Kitanofuji Katsuaki (Japanese:北の富士 勝昭, March 28, 1942 – November 12, 2024, born Takezawa Katsuaki (竹澤 勝昭)) was a Japanese professionalsumo wrestler fromAsahikawa,Hokkaidō. He made his professional debut in 1957, reaching the topmakuuchi division in 1964. He was the sport's 52ndyokozuna, a rank he attained in 1970. He won ten tournament championships and was known for his rivalry withTamanoumi. He retired in 1974 and was the head coach ofKokonoe stable from 1977 to 1992. He left theJapan Sumo Association in 1998, but was still prominent in the sumo world as a commentator in his later years.

Kitanofuji began his professional career in January 1957 at the age of just 14, joiningDewanoumi stable. In November 1963 he achieved a perfect 15–0 score in the second highestjūryō division (a feat not equalled until 43 years later byBaruto)^[1] and was promoted to the topmakuuchi division. In his debut top division tournament in January 1964 he scored 13 wins, although he faced only his fellowmaegashira. He won the Fighting Spiritaward and was promoted straight tokomusubi. By 1966 he was firmly established in thesan'yaku ranks atsekiwake. He reachedōzeki rank in July 1966. Although he had won only 28 bouts in the previous three tournaments (at least 33 are normally needed),Yutakayama was the onlyōzeki at the time, and he was promoted largely because of his potential.

In January 1967 he followed the coach who had scouted him, formeryokozunaChiyonoyama, to a new stable,Kokonoe. His first tournament championship came in March of that year. Kitanofuji was competing in an era dominated byTaihō, but he emerged from the greatyokozuna's shadow by winning consecutive championships in November 1969 and January 1970 to secure his own promotion toyokozuna. Promoted alongside him was his friend and rivalTamanoumi.^[2] His first title as ayokozuna came in May 1970. After a run of relatively mediocre 11–4 marks he won in May 1971 with a perfect record and he took two other championships that year.

However, Tamanoumi's sudden death in October 1971 shook Kitanofuji badly and affected his performance in the ring. Now the soleyokozuna in sumo, he went into a slump. After poor performances in the first two tournaments of 1972, he pulled out of the May 1972 tourney because ofinsomnia. He took a leave of absence from the next tournament in July, but went on a trip toHawaii and was caughtsurfboarding.^[3] He was cautioned by theJapan Sumo Association and immediately apologised. He returned to win the next championship with a perfect record in September 1972. His final title came in March 1973, and his last challenge for a championship was in July of that year when he lost a playoff to veteranKotozakura.

After several more absences Kitanofuji announced his retirement at the age of 32 three days into the July 1974 tournament, acknowledging that there was now a new era being led byWajima andKitanoumi, both several years younger than himself. Kotozakura retired in the same week, and Kitanoumi was promoted toyokozuna after the tournament ended. Kitanofuji's total of ten tournament championships was, at the time, behind onlyFutabayama's 12 and Taiho's 32.

Kitanofuji remained in the Japan Sumo Association after his retirement, initially under the name of Izutsu. Shortly after retiring he branched out and set up his own Izutsu stable. In 1977, however, he became head of theKokonoe stable of wrestlers following Chiyonoyama's death, and merged his stable back into Kokonoe. He gave theIzutsu name to formersekiwakeTsurugamine and adopted theKokonoe name. During his tenure as head of Kokonoe stable bothChiyonofuji andHokutoumi reached the rank ofyokozuna, and he produced a number of other top division wrestlers such asTakanofuji andTomoefuji. He handed over control of the stable to Chiyonofuji in April 1992, but he remained anoyakata under the name Jinmaku. In September 1993 he left Kokonoe stable and joined his former wrestler Hokutoumi's newly establishedHakkaku stable. In February 1998 he failed to be re-elected to the Sumo Association's Board of Directors, and citing the lack of support from his fellowoyakata in the Takasagoichimon or group of stables, he decided to leave the organisation several years before the mandatory retirement age.^[4] He appeared on television as a sumo analyst forNHK's grand tournament broadcasts,^[3] and also wrote sumo commentary for theChunichi Shimbun newspaper.^[5] In 2002, he performed hiskanreki dohyō-iri or '60th year ring entrance ceremony' to commemorate his years asyokozuna.

In January 2017 he took a break from sumo commentary in order to recuperate from heart surgery.^[6] In 2023, Kitanofuji continued to work as a commentator, at the age of 80, remaining in the public eye despite being outside of the Sumo Association for many years.^[7] However, he took a leave of absence from his commentary duties in March for health reasons. In September, his former student Hakkaku (formeryokozunaHokutoumi) reported at his ownkanreki dohyō-iri that Kitanofuji had been hospitalized on September 2.^[8] At the start of the July 2024 tournament Kitanofuji briefly appeared on theNHK sumo broadcast in a pre-recorded video,^[9] in what would be his last on-camera appearance.

Kitanofuji died at a hospital in Tokyo, on November 12, 2024, at the age of 82. His death was announced on November 20, the same day that his funeral was held in private.^[5]

On December 18, 2024, a memorial for Kitanofuji was held atHakkaku stable. Japan Sumo Association chairman Hakkaku said in his speech that he would do all he could to preserve and pass on the tradition of sumo to future generations, as a way of showing gratitude to his former stablemaster.^[10]

Kitanofuji's favoured grip washidari-yotsu (a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on his opponent'smawashi), and his favoured techniques wereyori. His most commonkimarite (winning techniques) wereyorikiri (force out),sotogake (outer leg trip),uwatenage (overarm throw), andhatakikomi (slap down).

• The Nagoya tournament was first held in 1958.

• Glossary of sumo terms
• Kanreki dohyo-iri
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• List of sumo tournament second division champions
• List of yokozuna

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• Japanese sumo wrestlers
• Sportspeople from Asahikawa
• Sumo people from Hokkaido
• Yokozuna
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