Kotoeko Mitsunori

Kotoeko Mitsunori (Japanese: 琴恵光 充憲, born 20 November 1991 as Mitsutaka Kashiwadani (柏谷 充隆, Kashiwadani Mitsutaka)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nobeoka, Miyazaki. He is a member of the Sadogatake stable and made his professional debut in March 2007. He reached the top makuuchi division in July 2018.

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Kotoeko.
Kotoeko Mitsunori
琴恵光 充憲　
Kotoeko in 2017
Personal information
BornMitsutaka Kashiwadani
(1991-11-20) November 20, 1991
Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Weight131 kg (289 lb; 20.6 st)
Career
StableSadogatake
DebutMarch, 2007
Highest rankMaegashira 7 (September, 2019)[1]
* Up to date as of January 24, 2021.

Early life and sumo background

Born the grandson of former juryo rikishi Matsueyama[2] he was introduced to sumo at an early age. He was also attracted to judo at a young age as well participating in it from primary school on up. He led his elementary school to the best eight in judo, and his junior high school team to the Miyazaki prefecture championship. Originally he intended on going to high school as a judo player and wanted to become a cook joining the family restaurant with his father and grandfather after graduation. However he was inspired instead to join professional sumo after observing a practice session held by Sadogatake stable at their Kyushu lodgings.

Career

He would join Sadogatake stable in March 2007 at the age of 15. He weighed just 94 kg and was only 175 cm tall, and his stablemaster was concerned about whether he would be able to gain enough weight.[3] He originally took the shikona Kotokashiwadani Mitsutaka (琴柏谷 充隆) by simply adding the stable's traditional prefix "Koto" to his family name. He took a year from his debut to reach the fourth sandanme division but there he would hit his first road block. He would spend three years going up and down the sandanme division before finally reaching the third makushita division. He would then take the shikona Kotoeko borrowing the second kanji 恵 from his grandfather's name. After another three years bouncing back and forth between the fourth and third divisions and on the back of five straight winning records he was promoted to the second juryo division. He was the first sekitori from Miyazaki Prefecture in 32 years, the last being Kusatake who spent just one tournament in juryo in January 1982.[4]

He lasted only one tournament in the division, managing only a 5–10 record and being demoted back down to the third division. After a 4–3 winning record at makushita 1 he was immediately promoted back to the juryo division. However a 4–11 record saw him again demoted back to the third division. After a year in the makushita division he got a third chance as a sekitori in the juryo division and this time he did get his first winning record of 9–6 to remain in juryo. He became a juryo mainstay for a year and a half before an 11–4 record gained him promotion to the top makuuchi division. He was the first wrestler from Miyazaki Prefecture to reach the top division in 44 years (Kaneshiro being the last in September 1974).[3] His promotion meant Kotoeko had achieved a goal he had set of exceeding his grandfather's highest rank.[5]

In his first tournament in the top division he would perform rather poorly, managing only a 3–12 record and being demoted back to the juryo division. Two winning tournaments in September and November 2018 saw him promoted back to the top division. Even after two 7–8 losing records in January and March 2019 he remained at the same rank of maegashira 15 West, and in May he finally got his first winning record in the top division with an 8–7 winning record. He reached his highest rank to date of maegashira 7 in September 2019 but faced demotion to jūryō after only two wins against thirteen losses in the January 2020 tournament. With a good performance of 11-4 in march, he secured his return to Makuuchi, where he posted a respectable 10 wins in July.

Fighting style

Kotoeko favours a migiyotsu (right hand inside, left hand outside grip on his opponent's mawashi). His favourite winning kimarite is a straightforward oshidashi, or push out. He also regularly employs yorikiri, or force-out, and tsukiotoshi, or the thrust down.[1]

Career record
Kotoeko Mitsunori[6]
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
2007 x (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #14
3–4
 		 East Jonokuchi #14
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #96
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #53
4–3
 
2008 West Jonidan #28
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #5
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #23
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #89
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #5
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #68
4–3
 
2009 West Sandanme #51
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #67
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #84
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #54
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #28
2–5
 		 East Sandanme #50
4–3
 
2010 East Sandanme #36
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #22
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #37
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #57
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #27
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #40
3–4
 
2011 East Sandanme #61
4–3
 		 West Maegashira #16
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 West Sandanme #45
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #5
4–3
 		 West Makushita #54
2–5
 		 West Sandanme #19
3–4
 
2012 East Sandanme #35
2–5
 		 East Sandanme #64
6–1
 		 West Sandanme #9
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #25
5–2
 		 West Makushita #60
4–3
 		 West Makushita #52
3–4
 
2013 West Sandanme #2
5–2
 		 West Makushita #40
4–3
 		 West Makushita #31
3–4
 		 West Makushita #42
5–2
 		 West Makushita #26
3–4
 		 East Makushita #33
2–5
 
2014 West Makushita #46
6–1
 		 West Makushita #19
6–1
 		 East Makushita #8
4–3
 		 East Makushita #5
4–3
 		 East Makushita #3
5–2
 		 East Jūryō #12
5–10
 
2015 West Makushita #1
4–3
 		 East Jūryō #13
4–11
 		 West Makushita #6
3–4
 		 East Makushita #14
6–1
 		 East Makushita #5
4–3
 		 East Makushita #3
2–5
 
2016 West Makushita #12
5–2
 		 East Makushita #7
4–3
 		 West Makushita #4
5–2
 		 East Jūryō #14
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #10
11–4
 		 East Jūryō #2
6–9
 
2017 West Jūryō #6
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #5
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #9
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #7
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #9
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #7
5–10
 
2018 West Jūryō #10
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #8
10–5
 		 East Jūryō #2
11–4
 		 East Maegashira #14
3–12
 		 East Jūryō #5
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #1
8–7
 
2019 West Maegashira #15
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #15
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #15
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #7
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #7
5–10
 
2020 West Maegashira #13
2–13
 		 East Jūryō #5
11–4
 		 West Maegashira #16
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 West Maegashira #16
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #10
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #9
6–9
 
2021 West Maegashira #11
6–9
 		 x x 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(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

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

See also

References
  1. "Rikishi Profile – Kotoeko Mitsunori". www.sumo.or.jp. Nihon Sumo Kyokai. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  2. "Matsueyama Kuniharu". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  3. "宮崎）琴恵光、県出身４４年ぶり新入幕へ". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 25 May 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  4. "新十両琴恵光「祖父に胸張って報告できる」 日刊スポーツ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 1 October 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  5. "琴恵光が新入幕昇進「十両に上がった時からの目標」日刊スポーツ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 26 June 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  6. "Kotoeko Mitsunori Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
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