should now belong permanently to the Isegahama stable.^[17]

On 9 June 2025 Asahifuji formally took over the Miyaginokabu. At Hakuhō's press conference that same day, the new Miyagino Seiya told reporters that if there was a former Miyagino wrestler who can next take on the Miyagino name, he would do his best to help him revive the Miyagino stable.^[18] He remains affiliated with Isegahama stable as a coach, and began his re-employment with the Sumo Association as asan'yo (consultant) upon reaching his 65th birthday on 6 July 2025.^[19][20]

On 10 November 2025, it was announced that the promising recruit to his stable, Mongolian Battsetsegye Ochirsaihan, would inherit hisshikona "Asahifuji". This decision was considered unusual, as wrestlers generally receive the names of previousyokozuna after they themselves have gained experience. Ochirsaihan, who has been dubbed "the strongest trainee in history", made his professional debut that same month, defeating fellow Mongolian Tenshoyama.^[21][22]

Asahifuji submitted Harumafuji's retirement papers to the Sumo Association on 29 November 2017 after theyokozuna took responsibility for an assault on fellow MongolianTakanoiwa in aTottori restaurant and bar the previous month. At a subsequent news conference Isegahama shed tears as he told reporters, "I've watched him grow since he was 16 and have never seen or heard of him being violent before... I can't imagine why it happened."^[23] At a meeting on 20 December 2017 the Sumo Association accepted Isegahama's resignation as a director.^[24] He was moved to the competition inspection committee as a deputy chairman. He returned to the board of directors in 2020 as head of the judging department.

On 26 December 2022 Asahifuji again submitted his resignation as a member of theJapan Sumo Association's Board of Directors after it was found that two junior wrestlers in his stable acted violently against younger wrestlers, with the victims beaten with wooden beams and burned withchankonabe hot water poured on their backs. According to the Sumo Association, Asahifuji knew about these incidents but failed to report them. When the board concluded that he should be demoted insumo's hierarchy as punishment, he instead submitted his resignation. One of the wrestlers held responsible was suspended for two tournaments, while the other had already submitted his retirement papers, which were accepted.^[25] Asahifuji's resignation from the board resulted in him vacating his position as the head of the judging department.^[26] The following month it was confirmed through the Sumo Association's website that he had been demoted two ranks toyakuin taigu iin (executive member) and was appointed deputy director of the guidance promotion department.^[27]

Asahifuji's favouredkimarite or techniques were listed by the Sumo Association asmigi-yotsu (a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on the opponent'smawashi),yorikiri (force out) anduwatedashinage (pulling overarm throw). However, he was also fond of employing more unorthodox techniques little used by other wrestlers and certainly not taught by coaches. He was criticised for this by his stablemaster, the formerōzeki and noted technicianAsahikuni, whose view was that by winning by his own idiosyncratic methods, he would be unable to cure his faults.^[28] Asahifuji himself claimed in an interview withChannel 4 television to have no favourite technique, but did say that while "everyone likes to throw an opponent, that's not sumo."^[29]

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo elders
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• List of yokozuna

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