Jinmaku Kyūgorō


Jinmaku Kyūgorō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Itō, Izumo Province. He was the sport's 12th yokozuna.

Career

Jinmaku was born in Ou District, Izumo Province. His real name was Ishigura Shintarō. In 1847, he became a pupil of wrestler Hatsushio Kyūgorō in Onomichi, Hiroshima. When Hatsushio died in 1848 he moved to Osaka and became a pupil of Asahiyama Shirouemon, fighting his first bout in 1850. He worked under Tokushima Domain and moved to Matsue Domain and then Satsuma Domain.
In 1850 he moved to Edo and became a pupil of Hidenoyama Raigorō, the 9th yokozuna. He entered the makuuchi division in January 1858. In January 1867, he was initially awarded a yokozuna licence by the House of Gojo and not the Tokyo-based House of Yoshida Tsukasa. He was awarded an official yokozuna licence in July 1867 but the November 1867 tournament became his last tournament. On December 25, 1867, he saw the beginnings of national strife and sent a letter to Saigō Takamori. He escaped from Edo and moved to Kyoto. The Boshin War began in January 1868 and he protected his master Shimazu Tadayoshi from harm. He died in 1903.
Jinmaku won 87 bouts and lost only 5 bouts in the top makuuchi division. All his defeats came when he was ranked as a maegashira and sekiwake. He is the only wrestler to have never lost a bout as a yokozuna. His winning percentage reached 94.6.
Jinmaku is also an toshiyori or elder name in the Japan Sumo Association. The holder as of 2019 is former meagashira Fujinoshin.

''Yokozuna'' monument

In 1900 Jinmaku erected the Yokozuna Rikishi Memorial Monument in the grounds of the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine in the Koto ward of Tokyo. It was the culmination of a lengthy personal project to properly acknowledge all his fellow yokozuna. For the first time, Akashi Shiganosuke, Ayagawa Gorōji and Maruyama Gondazaemon were recognised as the first three yokozuna.

Top division record












































*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above unofficial championships are historically conferred. For more information see yūshō.