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Kotozakura Masakatsu II
琴櫻 将傑
Kotozakura in January 2022 (as Kotonowaka)
Personal information
Born	Kamatani Masakatsu (1997-11-19) November 19, 1997 (age 27) Matsudo, Chiba, Japan
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight	178 kg (392 lb; 28 st 0 lb)
Career
Stable	Sadogatake
Current rank	see below
Debut	November, 2015
Highest rank	Ōzeki (March, 2024)
Championships	1 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jonokuchi)
Special Prizes	5 (Fighting Spirit) 1 (Technique)
* Up to date as of 24 November 2024.

Kotozakura Masakatsu (琴櫻 将傑), born 19 November 1997 as Masakatsu Kamatani (鎌谷 将且, Kamatani Masakatsu), is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Chiba Prefecture. He wrestles for Sadogatake stable, a sumo stable previously run by his grandfather, former yokozuna Kotozakura, and currently run by his father, former sekiwake Kotonowaka. He made his debut in November 2015 and reached the top makuuchi division in March 2020, reaching the san'yaku ranks in January 2023. His highest rank has been ōzeki. He has won one championship in the top division and five special prizes for Fighting Spirit, as well as one Technique prize.

Long before his professional debut, Kotozakura's goal was to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and inherit his ring name if he was ever promoted to the rank of ōzeki, something he had been repeating regularly since his promotion to sekitori status. Following his ōzeki promotion at the end of the January 2024 tournament, he said that he planned to inherit the Kotozakura name starting in May 2024. Prior to taking the Kotozakura name, he was known professionally as Kotonowaka Masahiro (琴ノ若 傑太).

Early life

Kamatani was born on November 19, 1997, the only child of then-active top division wrestler Kotonowaka I and Machiko Kamatani, the eldest daughter of sumo's 53rd yokozuna Kotozakura. Kotonowaka had married the daughter of his stablemaster the previous year, an old custom in the sumo world to secure the ownership of a stable. During his youth, Kamatani made a habit of attending Sadogatake stable's training sessions every day before going to school. It was also noted that during his childhood he had a good relationship with Kotoyūki, the latter seeing him as a little brother. He had a good relationship with his grandfather, who taught him basic sumo elements (such as shiko or using a teppo pole) and expected him to be a sumo wrestler in order to continue his legacy. Shortly before Kotozakura died, Kamatani–who was still in third grade of elementary school–promised him that he would inherit his ring name if he was promoted to the rank of ōzeki. In November 2005 when Kamatani was in the second year of elementary school his father retired and took over the running of Sadogatake stable. Kamatani was in the Fukuoka International Center to witness his father's final bout, and his father told him to one day inherit the Kotonowaka ring name.

As a student, he decided to enter Saitama Sakae High School (well-known for its sumo club) where he also trained with future professional wrestlers Ōhō and Gōnoyama, both his juniors. In 2013, Kamatani participated to the Hakuhō Cup and came third in the junior high school individual competition. Initially, he thought about joining professional sumo after graduating from junior high school, but as he did not have the confidence to do so, he postponed his decision to become a professional wrestler until his graduation from senior high school. Despite his podium at the Hakuhō Cup, it was noted that Kamatani struggled to gain momentum during his student years, achieving little success at first. In his third year, he was named captain of the sumo club and won both the team competition at the National High School Comprehensive Athletics Sumo Tournament and the World Junior Sumo Championship heavyweight competition, held that year in Osaka.

After graduating from senior high school, he decided to become a professional wrestler and logically joined the Sadogatake stable, where his mother and father announced that he would now be treated like any other wrestler, and Ōzeki Kotoshōgiku announced that he would receive no special treatment.

Early career

Kamatani made his professional sumo debut in November 2015 and was given the shikona, or ring name, Kotokamatani Masakatsu (琴鎌谷 将且), taking up his original name combined with the kanji koto (琴) used by all the wrestlers in his stable and using the first name his grandfather used when he was a wrestler. During his presentation ceremony with the other new wrestlers, Kotokamatani used the keshō-mawashi that his father had used on his last day as an active wrestler.

Kotokamatani won all three of his maezumō bouts in November 2015. In the following tournament, in January 2016, he won the jonokuchi championship with a perfect 7–0 record. Moving up in the rankings, Kotokamatani made it to the makushita division in September 2016, hitting the wall of that division and stagnating for a while. In May 2019, in a position of potential promotion to the jūryō division, Kotokamatani recorded a 4–3 record at makushita 2, including a victory over Hōshōryū and narrowly completed with a win over Churanoumi, that was enough to earn promotion to the status of sekitori for the first time.

