Futabayama Sadaji

Futabayama Sadaji was a legendary professional sumo wrestler from Oita Prefecture, Japan. He held the rank of yokozuna, the highest title in sumo, from 1937 until his retirement in 1945. He was the 35th person to achieve this prestigious rank. Futabayama is most famous for his incredible dominance in the ring. He won twelve yūshō, which are top division championships. His most remarkable feat was a winning streak of 69 consecutive bouts. This all-time record lasted for over three years.

His fighting style relied on skill and balance rather than sheer size. He was a master of the tachi-ai, the initial charge at the start of a match. Specifically, he excelled at gonosen no tachiai. This technique involves receiving an opponent's charge and immediately countering it. He was also feared for his uwatenage, or overarm throw. Despite not being particularly large, his balance was excellent. He was also noted for his discipline, as he is believed to have never made a false start.

Futabayama's journey began in the fishing boats of Usa. He joined professional sumo in March 1927 at only 15 years old. He was recruited by the Tatsunami stable. By 1932, he reached the top makuuchi division. His rise was aided by the Shunjuen Incident. During this event, many top wrestlers went on strike. This created gaps in the ranks that the Japan Sumo Association needed to fill. This allowed him to be promoted to maegashira 4. He quickly proved he deserved his position by finishing as a runner-up in his second top division tournament.

His massive winning streak began on January 7, 1936. At that time, he held the rank of sekiwake. During this period of dominance, he was promoted to yokozuna. The public excitement was so intense that it changed the sport itself. The Sumo Association extended tournament lengths from 11 days to 13 days. They eventually increased them to 15 days to satisfy fans. His streak finally ended on January 3, 1939. He was defeated by the maegashira Akinoumi. At the time, Futabayama was suffering from amoebic dysentery. This illness contributed to his loss against the opponent.

Later in life, a surprising fact about his sight was revealed. Futabayama was actually blind in one eye. This was caused by an injury he suffered during his youth. This detail makes his technical precision even more impressive. He also broke social traditions regarding marriage. Instead of marrying his stablemaster's daughter, he married a young heiress from a wealthy Kansai family. Their wedding reception was held in April 1939 at the Tokyo Kaikan.

After retiring from active competition, he became a powerful leader. In 1941, he started his own stable, the Futabayama Dojo. This was a practice that is now forbidden. He later became the head of the Tokitsukaze stable. Under his leadership, it became one of the largest stables by the 1950s. He trained many great wrestlers, including yokozuna Kagamisato and ozeki Kitabayama and Yutakayama. He officially retired from the stable in 1968 following his death from hepatitis.

From 1957, he served as the chairman, or rijichō, of the Japan Sumo Association. In this role, he introduced vital reforms to the sport. He implemented monthly salaries for wrestlers in the top two divisions. He also established a mandatory retirement age of 65 for referees and elders. His leadership helped modernize the professional structure of sumo. He transitioned from a dominant athlete to a foundational administrator for the entire sport.