Wakanohana Kanji I

Wakanohana Kanji I (若乃花 幹士, Wakanohana Kanji?, March 16, 1928 – September 1, 2010) was a sumo wrestler, the sport's 45th Yokozuna (the highest-ranking position).

Wakanohana's younger brother (by twenty-two years) was the late former ōzeki Takanohana Kenshi and he was the uncle of Takanohana Kōji and Wakanohana Masaru. He won ten top division yūshō or tournament championships during his career and at a fighting weight of around 100 kg was one of the lightest yokozuna ever. He had a long-standing rivalry with Tochinishiki and was one of the most popular wrestlers of the 1950s. After his retirement in 1962 he established Futagoyama stable and was also head of the Japan Sumo Association from 1988 until 1992.