Unryū Kyūkichi


Unryū Kyūkichi was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Yanagawa, Chikugo Province. He was the sport's 10th yokozuna.

Career

He was born Shiozuka Kyūkichi in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, but would later changed his name to Satō Kitarō. He lost his parents and grandmother in 1833. He made his debut in Osaka sumo in May 1846. He moved to Edo in 1847. He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in February 1852.
Unryū was a strong wrestler at the beginning of his career. He had the equivalent of four consecutive championships upon entering the top makuuchi division. On the occasion of Matthew C. Perry's visit to Japan, he had an opportunity to display his wrestling prowess in a tournament Perry and his military advisors attended. He was promoted to ōzeki in January 1858.
He was awarded a yokozuna licence in September 1861, but by that time he had already passed his peak and was unable to win a significant number of bouts after that. In the top makuuchi division, he won 127 bouts and lost 32 bouts, recording a winning percentage of 79.9.

Retirement from sumo

After his retirement in February 1865, he remained in the sumo world as an elder. He was the chairman of Tokyo sumo in the early Meiji period, and he acquired a reputation for honesty.
The name of one style of yokozuna dohyō-iri came from him. His ritual dance was said to be beautiful but it isn't proven that he performed the ritual dance in the Unryū style. His style is said to have been imitated by Tachiyama Mineemon, but Tachiyama's style is called shiranui style now. This was due to sumo scholar Kozo Hikoyama, who without researching properly, labelled Tachiyama's style as being that of Shiranui Kōemon, whereas it was in fact created by Unryū. Hikoyama was such an authority that no one contradicted him, and the Shiranui name has stuck.

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.