Wakamotoharu Minato

Wakamotoharu Minato (若元春 港, born October 5, 1993) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Fukushima. He wrestles for the Arashio stable, where he is a stable mate of his brothers Wakatakakage and Wakatakamoto. His highest rank to date has been maegashira 9.

Wakamotoharu Minato
若元春 港
Personal information
BornMinato Onami
(1993-10-05) October 5, 1993
Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Weight143 kg (315 lb)
Career
StableArashio
Current rankSee below
DebutNovember 2011
Highest rankMaegashira 6 (May 2022)
Championships2 (Makushita)
1 (Jonokuchi)
* Up to date as of 25 April 2022.

Career

Wakamotoharu comes from a sumo family. His grandfather Wakabayama reached the komusubi rank, his father was a makushita division wrestler, and he has an elder brother Wakatakamoto and a younger brother Wakatakakage who are also sumo wrestlers at the same stable.[1][2] Wakatakamoto has yet to progress beyond the makushita division, but Wakatakakage emulated his grandfather by reaching komusubi in 2021.[3]

Wakamotoharu made his professional debut in November 2011 under the shikona of Araonami.[4] In his first official tournament in January 2012, under the new name of Goshi, he won the jonokuchi championship or yūshō with a perfect 7–0 record.[5] In May 2017 he adopted the shikona of Wakamotoharu.[5] In January 2019 he won the makushita division championship with an undefeated 7–0 score and was promoted to the jūryō division.[5] He scored only five wins in his jūryō debut and was demoted, but returned to jūryō after a 6–1 record at makushita 1 in September 2019.[6]

In November 2019 he had to apologize after a picture of him bound and gagged with tape was posted on social media by fellow wrestler Abi.[7] The prank was criticized for seeming to make light of past incidents of violence within sumo stables, and the Japan Sumo Association responded by banning sumo wrestlers from having individual social media accounts.[8]

In December 2021 the Japan Sumo Association released the rankings for the January 2022 tournament, and he was promoted to the top makuuchi division, joining his younger brother Wakatakakage.[9] Wakamotoharu and Wakatakakage are the 12th pair of brothers to both be ranked in the top division at the same time.[10] He is the second member of Arashio stable to make the top division following Wakatakakage in November 2019, and the first since the current stablemaster, ex-maegashira Sokokurai, took over.[11] Speaking to reporters Wakamotoharu recalled the difficulty of beginning 2021 by having to sit out the January tournament because of a COVID-19 infection but ending it with his best result as a sekitori, an 11-4 record in November, which saw him win promotion.[3]

In the January 2022 tournament Wakamotoharu secured a winning record in his makuuchi debut on Day 14 when he defeated Tobizaru.[12]

Fighting style

Wakamotoharu prefers to grab his opponent's mawashi rather than push or thrust, and his favourite grip is hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms.[4] His most common winning kimarite or technique is a straightforward yori-kiri, or force out.[4]

Personal life

Wakamotoharu announced after his makuuchi promotion that he had got married in November 2021, after a three-year relationship.[10]

Career record

　　

Wakamotoharu Minato[5]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2011 x xx x x (Maezumo)
2012 East Jonokuchi #15
7–0
Champion
 		 West Jonidan #10
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #78
6–1
 		 West Sandanme #20
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #39
6–1
 		 West Makushita #54
2–5
 
2013 West Sandanme #19
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #34
6–1
 		 East Makushita #45
3–1–3
 		 East Makushita #55
7–0
Champion
 		 East Makushita #7
2–5
 		 West Makushita #19
2–5
 
2014 West Makushita #36
3–4
 		 West Makushita #43
4–3
 		 East Makushita #37
4–3
 		 West Makushita #29
3–4
 		 West Makushita #37
3–4
 		 West Makushita #46
3–4
 
2015 West Makushita #55
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #6
6–1
 		 East Makushita #33
3–4
 		 East Makushita #44
5–2
 		 West Makushita #28
2–5
 		 East Makushita #46
Sat out due to injury
0–0–7
2016 West Sandanme #26
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #1
6–1
 		 East Makushita #29
4–3
 		 West Makushita #22
4–3
 		 West Makushita #16
4–3
 		 West Makushita #12
4–3
 
2017 East Makushita #8
4–3
 		 West Makushita #5
3–4
 		 West Makushita #9
3–4
 		 East Makushita #14
3–4
 		 West Makushita #18
5–2
 		 East Makushita #11
4–3
 
2018 West Makushita #6
3–4
 		 East Makushita #12
4–3
 		 East Makushita #10
5–2
 		 West Makushita #4
2–5
 		 West Makushita #14
5–2
 		 East Makushita #7
4–3
 
2019 West Makushita #3
7–0
Champion
 		 West Jūryō #10
5–10
 		 West Makushita #1
3–4
 		 West Makushita #5
5–2
 		 East Makushita #1
6–1
 		 West Jūryō #11
5–10
 
2020 West Makushita #1
6–1
 		 West Jūryō #11
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #8
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 West Jūryō #8
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #3
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #6
8–7
 
2021 East Jūryō #5
Sat out due to COVID rules
0–0–15		 East Jūryō #6
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #9
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #3
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #3
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #1
11–4
 
2022 East Maegashira #15
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #6
–
 		 x x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

References
  1. "若元春が新十両で史上20組目の兄弟関取「謙虚に」" (in Japanese). 30 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  2. "SUMO/ Sport banks on family ties, new stablemasters to wrestle decline". Asahi Shimbun. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  3. Gunning, John (5 January 2022). "'No starting over': A fresh year for sumo may be just like the last". Japan Times. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  4. "Wakamotoharu Minato: Rikishi Profile". Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  5. "Wakamotoharu Minato Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference.
  6. "若元春「あんな相撲じゃダメ」うっちゃり６勝も反省". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 20 September 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  7. "相撲協会が阿炎ら口頭注意　ＳＮＳで不適切動画投稿". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 7 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  8. "協会が力士らにＳＮＳ自粛通達、阿炎の不謹慎投稿で" (in Japanese). 10 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  9. "Yokozuna Terunofuji takes pole position in bid for 3rd straight title". The Mainichi. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  10. "Wakamotoharu is the 12th brother in makuuchi history with Wakatakakage". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 24 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  11. "2022 January Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics". Japan Sumo Association. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  12. "Abi's win over Terunofuji sets up intriguing finale to New Year tourney". Japan Times. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
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