Futabayama Sadaji - Retirement From Sumo

Retirement From Sumo

The June 1945 tournament was held in a bomb-damaged Kokugikan with barely any spectators, and Futabayama dropped out after the first day. He did not take part in the November 1945 tournament and announced his retirement during it, claiming that he objected to the newly enlarged dohyō that the Sumo Association had introduced at the behest of the American occupying authorities. However, he had actually made a decision to retire a year earlier, having suffered a loss to Azumafuji, another future yokozuna.

Futabayama had become head of his own stable, Futabayama Dojo, in 1941 whilst still an active wrestler (a practice now forbidden), and upon his retirement he adopted the Tokitsukaze elder name and renamed his heya Tokitsukaze stable. It grew to become one of sumo's largest stables by the 1950s, and Futabayama produced several strong wrestlers including yokozuna Kagamisato and ōzeki Kitabayama and Yutakayama. He remained in charge of the stable until his death from hepatitis in 1968. From 1957 he was also head of the Japan Sumo Association. In his time as chairman he introduced a number of important reforms, such as giving monthly salaries to wrestlers ranked in the top two divisions, and enforcing a mandatory retirement age of 65 for elders and referees.