Kitanoumi Toshimitsu

Kitanoumi Toshimitsu
北の湖敏満
Kitanoumi in 2013
Personal information
Born	Toshimitsu Obata (1953-05-16)May 16, 1953 Hokkaidō, Japan
Died	November 20, 2015(2015-11-20) (aged 62) Fukuoka, Japan
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Weight	169 kg (373 lb; 26.6 st)
Career
Stable	Mihogaseki
Record	951-350-107
Debut	January 1967
Highest rank	Yokozuna (July 1974)
Retired	January 1985
Championships	24 (Makuuchi)
Special Prizes	Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (1)
Gold Stars	1 (Kitanofuji)
* Up to date as of July 2007.

Toshimitsu Obata (小畑 敏満, Obata Toshimitsu^?, May 16, 1953 – November 20, 2015) known as Kitanoumi Toshimitsu (北の湖敏満), was a sumo wrestler. He was the dominant yokozuna in sumo during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to yokozuna at the age 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank, and he remained a yokozuna for a record 63 tournaments. He won 24 tournament championships during his career and was one of a series of truly great yokozuna who came from Hokkaidō, the northernmost main island of Japan. At the time of his death he still held the record for most bouts won as a yokozuna (670). Following his retirement in 1985 he established the Kitanoumi stable. He was chairman of the Japan Sumo Association from 2002 until 2008, and from 2012 until his death.

Born in Sōbetsu, Usu District, Kitanoumi began his professional career in January 1967 at 13, whilst still in middle school. He joined Mihogaseki stable, and was promoted to sumo's second highest jūryō division in May 1971 and the top makuuchi division a year later. He won his first top division yūshō or tournament championship in January 1974 and was promoted to ōzeki immediately afterwards. He secured promotion to yokozuna just three tournaments after that. At 21 years 2 months, he was the youngest ever yokozuna, beating the previous record held by Taihō by one month.