Kirinji Kazuharu

Kirinji Kazuharu (born 9 March 1953 as Kazuharu Tarusawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1967, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1974. His highest rank was sekiwake. During his long career he won several awards and set a number of longevity records. Upon his retirement in 1988 he became a sumo coach and elder of the Japan Sumo Association, until reaching 65 years of age in 2018.

Kirinji Kazuharu
麒麟児 和春
Personal information
BornKazuharu Tarusawa
(1953-03-09) 9 March 1953
Chiba, Japan
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Weight144 kg (317 lb)
Career
StableNishonoseki
Record773-792-34
DebutMay, 1967
Highest rankSekiwake (July, 1975)
RetiredSeptember, 1988
Elder nameKitajin
Championships1 (Jūryō)
2 (Makushita)
Special PrizesOutstanding Performance(4)
Fighting Spirit (4)
Technique (3)
Gold Stars6
Mienoumi (2)
Wajima
Kitanoumi
Wakanohana II
Ōnokuni
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Career

He made his professional debut in May 1967 at the age of just 14, joining Nishonoseki stable. At first he fought under his own surname of Tarusawa, before adopting the shikona of Kirinji in January 1974 upon promotion to the second highest jūryō division. The shikona had previously been used by one of his stablemates, ozeki Daikirin.

Kirinji reached the top makuuchi division in September 1974 and remained there for 84 tournaments, a record at the time second only to Takamiyama's 97. The run was not consecutive however, as he dropped to jūryō briefly in November 1979 after sitting out the previous tournament through injury. He fought in 1221 top division bouts in total, the eleventh highest in history. He spent ten tournaments at komusubi rank, the first in March 1975 and the last thirteen years later in January 1988, making him one of the oldest postwar sanyaku wrestlers. He reached his highest rank of sekiwake for the first time in July 1975 and held it on seven occasions in total. He never won a top division tournament but was a runner-up on two occasions, to Kitanoumi in September 1978 and to Chiyonofuji in March 1982. He won eleven sanshō, or special prizes, placing him joint tenth on the all-time list, and earned six kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. His last kinboshi against Onokuni in May 1988 came just two tournaments before his retirement.

His spirited match with Fujizakura in May 1975 was particularly memorable and was enjoyed by the then Emperor Hirohito, a sumo fan.[1] After fierce thrusting attacks from both sides, Kirinji eventually won the bout with an uwatenage, or outer arm throw. He was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize at the end of that tournament. The bout was later released on DVD as one of the "Best Matches in the 20th Century."[2]

Retirement from sumo

Two days into the September 1988 tournament, where at 35 years of age he was the oldest in his division, Kirinji pulled out with a knee injury. He announced his retirement from sumo on the 14th day. He remained in the sumo world as a coach at Nishonoseki stable under the elder name Kitajin Oyakata. Although the stable closed in January 2013, the stable to which he moved, Matsugane, was re-named Nishonoseki stable in 2014.[3] He reached the mandatory retirement age for coaches of 65 in March 2018 and left the Japan Sumo Association.

Career record
Kirinji Kazuharu[4]
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
1967 x x (Maezumo) (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #14
3–4
 		 East Jonokuchi #5
3–4
 
1968 West Jonidan #125
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #85
2–5
 		 East Jonidan #98
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #55
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #62
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #66
3–4
 
1969 East Jonidan #70
6–1
 		 West Jonidan #15
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #95
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #99
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #10
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #78
6–1
 
1970 West Sandanme #36
1–6
 		 East Sandanme #64
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #69
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #46
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #14
2–5
 		 East Sandanme #32
5–2
 
1971 East Sandanme #3
4–3
 		 West Makushita #52
6–1
 		 East Makushita #24
4–3
 		 West Makushita #18
4–3
 		 East Makushita #16
2–5
 		 East Makushita #31
5–2
 
1972 East Makushita #17
5–2
 		 East Makushita #7
3–4
 		 East Makushita #12
4–3
 		 East Makushita #8
2–5
 		 West Makushita #21
3–4
 		 East Makushita #28
5–2
 
1973 East Makushita #14
4–3
 		 West Makushita #11
3–4
 		 West Makushita #15
3–4
 		 East Makushita #21
3–4
 		 West Makushita #30
7–0
Champion
 		 East Makushita #2
7–0
Champion
 
1974 East Jūryō #9
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #7
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #10
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #2
12–3
Champion
 		 East Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #5
8–7
 
1975 East Maegashira #1
10–5
F★		 East Komusubi #1
8–7
T		 East Komusubi #1
9–6
F		 West Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 West Sekiwake #2
8–7
O		 East Sekiwake #2
7–8
 
1976 West Maegashira #1
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #8
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #11
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #4
11–4
TO★★		 East Sekiwake #1
8–7
O		 East Sekiwake #2
5–10
 
1977 West Maegashira #3
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #6
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #3
4–7–4
 		 West Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #4
8–7
 		 West Komusubi #1
3–12
 
1978 East Maegashira #8
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #2
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #10
11–4
 		 West Maegashira #1
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #5
12–3
T		 East Komusubi #1
8–7
O
1979 West Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 West Sekiwake #1
5–6–4
 		 West Maegashira #3
3–12
 		 West Maegashira #12
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #4
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 East Jūryō #2
10–5
 
1980 East Maegashira #13
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #10
11–4
 		 West Maegashira #1
5–10
★		 East Maegashira #4
8–7
★		 West Komusubi #1
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #1
6–9
 
1981 West Maegashira #4
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #4
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #1
9–6
 		 East Komusubi #2
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #6
9–6
 
1982 East Maegashira #2
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #5
11–4
F		 East Komusubi #1
2–13
 		 West Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #4
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #12
11–4
 
1983 East Maegashira #2
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #10
10–5
 		 West Komusubi #1
2–13
 		 West Maegashira #9
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #1
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #10
10–5
 
1984 East Maegashira #1
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #9
11–4
 		 East Komusubi #1
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #5
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #2
3–12
 		 West Maegashira #12
8–7
 
1985 East Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #4
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #12
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #6
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #11
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #2
5–10
 
1986 Maegashira #8
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #3
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #5
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #6
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #10
10–5
 
1987 East Maegashira #2
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #2
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #1
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #7
9–6
 
1988 West Komusubi #1
2–13
 		 West Maegashira #7
10–5
F		 East Maegashira #1
6–9
★		 East Maegashira #4
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #13
Retired
0–2–11		 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(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

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

See also

References
  1. "Education comes first at Nakamura stable". Japan Times. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2008.
  2. "Re: SUMO DVD: "Best Matches in 20th Century", "Wakanohana"". Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
  3. "Sumo Beya Guide". Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  4. "Kirinji Kazuharu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
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