Happy Birthday
(伊勢ヶ浜) Isegahama Oyakata!

July 6th is Isegahama Oyakata's 48th birthday!
Congratulations!!!
Hope you have celebrated with Isegahama boys in Nagoya!

Isegahama Oyakata was the former Yokozuna Asahifuji! His career started in January of 1981. His retirement was in January of 1992 not long after I had moved to Japan. So, unfortunately I didn't have such a long time to see his matches. He had a wonderful career as he ultimately reached the highest rank in sumo of Yokozuna! He won his first tournament as Jonokuchi with a nice 7-0 Yusho (tournament champion)! Then moved up to Jonidan division where he didn't get a yusho but had a 6-1 record and moved up to the next ranked group in Sandame where he went 7-0 and also got a yusho! He spent just one tournament in each three divisions!
He was then promoted to the Makushita division where he only spent three tournaments and had a 7-0 yusho in his 2nd makushita tournament.
In March of 1982 he was promoted to the upper rank of Juryo and spent one year there and was promoted to the highest division of Makuuchi in March of 1983!
During his time in Makuuchi he had 4 yusho as well as 9 Jun-yusho (tournament runner-up)!
He also earned 2 SHUKUN-SHO (outstanding performance awards), 2 KANTO-SHO (fighting spirit awards) and 5 GIN-SHO (techinque awards).
Before becoming Yokozuna he also achieved wins over two yokozuna (Kitanoumi & Futahaguro) earning him two KINBOSHI (gold stars)!

One last note is that I found Isegahama Oyakata to be one of the friendliest (and handsome) Oyakata I have met. He was very generous after asageiko with my friend Tomomi and I and struck up a conversation outside the heya with us where we talked about my Legacy as it was parked at the front door after Ama and Aminishiki had just signed it. Aminishiki professing his love for Petter Solberg! When Oyakata came about he also told me he loved my car and was a big rally fan. He shares a love of Petter Solberg as well!! Incidentally the Oyakata is the uncle of Aminishiki-zeki which could be why they both are Petter fans and rally fans in general!

Thanks again to Oyakata for a nice morning and letting us share asageiko and some nice talk with you! I'll post those pictures another time!

Happy Birthday to you and many more!