Kitanofuji Katsuaki - Retirement From Sumo

Retirement From Sumo

Kitanofuji remained in the Japan Sumo Association after his retirement, initially under the name of Izutsu. In 1977 he became head of the Kokonoe stable of wrestlers following Chiyonoyama's death. He gave the Izutsu name to former sekiwake Tsurugamine and adopted the Kokonoe name. During his tenure as head of Kokonoe stable both Chiyonofuji and Hokutoumi reached the rank of yokozuna, and he produced a number of other top division wrestlers such as Takanofuji and Tomoefuji. He handed over control of the stable to Chiyonofuji in April 1992, but he remained an oyakata under the name Jinmaku. In February 1998 he failed to be re-elected to the Sumo Association's Board of Directors, and citing the lack of support from his fellow oyakata in the Takasago ichimon or group of stables, he decided to leave the organisation several years before the mandatory retirement age. However, he still often appears on television as a sumo analyst.