Satoyama Kōsaku | |
---|---|
里山 浩作 | |
Personal information | |
Born | Kōsaku Satoyama May 31, 1981 Kagoshima, Japan |
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) |
Weight | 119 kg (262 lb) |
Career | |
Stable | Onoe, formerly Mihogaseki |
University | Nihon University |
Current rank | see below |
Debut | March 2004 |
Highest rank | Maegashira 12 (May 2007) |
Championships | 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita) |
* Up to date as of Jan 22, 2017. |
Satoyama Kōsaku (born May 31, 1981) is a professional sumo wrestler from Ōshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion at Nihon University, he entered professional sumo in 2004 and first reached the top makuuchi division in 2007. His highest rank has been maegashira 12. He has spent much of his career in the lower jūryō and makushita divisions, where he has won a yusho or tournaments championship in each. He won promotion back to the top division in 2014 after a seven-year and 37 tournament absence, the longest ever. Somewhat unusually for a sekitori wrestler, he continues to compete under his birth name. He is a member of Onoe stable.
A former amateur sumo champion at Nihon University, Satoyama made his professional debut in March 2004, joining Mihogaseki stable alongside his team-mate at Nichidai Sumo Club, Shiraishi. He was attracted to the stable because of his admiration for Onoe Oyakata, (ex komusubi Hamanoshima), himself a former amateur champion. Initially he was somewhat overshadowed by Shiraishi and Baruto, who made their jūryō division debuts together in September 2005. However, Satoyama was still highly regarded, despite his short height and relatively light weight. He made his way quickly up the ranks, recording only one make-koshi along the way to sekitori status, which he achieved in January 2006 upon promotion to the jūryō division. In September 2006 Satoyama, Shiraishi, Baruto and a number of other wrestlers scouted by Onoe Oyakata joined his newly created Onoe stable.