Umegatani Totaro - Umegatani Totaro

The 15th Yokozuna. Born in Shiwa Village, Joza County, Chikuzen Province (present day Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture). He first entered Osaka sumo and became an ozeki, but in 1870 (Meiji 3) he moved to Tokyo and entered the Tamagaki stable. He rose through the ranks from the makushita division to enter the makuuchi division in 1874, ozeki in 1879, and yokozuna in 1884. He retired the following year at age 41 and took the name Ikazuchigondayu, a stablemaster. He was 176 cm tall and weighed 124 kg. Since his debut in the makuuchi division, he had only six losses, with a winning percentage of 95.1%, the highest of all Yokozuna. He was instrumental in reviving the world of sumo, which had fallen into decline after the Meiji Restoration, and as an association supervisor, he worked hard to realize the construction of the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall, and his stable produced many famous wrestlers.

The second Umegatani (1878-1927) was born in Mizuhashi, Toyama City. He was adopted by the previous wrestler and entered the sumo world in 1898 (Meiji 31). In 1903 (Meiji 36), he and Hitachiyama received the yokozuna license (the 20th), and the matches between the two wrestlers drew nationwide enthusiasm. Standing 168 cm tall and weighing 158 kg, he had an 86% win rate. He retired in 1915 (Taisho 4) and inherited the previous Kaminari stable.

[Masao Ikeda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

15代横綱。筑前(ちくぜん)国上座(じょうざ)郡志波(しわ)村（現福岡県朝倉(あさくら)市）出身。初め大坂相撲に入り大関になったが、1870年（明治3）上京し玉垣(たまがき)部屋に入門。幕下から取り進み1874年入幕、1879年大関、1884年横綱免許。翌年41歳で引退し年寄雷権太夫(いかずちごんだゆう)を襲名した。身長176センチメートル、体重124キログラム。入幕後の黒星6、勝率95.1％は歴代横綱中第1位。明治維新後衰退した相撲界の再興に功績があり、協会取締として両国国技館の実現に尽力、一門から多くの名力士を出した。

　2代目梅ヶ谷（1878―1927）は富山市水橋(みずはし)出身。先代の養子となり入門、1898年（明治31）入幕、1903年（明治36）常陸山(ひたちやま)とともに横綱免許（20代目）を受け、両力士の対戦は全国的な熱狂をよんだ。身長168センチメートル、体重158キログラムの「あんこ型」で、勝率86％であった。1915年（大正4）引退し、先代雷部屋を相続した。

［池田雅雄］

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