Mitsuneyama Hokoku

Mitsuneyama Hokoku, real name Toichi Shimamura (7 February 1922 – 15 August 1989) was a sumo wrestler from Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan. He began his professional career in 1937, joining Takashima stable, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1944. He earned nine kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna whilst ranked as a maegashira, and seven sanshō or special prizes. In 1953, at the age of 31, he was promoted to the second highest rank of ōzeki, and three tournaments later took his only top division yūshō or tournament championship, with a 12-3 record. He lost the ōzeki rank in 1955, largely due to injuries. He carried on fighting in the maegashira ranks until January 1960 when he retired at the age of nearly 38. He remained in the sumo world as a toshiyori or elder of the Japan Sumo Association, and became the head coach of the Takashima stable in May 1961. He produced the top division wrestlers Daiju and Koboyama, but resigned due to ill health in 1982, the heya being absorbed into Kumagatani stable. He continued to work as a coach at Kumagatani before leaving the Sumo Association in January 1985. He died in 1989.