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Shirokuma Yūta
白熊 優太
Shirokuma in January 2024
Personal information
Born	Yūta Takahashi (1999-05-25) May 25, 1999 (age 25) Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	161 kg (355 lb; 25.4 st)
Career
Stable	Nishonoseki
University	Nippon Sport Science University
Current rank	see below
Debut	May, 2022
Highest rank	Maegashira #16 (September, 2024)
Championships	1 (Jūryō) 1 (Jonidan) 1 (Jonokuchi)
* Up to date as of 25 December 2023.

Shirokuma Yūta (Japanese: 白熊 優太, born 25 May 1999 as Yūta Takahashi (高橋 優太, Takahashi Yūta)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture. After a successful amateur career, he joined Nishonoseki stable and began his professional career in May 2022. His highest rank has been maegashira 16.

Early life and sumo background

Takahashi began sumo at the age of 4 at the recommendation of his grandfather. He attended a local sumo dōjō in Fukushima prefecture, and at the age of 12 he left for Niigata prefecture to wrestle for more respectable programs. After graduating high school he enrolled in the Department of Martial Arts at Nippon Sport Science University, where he served as the captain of the school's sumo club during his fourth year. Following university graduation he joined Nishonoseki stable (run by the 72nd yokozuna Kisenosato), thus fulfilling his grandfather's wish of him going professional.

Career

Early career

Takahashi made his professional debut as a member of Nishonoseki stable in May 2022 along with fellow Nittaidai teammate Kayo [ja]. He would take the jonokuchi championship in the July 2022 tournament after a playoff against Kazuto, who handed him his sole loss of the tournament. In September 2022 he won all seven of his matches in the second-lowest jonidan division, winning the yūshō in a playoff. In November he won his first six contests at the rank of sandanme, but missed out on the championship after losing his final match to Hitoshi [ja].

Despite being unable to claim his third straight lower-division championship, Takahashi was promoted to the third-highest makushita division for the January 2023 tournament. In his next four tournaments he tallied a total of 22 wins against just four losses, progressing up to the rank of makushita 4 by July.

Jūryō promotion

When the rankings for the September 2023 tournament were announced, it was confirmed that Takahashi's 5-win result in July was sufficient to promote him to jūryō, professional sumo's second-highest division. This promotion was acquired at the same time as stablemate and Nittaidai classmate Ōnosato, marking the first promotion of two wrestlers from the same stable to the sekitori ranks in 11 years, as well as the first two from Nishonoseki stable to be raised by Kisenosato alone since he became stablemaster in 2019. At his press conference to mark the jūryō promotion Takahashi said: "There has been difficult times for Fukushima, and now I want to give back to my hometown by rising up the banzuke." This was in reference to his home prefecture, as well as his home town of Sukagawa, which had been damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Takahashi also mentioned that Sukagawa is the birthplace of Eiji Tsuburaya, and thus has a connection to Ultraman. "I want to be like Ultraman, someone that even young children can look up to and admire," he said.

In his jūryō debut Takahashi won 8 of his 15 matches, securing his kachi-koshi on Day 13 in a match against Ukrainian rikishi Shishi. In the following tournament in November he would again go 8–7, securing his winning record on Day 13 in a match against Yuma [ja].

On 22 December 2023 Nishonoseki stable announced on their X account (formerly Twitter) that Takahashi's shikona, or ring name, would change to Shirokuma for the January 2024 tournament. "Shirokuma" is Japanese for polar bear, and the post indicated that the name was in reference to him being referenced as a muscular competitor with fair skin. The post also said that Takahashi was taught to wrestle like the late Hokuten'yū, whose nickname was the "white bear of the north sea," which influenced his decision to adopt the new name.

Shirokuma withdrew from the March 2024 tournament, complaining of back pain after injuring himself in his match against Kagayaki. However, he did not rule out the possibility of returning to the competition. On the thirteenth day of the tournament, he was placed for the first time of his career in a makuuchi match, against upper-division wrestler Daiamami, losing the match by yorikiri.

Shirokuma took the jūryō division title at the July 2024 tournament for his third professional sumo championship, winning his Day 15 contest to avoid a three-way playoff. The result saw him promoted to the top division for the September tournament.

Fighting style

Shirokuma has shown a preference for yotsu techniques which involve grasping his opponent's mawashi, or belt. His most common kimarite, or winning moves, are yorikiri force-out wins. His preferred grip is listed as migi-yotsu, or a right arm inside and left hand outside position.

Personal life

Shirokuma maintains a long friendship with Ōnosato, his junior with whom he shared his university and professional years. The two often go to restaurants together during tournaments, and Ōnosato nicknames Shirokuma "polar bear-san".

Career record

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of active sumo wrestlers

References

1. "Winners of each division below Juryo". Baseball Magazine. p.69: Baseball Magazine. August 2022.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
2. "All New Disciples". Baseball Magazine. p.93: Baseball Magazine. June 2022.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
3. "日体大・嘉陽快宗と高橋優太が二所ノ関部屋入門会見「恩返しができるように力を付けて」中村親方". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 5 April 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
4. "高橋が優勝決定戦制し序ノ口優勝「しっかりした相撲とれた」本割で敗れた一翔と"再戦"リベンジ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 24 July 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
5. "高先場所序ノ口優勝の高橋が序二段もＶ「うれしい気持ちいっぱい」狙い通りの攻めで寄り切り". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 25 September 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
6. "三段目は一翔と日翔志が全勝で優勝決定戦へ　ともにしこ名は下の名前". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 25 November 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
7. "二所ノ関部屋二重の喜び 大の里が所要2場所、高橋も所要8場所で新十両昇進決める". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 27 July 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
8. "高橋新十両に昇進　須賀川出身 「相撲磨いて上位に". Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
9. "十両の高橋が初場所から「白熊（しろくま）」に改名　二所ノ関部屋公式Ｘ報告にファン歓喜". Nikkan Sports. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
10. "珍名力士、白熊が腰の痛みを訴え、8日目から休場　7日目の取組で痛める". Sports Nippon. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
11. "十両の白熊が幕内の取組で敗戦「痛みがなければ暴れることも…」". Nikkan Sports. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
12. "十両白熊（須賀川出身）が初優勝、幕内昇進確実　大相撲名古屋場所" (in Japanese). Fukushima Minyu Shimbun. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
13. "新入幕白熊が牙むいた「大の里と優勝決定戦」中学からの後輩で普段から仲良い弟弟子との対戦が夢" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
14. "Shirokuma Yuta Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 27 November 2023.

External links

Shirokuma Yūta's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage

• 1999 births
• Living people
• Japanese sumo wrestlers
• Sumo people from Fukushima Prefecture
• Nippon Sport Science University alumni