Tsurugamine
| Tsurugamine Akio | |
|---|---|
| 鶴ヶ嶺 昭男 | |
 |
|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Akio Fukuzono April 26, 1929 Kagoshima, Japan |
| Died | May 29, 2006 (aged 77) |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 114 kg (251 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Izutsu |
| Record | 682-676-22 |
| Debut | June, 1947 |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (May, 1956) |
| Retired | July, 1967 |
| Championships | 1 (Jūryō) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (2) Technique (10) |
| Gold Stars | 10 (4) Wakanohana I (3) Asashio III (3) |
| * Up to date as of July 2007. | |
Tsurugamine Akio (26 April 1929 – 29 May 2006), real name Akio Fukuzono, was a sumo wrestler from Aira, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. After his retirement he was the head of Izutsu stable and coached two of his sons, Sakahoko and Terao, to the top division.
Tsurugamine began his professional career in June 1947. He was a light but extremely skilful wrestler. His ten sanshō (special prizes) for Technique remain a record to this day. He also earned ten kinboshi (gold stars) for defeating yokozuna. He had an exceptionally long top division career, which lasted fourteen years from March 1953 to his retirement in July 1967 at the age of thirty eight. He fought in the top division for 77 consecutive tournaments and was one of the first wrestlers to win over 500 bouts there. His best result was in January 1956 when he lost only one bout and took part in a playoff for the tournament championship with yokozuna Kagamisato.
Following his retirement from active sumo Tsurugamine became an elder of the Sumo Association under the toshiyori name of Kimigahama, and set up his own Kimigahama stable. However, he really coveted the stock of his old Izutsu stable, but was unable to come to agreement with the widow of the previous holder. In 1977 he was able to purchase the stock from former yokozuna Kitanofuji and became head coach of the renamed Izutsu stable. His wife was the adopted daughter of the adopted daughter of the 25th yokozuna Nishinoumi II, and all three of his sons joined the stable as new recruits. Two of them, Sakahoko and Terao, emulated their father by having successful top division careers. He also oversaw the promotion of Kirishima to ōzeki in 1990. In 1994 he reached the mandatory retirement age and passed on ownership of the stable to Sakahoko. He died of blood poisoning in May 2006 at the age of seventy seven.
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