Odate Uzaemon (大達羽左エ門)
Uzaemon ODATE (January 13 1854 - August 17 1904) was a sumo wrestler who was born in Tagawa County, Dewa Province (present-day Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture) and his highest rank was ozeki (second highest rank in sumo). His real name is Benji SUWA. His height and weight during his playing days were 175cm and 125kg. His foster father was Kisaburo CHIGANOURA, a former sumo wrestler who ranked maegshira (the rank of the makuuchi [senior-grade] division that is below the komusubi).
Biography
He was born as the second son of a farmer. He was known as "Heracles" from his youth, but, in addition to great appetite, he quite often neglected his job because of being too passionate about sumo, and therefore the family that had adopted him dissolved the adoption, then he went to Tokyo to become a professional sumo wrestler.
At first, he joined Tatsutagawa stable which Tsurunosuke ASAHIDAKE belonged to, and he was ranked in banzuke (official ranking) but later escaped the stable. While wandering around Niigata Prefecture and serving apprenticeships in sake brewers, he showed his great performance in amateur sumo, in 1877, his skill caught the attention of Uragoro TAKASAGO (the first) who were on regional tours (jyungyo) leading "Takasago kaiseigumi", and ODATE joined the stable.
In 1882, he was promoted to makuuchi in June sumo tournament.
In the tenranzumo (sumo wrestling performed in imperial presence) of March 1884, the bout between he and yokozuna Totaro UMEGATANI (the first) was arranged according to the request of Emperor Meiji, but the match ended in a draw after more than 30 minutes of stalemate with the two gripping each other's belt in the center of Dohyo (sumo ring). The Emperor was extremely rejoiced by the match and it became one of the greatest bouts representing Tokyo-zumo in this period.
In the following official sumo tournament of May, he was promoted to komusubi. He defeated Umegatani who had 35 consecutive wins after the winning streak had ended at 58 in January sumo tournament in 1881, and he finally scored eight wins, no loss, one draw and one absent, which is equivalent of taking championship in the present day. West ozeki Kyusaburo TATEYAMA retired making this tournament his final bouts, and, needless to say, ODATE and his surroundings believed his promotion to ozeki.
In the following tournament, however, while Kajiro NISHINOUMI (the first) who scored only five wins as sekiwake (a sumo wrestler of the third highest rank) was promoted to ozeki, ODATE was kept in the position of "sanyakukakuharidashi (deputy to three highest rank)".
He grew so infuriated about this decision that he quarreled with his stable master TAKASAGO who tried to appease him saying "you should put up with this because you would be promoted soon" and finally lifted a hand against him
TAKASAGO who got angry expelled him and, after that, he moved to Isenoumi (Sogoro KASHIWADO [the fifth]). Later, he officially transferred.
He was promoted to ozeki in January sumo tournament in 1886. As a matter of course, he was expected to become yokozuna and a three-piece keshomawashi (ornamental sumo apron) was prepared, but he suffered from bad stomach and intestines due to heavy drinking and it forced him to miss three consecutive tournaments from January 1888, and finally he was demoted to maegashira. After that, he went through difficult times with experiencing only one tournament which he had more wins than losses. He retired after June sumo tournament in 1895.
As toshiyori (a retired wrestler who is a trustee of the Japan Sumo) Chiganoura, he devoted himself to train apprentices, but without significant result, he died at the age of 50.
He was compassionate and cared his juniors well, but he often made relationship with others worse because of his character that is not to stick to small stuffs, and it is said that he was not blessed with others to understand him through his sumo life.
His Playing Style
There is an anecdote that he was so well-muscled that his arm was unharmed when he let several men who like sumo bite it just for pleasure. His sumo was characterized by tsuki (thrust) and oshi (push) making use of his innate physical strength and he also practiced the dynamic throwing technique called tokkurinage.
In addition to that, his tachiai (initial stance at the beginning of sumo) was criticized as impudence because of the style to push his fist in a half-sitting posture toward his opponent, and the other sumo wrestlers also hated it. In a tournament, an opponent sumo wrestler who hated it finally exploded with rage and grasped ODATE's mage (topknot of wrestler's hair) and drew him down on Dohyo (sumo ring) (On the hoshitori [score sheet], the both wrestlers were treated as absence).
Carrer Record
In total 26 tournaments, 87 wins, 40 loses, 21 draws, 3 azukari (undecided) and 109 absences; winning percentage.685.