Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu
Sadanoyama celebrates his first tournament victory in May 1961
Personal information
Born	Shinmatsu Sasada (1938-02-18) February 18, 1938 (age 78) Nagasaki, Japan
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Weight	129 kg (284 lb)
Career
Stable	Dewanoumi
Record	591-251-61
Debut	January, 1956
Highest rank	Yokozuna (January, 1965)
Retired	March, 1968
Championships	6 (Makuuchi)
Special Prizes	Fighting Spirit (1) Outstanding Performance (1) Technique (1)
Gold Stars	2 (Wakanohana I, Azumafuji)
* Up to date as of August 2012.

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (佐田の山 晋松, born February 18, 1938 as Shinmatsu Sasada) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 50th yokozuna. After his retirement he was the head coach of Dewanoumi stable and served as head of the Japan Sumo Association.

Born in Arikawa, Minamimatsuura District, he made his professional debut in January 1956, and reached sekitori status four years later upon promotion to the jūryō division in March 1960. He made his top makuuchi division debut in January 1961. Sadanoyama won his first tournament title in only his third tournament in the top division, from the rank of maegashira 13. The achievement of winning a tournament from the maegashira ranks is sometimes seen as a jinx on subsequent success in sumo, but Sadanoyama disproved that theory by going on to reach ōzeki in March 1962 after winning his second title, and then yokozuna in January 1965 after capturing his third championship.

He made a cameo appearance in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, as himself.

Sadanoyama announced his retirement suddenly in March 1968, despite having won the previous two tournaments, following a surprise loss to a new maegashira, the Hawaiian born Takamiyama. It has been suggested that the shock of losing to a foreigner may have prompted a premature retirement.

Sadanoyama remained in the sumo world after his retirement, as an elder. Having married the daughter of the previous stable boss, former maegashira Dewanohana Kuniichi, he became head coach of the Dewanoumi stable. One of the most powerful heya in sumo, he produced a string of top division wrestlers, including Mienoumi, Dewanohana Yoshitaka, Washūyama, Ōnishiki, Ryōgoku, Oginishiki and Mainoumi. In February 1992 he became head of the Japan Sumo Association. He was chosen ahead of his contemporaries Taihō and Kashiwado partly because he was in better health than either of them. He changed his toshiyori name to Sakaigawa in 1996, handing over the Dewanoumi name and the day-to-day running of his stable to the former Washuyama. He did not run for re-election in 1998, after it became clear he lacked enough support, and was replaced by former ōzeki Yutakayama from the rival Tokitsukaze faction. He stood down as an elder in 2003 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five.