Kitanoumi Toshimitsu , born Toshimitsu Obata , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to yokozuna at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament championships during his career and was one of a series of truly great yokozuna who came from Hokkaido, the largest and northernmost prefecture of Japan. At the time of his death he still held the records for most tournaments at yokozuna (63) and most bouts won as a yokozuna (670), but they have since been surpassed. Following his retirement in 1985 he established the Kitanoumi stable. He was chairman of the Japan Sumo Association from 2002 until 2008, and again from 2012 until his death.
Kitanoumi in 2013
Kitanoumi original Yokozuna tegata (handprint & signature)
Kitanoumi (right) with Takanohana in 2013
Makuuchi (幕内), or makunouchi (幕の内), is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (rikishi), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
A makuuchi match with the 69th yokozuna Hakuhō beating Dejima as the 68th yokozuna Asashōryū watches in the background
Yokozuna Kakuryū Rikisaburō (center) performing the ring-entering ceremony while flanked by a sword bearer on the left and dew sweeper on the right
A tsuna belonging to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
68th yokozuna Asashoryū's Unryū-style Yokozuna Dohyō-iri