Upon promotion, he adopted his father's shikona surname of Kotonowaka, with the expectation that he would eventually adopt his grandfather's shikona of Kotozakura if ever promoted to ōzeki. He also changed his shikona first name by keeping a character from his grandfather's shikona (傑, meaning 'outstanding') and adding the kanji 太 (meaning 'big' or 'thick').

With four straight kachi-koshi or winning records in the jūryō division, Kotonowaka was promoted to the top makuuchi division in March 2020. They were the ninth father-and-son pairing to both reach the top division. Kotonowaka was ranked at maegashira 18, the first time since 1959 that maegashira had extended to an 18th rank. He secured a winning record on the 14th day of the tournament, having suffered four straight losses, and finished on 9–6. The next tournament to take place in July 2020 saw him pull out with a knee injury on Day 8, which he sustained the previous day in a loss to Kaisei. He re-entered on Day 14 but was unable to add any more wins, finishing on 4–6–5 which saw him demoted back to jūryō. He earned immediate promotion back to makuuchi for the November 2020 tournament with a 9–6 record (although he lost his last four matches).

Makuuchi

Up-and-comer

Upon his return to makuuchi Kotonowaka only managed a 7–8 record (this time losing his last three matches) although it was enough to keep him in the top division as he fell just one place from maegashira 14 to 15. He performed better in the January 2021 tournament, scoring 10–5. He narrowly failed to get a majority of wins in the March and May 2021 tournaments, scoring 6–9 and 7–8 respectively.

In the July 2021 tournament Kotonowaka had his best career performance to date. He scored 12–3 and was awarded his first special prize, for Fighting Spirit. He moved up to maegashira 3 for the September tournament. On the eighth day of the September tournament he defeated Ōzeki Shōdai. However, he had to withdraw from the tournament with a left knee injury on Day 10. This injury, to the medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus of his left knee, could have cost him a year's absence from the ring had he opted for surgery. However, Kotonowaka decided to opt for regenerative surgery and obtained mixed results at the following tournaments as a result of his therapy.

In January 2022 Kotonowaka won eleven matches from maegashira 14, and was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize for the second time. In March Kotonowaka was in contention for the championship on the final day for the second straight tournament, but lost to Hōshōryū when victory would have given him a chance of a playoff with the other two contenders, Wakatakakage and Takayasu. He finished in third place with 11–4, but did receive his third Fighting Spirit prize. In the May 2022 tournament he reached maegashira 2.

San'yaku promotion

After a 9–6 winning record at his highest rank of maegashira 1, Kotonowaka was promoted to komusubi for the January 2023 tournament. This promotion makes Kotozakura and Kotonowaka father and son the first wrestling family to produce three consecutive san'yaku-ranked wrestlers in sumo history. This promotion also makes the Kotonowaka the sixth father-son pair to be promoted to san'yaku and the first since Oginohana Masaaki and Oginishiki Yasutoshi at the Nagoya tournament in 1997. At the January tournament he secured an 8–7 record on the final day with a win over Hokutofuji. Kotonowaka lost his first four bouts of the tournament, but rallied to get a winning record which included a win over eventual championship winner Ōzeki Takakeishō. He retained his komusubi rankings for the March tournament.

In the March tournament Kotonwaka secured a 9–6 record, which included a win over eventual championship winner Sekiwake Kiribayama. During the July tournament of the same year, Kotonowaka scored several significant victories, including against former ōzeki Mitakeumi and Shōdai, as well as ōzeki promotion seekers, Daieishō. On Day 7, he even defeated one of the tournament leaders, Maegashira Nishikigi, ending his streak of 14 straight wins. On the tenth day, Kotonowaka inflicted defeat on another ōzeki rank contender, Sekiwake Hōshōryū. This victory was particularly significant for Kotonowaka, who had only beaten Hōshōryū once in eleven matches since the two joined the makuuchi division. In a letter to the editor published in Sankei Sports, former ōzeki Musōyama commented with satisfaction on Kotonowaka's wrestling style, deeming it worthy of the rank of ōzeki. For his performances during the tournament, Kotonowaka was promised a fourth sanshō award for Fighting Spirit, which was nonetheless conditional on an eleventh victory. On the final day of the tournament, Kotonowaka won his match against Ryūden and was awarded the prize. Since he achieved double figures in a san'yaku rank, and was the first in this category to reach 10 wins during the July tournament, Kotonowaka commented on his satisfaction at having seriously strengthened his case for promotion to the rank of sekiwake, the highest rank held by his father and master (former sekiwake Kotonowaka Terumasa) after having stagnated at the rank of komusubi for 4 consecutive tournaments. He also commented on his ambition to be promoted to ōzeki, in order to revive and inherit the shikona, or ring name, of his maternal grandfather, former yokozuna Kotozakura, to whom he had made this promise.

