| Tachiyama Mineemon | |
|---|---|
| 太刀山 峯右衞門 | |
 Tachiyama, circa 1916 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Oimoto Yajirō (1877-08-15)August 15, 1877 Toyama, Japan |
| Died | March 4, 1941(1941-03-04) (aged 63) |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 150 kg (331 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Tomozuna |
| Record | 211-30-73(11 draws) |
| Debut | May, 1900 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (February, 1911) |
| Retired | January, 1918 |
| Elder name | Azumazeki |
| Championships | 9 (Makuuchi, official) 2 (Makuuchi, unofficial) |
| * Up to date as of June 25, 2020. | |
Tachiyama Mineemon (Japanese:太刀山 峯右衞門, August 15, 1877 – April 3, 1941) was a Japanese professionalsumo wrestler fromToyama City,Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 22ndyokozuna. He was well known for his extreme strength and skill. He won 99 out of 100 matches from 1909 to 1916 (not counting draws), and also won eleven top division tournament championships (two of them unofficial as they were before the championship system was established in 1909).
His real name was Oimoto Yajirō (老本 弥次郎). Tachiyama joinedTomozuna stable at the insistence ofItagaki Taisuke andSaigō Tsugumichi.[1] There, he became stablemate withKunimiyama, who later became anōzeki. However he was so strong that most of the wrestlers in the stable were unable to practice with him. Therefore,Hitachiyama Taniemon became his practical coach. He was promoted toyokozuna in February 1911.
His most feared skill wastsuki, or pushing.[2] On the 3rd day of June 1910 tournament, Tachiyama's thrusts causedkomusubiKohitachi Yoshitaro to fly over spectators where he fell in the fourth row of seats. Kohitachi was wounded and left the tournament. Tachiyama is reported to have waved a shell weighing 400 kg (880 lb) with one arm.[3] He was, however, good on themawashi as well.[4]
Much taller and stronger than his contemporaries, Tachiyama never had a losing record(make-koshi) in his eighteen-year career, and whilst at theyokozuna rank lost only three bouts.[4] He once won 43 bouts in a row, lost one toNishinoumi Kajirō II, then won another 56 in a row.[4] If he had not lost that match (which he claimed many years later wasdeliberate, to help out his rivalyokozuna who was struggling at the time),[4] he would have set an all-time record of 100 consecutive wins. As it stands, his second winning streak of 56 bouts, which began on the 9th day of the January 1912 tournament, is the fifth best in history afterFutabayama,Tanikaze,Hakuho andUmegatani I.[4]
His run ended on the 8th day of May 1916 tournament, when he was finally defeated byTochigiyama Moriya. This tournament saw his final championship win, and he still holds the record for the oldest everyūshō winner as of 2022.[5] On the final day of January 1917 tournament, he was defeated byŌnishiki Uichirō. Tochigiyama and Ōnishiki were pupils of Hitachiyama. After this second loss, he retired.
In 1917, he said to wrestlers, "I will give you one bale of rice if you can walk around thedohyō shouldering me." A boy, who had not made his debut in professional sumo yet, acceded to his request. He failed at the first attempt but succeeded at the second.[6] About 15 years later, that boy becameyokozunaTamanishiki San'emon.
His style ofyokozuna dohyō-iri (ring-entering ceremony) came to be known asShiranui after it was imitated by lateryokozunaHaguroyama. However, he insisted that his style wasUnryū Kyūkichi's.[7]
His sheer strength and physical presence drew comparisons withRaiden Tameemon,[8] but also meant he was perhaps less popular with the general public than his predecessors Hitachiyama andUmegatani II.
After retiring from active competition he was briefly an elder of theSumo Association under the name Azumazeki, but left the sumo world in May 1919. In 1937 he became the firstyokozuna to perform akanreki dohyō-iri, or '60th year ring entrance ceremony' to commemorate his years asyokozuna.
| - | Spring | Summer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | East Maegashira #9 6–3–1 | East Maegashira #2 4–4–1 1d | ||||
| 1904 | East Maegashira #2 7–2–1 | East Maegashira #1 8–1–1 Unofficial | ||||
| 1905 | East Maegashira #1 7–1–1 1h | East Sekiwake 5–2–2 1d | ||||
| 1906 | East Sekiwake 7–2–1 | East Sekiwake 4–1–5 | ||||
| 1907 | East Sekiwake 5–1–3 1d | East Sekiwake 8–1–1 Unofficial | ||||
| 1908 | East Sekiwake 6–2–1 1h | East Sekiwake 7–1–1 1d | ||||
| 1909 | West Sekiwake 6–1–2 1d | West Ōzeki 8–2 | ||||
| 1910 | West Ōzeki 6–0–1 2d 1h | West Ōzeki 9–0 1d | ||||
| 1911 | West Ōzeki 8–0 1d 1h | West Yokozuna 10–0 | ||||
| 1912 | East Yokozuna 8–1 1d | West Yokozuna 10–0 | ||||
| 1913 | Sat out | East Yokozuna 10–0 | ||||
| 1914 | East Yokozuna 10–0 | West Yokozuna 8–0–1 1h | ||||
| 1915 | Sat out | West Yokozuna 10–0 | ||||
| 1916 | Sat out | West Yokozuna 9–1 | ||||
| 1917 | East Yokozuna 9–1 | Sat out | ||||
| 1918 | West Yokozuna Retired – | x | ||||
| Record given aswin-loss-absent Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions Key:d=Draw(s) (引分); h=Hold(s) (預り) | ||||||
*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above championships that are labelled "unofficial" are historically conferred. For more information seeyūshō.
| Preceded by | 22ndYokozuna 1911–1918 | Succeeded by | ||
| Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once | ||||