- Source: Satonofuji Hisashi
Satonofuji Hisashi (Japanese: 聡ノ富士 久志, born 15 April 1977 as Hisashi Matsuoka (松岡 久志, Matsuoka Hisashi)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Gunma Prefecture. He made his debut in 1996 at the age of eighteen. His highest rank has been makushita 55. He wrestles for Isegahama stable, where he is currently its oldest member and where he is responsible for preparing the meals.
Satonofuji is noted for being one of the performers of the yumitori-shiki, or bow-twirling ceremony, which is presented following the final top division match of every Grand Sumo Tournament day. He is the oldest sumo wrestler to perform the ceremony since the Shōwa era. After the conclusion of the Nagoya 2024 tournament, he became the record-holder as the wrestler who performed the ceremony the most number of times with 648 performances, surpassing Edonohana, which had performed it 637 times.
Career
Born in the town of Yoshioka, Gunma, Satonofuji debuted in January 1996 under the ring name Asatofuji (安聡富士). He was promoted to the third-highest makushita division in September 2005, but was relegated in the following tournament. Since then, he has never been promoted higher than sandanme. In March 2008 he changed his ring name to Satonofuji.
Satonofuji began to perform the yumitori-shiki in January 2013, which is typically performed by a lower-division wrestler in the same stable as a yokozuna. At that time, stablemate Harumafuji–seven years his junior–had recently been promoted to the top rank. Satonofuji stopped performing the ceremony a few tournaments after Harumafuji retired, but resumed in September 2021. Although his return coincided with the promotion of fellow Isegahama wrestler Terunofuji to the yokozuna rank, Satonofuji had stepped in with little notice after another lower-division wrestler scheduled to perform the ceremony injured his shoulder in a match. Upon his return to the role, Satonofuji was quoted as saying that he was too old to show his body. At the age of 44, he became the oldest performer of the ceremony since the Shōwa era.
In a November 2022 interview, Satonofuji said in regard to the yumitori-shiki that "every single gesture has a meaning, so I put my heart into it."
During the July 2023 tournament Satonofuji withdrew from competition, and so the yumitori-shiki duties temporarily went to then-sandanme wrestler Yuki from the same stable as ōzeki Kirishima. In September 2023 Satonofuji, demoted to jonokuchi for the first time since his debut in 1996, performed the yumitori-shiki for the first two days of the tournament until Yuki resumed the duties. In 2024 Satonofuji returned to yumitori duties, usually performing the ceremony unless Terunofuji withdraws from a tournament.
Career record
See also
Glossary of sumo terms
List of active sumo wrestlers
References
External links
Satonofuji Hisashi's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage
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