Kotonowaka's promotion to sekiwake was made official with the release of the September tournament rankings on 28 August 2023. He became Sadogatake stable's first sekiwake since Kotoyūki was promoted in May 2016. Upon his promotion, Kotonowaka said he was honored to be at the same ranking as his father, while his father and stablemaster said that the rank was not the end, adding his hopes that someday his son would be on par with Kotozakura. Since Kotonowaka has obtained a solid base to start a run towards the rank of ōzeki, it was announced before the September tournament that his matches would be sponsored by the management and entertainment company LDH.

During the November 2023 tournament, Kotonowaka made his mark with a third consecutive victory on the third day of the championship, using the rare kimarite ōsakate ('backward twisting overarm throw'); a technique that had not been used in the makuuchi division for 13 years. He continued his tournament with a good performance, recording a kachi-koshi winning record on Day 10 for the eighth tournament in a row. On the thirteenth day of the tournament Kotonowaka recorded a fourth defeat against Ryūden, automatically eliminating him from the title race and ended his hopes of promotion to ōzeki at the end of the tournament. Despite having been knocked out of the title race, Kotonowaka played a part in the final outcome of the tournament with a victory over Atamifuji, who needed a win to possibly trigger a playoff for the championship. As this victory was a prerequisite for the Fighting Spirit award, Kotonowaka won the prize for the fifth time in his career. Kotonowaka finished 2023 with winning records at the san'yaku ranks in all six of his tournaments. His father Sadogatake, speaking as the head of the Sumo Association's judging department, added that ōzeki promotion is at stake for Kotonowaka at the tournament in January 2024.

Kotonowaka performed well in the first half of the tournament, although he also recorded a defeat on Day 6 against Wakamotoharu. Kotonowaka maintained his position as one of the tournament's leading wrestlers (with Ōnosato and Ōnoshō) by recording a kachi-koshi on Day 9 against fellow sekiwake Daieishō, securing an eighth consecutive tournament in the ranks of san'yaku. On the tenth day, Kotonowaka faced and defeated Ōnosato by yorikiri, hence taking sole lead of the tournament. On Day 13, however, he suffered a defeat from Terunofuji, reportedly leaving him in a state of extreme frustration after the match and placing him ex-aequo with the yokozuna and Ōzeki Kirishima for the title race. However, he managed to bounce back the following day by inflicting defeat on yokozuna promotion-seeking Kirishima, with the title to be decided on the final day. On senshūraku it was announced that Kotonowaka was awarded the Technique Prize for his performances during the tournament. In addition, he won his final match against Tobizaru, claiming a thirteenth victory necessary to reach the milestone traditionally required for promotion to the rank of ōzeki (33 victories in 3 tournaments). With this victory he also qualified for a playoff against Yokozuna Terunofuji to claim both his first championship and the Outstanding Performance award. However, he lost the championship playoff against Terunofuji, thereby missing both of them. After the tournament, a disappointed and tearful Kotonowaka was nevertheless praised by Terunofuji when the latter gave the traditional post-victory public interview, saying he hoped Kotonowaka would rise to the supreme rank of yokozuna.

Promotion to ōzeki

Immediately after the end of the January 2024 tournament it was announced that the Judging Department of the Sumo Association (led by Kotonowaka's father Sadogatake) had submitted a request to Chairman Hakkaku to promote Kotonowaka to the rank of ōzeki. It was reported after the tournament that Kotonowaka was expected to keep his shikona (ring name) for a while to honor his father, whose highest rank in competition was sekiwake, before adopting the name of his late yokozuna grandfather Kotozakura.

