Kagamisato
| Kagamisato Kiyoji | |
|---|---|
| 鏡里 喜代治 | |
Kagamisato (right) and Tokitsukaze (1953)
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Kiyoji Okuyama April 30, 1923 Tonai, Aomori, Japan |
| Died | February 29, 2004 (aged 80) |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 161 kg (355 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Tokitsukaze |
| Record | 415–189–28 |
| Debut | January 1941 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (January 1953) |
| Retired | January 1958 |
| Championships | 4 (Makuuchi) 1 (Sandanme) 1 (Jonidan) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (1) Fighting Spirit (1) |
| Gold Stars | 2 (Maedayama, Azumafuji) |
| * Up to date as of September 2007. | |
Kagamisato Kiyoji (鏡里 喜代治, April 30, 1923 – February 29, 2004) was a sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 42nd yokozuna.
He was born Kiyoji Okuyama in a small fishing village in Sannohe District. He came from a poor family as his father had died when he was very young, and he had to support his mother when his older siblings left the house. He was already large as a teenager and soon spotted by a wrestler named Kagamiiwa and invited to join sumo. More interested in basketball, and with his mother also reluctant, the young Okuyama initially refused, but after his family was provided with financial assistance he eventually travelled to Tokyo to repay Kagamiiwa's kindness. In the summer of 1940, he joined the now retired Kagamiiwa's Kumegawa stable. He made his professional debut in January 1941 and was given the shikona or sumo name of Kagamisato. When the great yokozuna Futabayama Sadaji established his own stable, Kagamisato followed his stablemaster there, and it was later renamed Tokitsukaze stable.
He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in June 1947. In October 1949 he defeated two yokozuna and produced a fine 12–3 score, also becoming the first wrestler to win two special prizes in the same tournament. He was promoted from the maegashira ranks to sekiwake, third from the top. He reached the second highest ōzeki rank just four tournaments after that. Having been a runner-up on four previous occasions, he reached the top yokozuna rank after finally winning his first top division championship in January 1953. There had been four yokozuna competing in that tournament, but all had performed badly, with Terukuni announcing his retirement. Keen to have a strong yokozuna, the Japan Sumo Association overrode the initial objections of the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee and promoted him.
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