The Sumo Association approved Kotonowaka's promotion on 31 January 2024, making him the first ōzeki from Chiba Prefecture since the promotion of Matsunobori after the Autumn tournament in 1955. Director Hanakago (former sekiwake Daijuyama) officially delivered the news to the new ōzeki along with Naruto (former ōzeki Kotoōshū), a sumo judge who had competed professionally as a member of Sadogatake stable. In his customary acceptance speech, Kotonowaka said: "With a feeling of gratitude I will devote myself to the way of sumo in order to live up to the title of ōzeki." He also confirmed that he would retain the Kotonowaka name for the next tournament in March, before changing to Kotozakura on the May 2024 banzuke. His father Sadogatake shared his expectations that his son would ultimately reach sumo's top rank of yokozuna, saying that he had "one more step to climb."

During the March tournament, Kotonowaka remained in a position of potential contention for a championship win until Day 13, when he was defeated by fellow-ōzeki Takakeishō, ending his chances of winning the tournament. On day 14, he nevertheless took away his chances of winning the tournament from fellow-ōzeki Hōshōryū by beating him by yoritaoshi (frontal crush out).

Kotozakura legacy

After the conclusion of the March tournament Kotonowaka, who secured 10 wins in his ōzeki debut, submitted his official paperwork to change his ring name to Kotozakura starting in May. The name change became official on the banzuke for the May tournament, making the new Kotozakura the first wrestler to bear this name in 50 years. Interestingly, the name change was published on the banzuke on 30 April 2024 as Kotozakura Masakatsu (琴櫻 将傑), changing the spelling of the first name borne by his grandfather (琴櫻 傑將) by reversing its kanji with the same pronunciation. The new Kotozakura explained his choice by declaring that the current form of his first name inspired good omens.

Having practiced writing his new shikona to make autographs, however, Kotozakura declared that dedicating the kanji for Kotozakura (琴櫻) was too complicated. Although he had made the choice to keep the traditional kanji for cherry blossom (櫻) in his name, he would dedicate with the simplified kanji (桜) for simplicity, which his grandfather had also chosen to do.

First top-division championship

Kotozakura and two other ōzeki were the top wrestlers competing in the November 2024 tournament with the withdrawal of yokozuna Terunofuji. Kotozakura won 13 of his first 14 matches and entered the final day of top-division competition to face fellow ōzeki Hōshōryū, who also had 13 wins. In the final and deciding match Kotozakura countered Hōshōryū's overarm throw attempt, winning by hatakikomi (slap down) to take his first career Emperor's Cup and second overall professional sumo championship. By coincidence, Kotozakura won his first top-division title in his fifth tournament as an ōzeki at 27 years of age–the same as his late grandfather Kotozakura I, who won under the exact same circumstances in July 1968. Commenting on his first Emperor's Cup, Kotozakura said: "I had experienced losses, but I was able to persevere and became convinced that I really could grab the championship," adding that he could not remember how the deciding match went because he was concentrating so much. Following the tournament, the Sumo Association stated that Kotozakura would be a candidate for yokozuna promotion at the following tournament in January 2025. "There aren't many opportunities to challenge for yokozuna. I have to grab it," he said. Kotozakura finished 2024 with 66 wins, the most of any wrestler in the top division.

Fighting style

Kotozakura prefers a migi-yotsu grip on his opponent's mawashi which is a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He also lists oshi/tsuki (pushing/thrusting) as a favourite style in his Japan Sumo Association profile. Apart from yorikiri and oshidashi (force out and push out), his most common winning kimarite include uwatenage ('overarm throw'), tsukiotoshi ('thrust over') and uwatedashinage ('pulling overam throw'). Kotozakura seeks to emulate the style of his grandfather, the former yokozuna of the same name, and frequently watches his matches to draw inspiration from his thrusting style (tsuki/oshi) as well as his father's grip fighting style (yotsu).

Kotozakura's fighting style, which allows him to stretch to nullify his opponents' strength, has been compared by former yokozuna Hakuhō and Wakanohana III to that of a mochi, a rice cake that is elastic when fresh.

Career record

See also

• List of active sumo wrestlers
• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of ozeki
• Active special prize winners
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up

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49. "琴ノ若８場所連続の勝ち越し決める「左が取れてよかった」埼玉栄高の後輩豪ノ山を上手投げで下す" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
50. "琴ノ若が痛恨４敗目で優勝争いから脱落　浅香山審判部副部長「厳しいのは厳しい」　場所後の大関昇進は絶望的" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
51. "熱海富士　初賜杯ならず…琴ノ若に敗れ2場所連続"準優勝"「来年頑張ります」敢闘賞21歳に大拍手" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
52. "熱海富士は敢闘賞　優勝した場合は殊勲賞の"２冠"" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
53. "琴ノ若、師匠の父・佐渡ケ嶽親方超え目前、１１勝で大関取りへ昇進目安あと１３勝…八角理事長も評価" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
54. "大関とり場所の琴ノ若初黒星　見せ場なく若元春に押し出される「結果は結果。引きずらないよう」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
55. "新入幕の大の里が６連勝で勝ち越し　優勝争いのトップ守る　10日目は大関とりの琴ノ若戦" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
56. "大関とりの琴ノ若が新入幕大の里との１敗対決を制す　優勝争いのトップを守った" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
57. "２敗で照ノ富士、霧島、琴ノ若の３人が並ぶ　琴ノ若は照ノ富士に敗れる　綱取りを目指す霧島は豊昇龍を破る" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
58. ^ "関脇琴ノ若が大関霧島を撃破　優勝＆大関昇進へ大前進　前日照ノ富士に敗戦後は車中で絶叫" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
59. ^ "三賞が決定！技能賞に琴ノ若、殊勲賞に若元春　新入幕・大の里は敢闘賞、島津海は千秋楽勝てば" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
60. "【大相撲】琴ノ若が翔猿を破って本割２敗で照ノ富士との優勝決定戦へ　大関昇進も決定的に" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
61. "横綱照ノ富士が昨年夏場所以来４場所ぶりの復活Ｖ　優勝回数が日馬富士と並ぶ９回に" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
62. "横綱照ノ富士４場所ぶり９度目Ｖ　日仏友好杯の副賞で恒例の巨大なピンク色マカロン受け取る" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
63. "琴ノ若　照ノ富士との優勝決定戦に敗れ涙「負けは負け。悔しいです」　大関昇進確実も喜びの表情なし" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
64. "琴ノ若の大関昇進が事実上決定　昇進目安の直近３場所33勝到達　初Ｖまでしこ名は変えず" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
65. "琴ノ若が大関昇進　新大関誕生は昨年名古屋場所後の豊昇龍以来、春場所は１横綱４大関に" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
66. "新大関琴ノ若誕生に使者の花籠親方「上を目指す大関に」、鳴戸親方「立派じゃないですか」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
67. "Sumo: Kotonowaka promoted to ozeki". Kyodo News. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
68. "新大関・琴ノ若　優勝の可能性が消滅…貴景勝に敗れ「結果がすべて」" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
69. "【春場所】豊昇龍　白星ほしさに〝変化〟で自滅…八角理事長「反省しないといけない」". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
70. "大相撲 琴ノ若が祖父のしこ名「琴櫻」襲名へ". NHK. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
71. "大関琴ノ若が琴桜に改名「いただいたものを汚さないように」祖父で名横綱のしこ名50年ぶり復活". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
72. "琴ノ若が琴桜に改名「自分のしこ名と思って」　祖父で先代師匠のしこ名が５０年ぶり復活　サインも披露". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
73. "【大相撲】琴ノ若〝琴桜〟襲名後のサインで試行錯誤「琴櫻は筆では書けない」". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). 29 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
74. "琴ノ若改め琴櫻「桜」ではなく「櫻」…先代師匠から受け継いだ表記へのこだわり". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
75. ^ "Sumo: Kotozakura beats fellow ozeki Hoshoryu to Kyushu championship". Kyodo News. 24 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
76. "Sumo: Kotozakura eyes yokozuna promotion following breakthrough title". Kyodo News. 25 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
77. "Wins of Kotonowaka". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
78. "特集 琴ノ若 大相撲初場所で新三役昇進 "大関に上がり琴櫻を襲名したい"". NHK (in Japanese). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
79. "【宮城野親方の目】万全の琴ノ若、まるで「つきたてのお餅」 豪ノ山の圧力吸収してから余裕の投げ". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
80. "【若乃花の目】琴ノ若は腰の位置や角度が抜群に良い　大関に上がる人が見せる強さを感じる". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 16 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
81. "Kotonowaka Masahiro Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
82. Withdrew on Day 11 due to COVID protocols

External links

• Kotozakura Masakatsu II's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage

• 1997 births
• Living people
• Japanese sumo wrestlers
• Kamatani family
• People from Matsudo
• Sumo people from Chiba Prefecture
• Sadogatake stable sumo wrestlers
• Ōzeki