Churanoumi Yoshihisa

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Churanoumi.

Churanoumi Yoshihisa (Japanese: 美ノ海 義久, born 6 May 1993 as Shinji Kizaki (木﨑 信志, Kizaki Shinji)) is a professional Japanese sumo wrestler from Okinawa Prefecture who debuted in March 2016. He has won three lower-division championships and reached the top makuuchi division in January 2024. His highest rank is maegashira 4. He wrestles for Kise stable. His younger brother was his stablemate at Kise under the shikona Kizakiumi (木崎海) until his retirement in August 2020.^[1]

Churanoumi Yoshihisa
美ノ海 義久
Personal information
Born	Shinji Kizaki (1993-05-06) May 6, 1993 (age 31) Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	141 kg (311 lb)
Career
Stable	Kise
University	Nihon University
Current rank	see below
Record	254-237-1
Debut	March 2016
Highest rank	Maegashira 4 (November 2024)
Championships	3 (Makushita, Sandanme, Jonidan)
* Up to date as of 30 October 2023.

Early life

Kizaki started sumo wrestling in elementary school in his native Okinawa. While in elementary school, he trained with high school students at Chūbu Norin High School, where his uncle was the sumo coach. In his second year of junior high school he placed in the top 16 in the National Junior High School Sumo Tournament.^[2] Originally intending to enter Chūbu Norin, he changed his mind and attended Tottori Jōhoku High School in Tottori Prefecture after visiting that school for a training session.^[3] One of his classmates, whom he defeated in individual competition, was future makuuchi champion Ichinojō.^[4] He attended Nihon University,^[5] where he was a member of their sumo club and a classmate of Tsushimanada.^[6]

Sumo career

Kizaki was recruited by former maegashira Higonoumi, the stablemaster of Kise stable.^[3] Ineligible to start higher on the banzuke under the tsukedashi system at the time, Kizaki's maezumo took place at the March 2016 tournament. In the following tournament he was officially ranked at the bottom jonokuchi division and won six of his seven matches. He then moved up the rankings, winning the jonidan championship in July and the sandanme championship in September with perfect records.

In May 2019 Kizaki was promoted to sekitori status with the rank of jūryō, having just won the makushita championship. Upon this promotion he changed his shikona, or ring name, from his birth surname to Churanoumi.^[7] After suffering a ten-loss record he was immediately demoted back to makushita, where he stayed until he was promoted to jūryō for the second time in January 2020. Aside from one tournament in July 2021 spent in makushita, he remained in the jūryō division; in September 2023 he won 10 of 15 matches for the first time in his career.^[5]

In November 2023 Churanoumi was promoted to the top makuuchi division.^[8] He told reporters that he was happy to receive the top-division promotion before the tournament in Kyushu, where many Okinawans come.^[8]

Fighting style

Churanoumi uses pushing and thrusting techniques, with his top kimarite being oshidashi (frontal push out) and yorikiri (frontal force out). He most commonly uses a hidari-yotsu grip, where his left hand is inside his opponent's right arm.

Career record

Churanoumi Yoshihisa^[9]

Year	January Hatsu basho, Tokyo	March Haru basho, Osaka	May Natsu basho, Tokyo	July Nagoya basho, Nagoya	September Aki basho, Tokyo	November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2016	x	(Maezumo)	West Jonokuchi #15 6–1	East Jonidan #38 7–0–P Champion	West Sandanme #39 7–0 Champion	East Makushita #26 4–3
2017	East Makushita #21 5–2	West Makushita #13 4–3	East Makushita #9 4–3	East Makushita #7 5–2	West Makushita #3 3–4	East Makushita #7 3–4
2018	East Makushita #11 4–3	East Makushita #7 4–3	East Makushita #4 4–3	West Jūryō #14 5–10	West Makushita #2 3–4	West Makushita #5 3–4
2019	East Makushita #9 4–3	East Makushita #5 7–0 Champion	East Jūryō #14 5–10	West Makushita #3 3–4	East Makushita #6 5–2	East Makushita #1 4–3
2020	West Jūryō #12 8–7	West Jūryō #7 6–9	West Jūryō #9 Tournament Cancelled 0–0–0	West Jūryō #9 8–7	East Jūryō #7 8–7	East Jūryō #6 8–7
2021	West Jūryō #3 7–7–1	East Jūryō #5 5–10	West Jūryō #9 3–12	West Makushita #3 5–2	East Jūryō #14 9–6	West Jūryō #8 7–8
2022	West Jūryō #9 6–9	West Jūryō #10 5–10	West Jūryō #14 9–6	West Jūryō #9 9–6	West Jūryō #6 9–6	East Jūryō #2 4–11
2023	East Jūryō #6 4–11	West Jūryō #10 9–6	West Jūryō #7 7–8	West Jūryō #7 8–7	East Jūryō #5 10–5	West Maegashira #15 9–6
2024	East Maegashira #13 7–8	West Maegashira #13 7–8	West Maegashira #13 8–7	West Maegashira #12 10–5	West Maegashira #7 10–5	East Maegashira #4 –
Record given as wins–losses–absences    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

• List of active sumo wrestlers

References

1. "十両木崎海が引退届、兄の美ノ海と兄弟関取で活躍" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
2. "Spring Tournament Review". Sumo News (in Japanese). Baseball Magazine Sha. April 2016. p. 110.
3. "Spring Tournament Review". Sumo News (in Japanese). Baseball Magazine Sha. April 2017. p. 90.
4. "第６６回国民体育大会における鳥取県選手団の成績について" (PDF) (in Japanese). Tottori Prefectural Board of Education [ja]. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
5. "美ノ海が新入幕　大相撲九州場所の新番付　沖縄出身では17年ぶり「正面から戦う力士になりたい」" (in Japanese). Okinawa Times. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
6. "花の新十両データバンク". Sumo Magazine [ja] (August 2016). Baseball Magazine, Inc.: 107.
7. "新十両に美ノ海ら昇進「沖縄の人に応援してもらえるように」" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
8. "美ノ海が新入幕「沖縄の人たちも多く来てくれる九州場所で決められたことが大きい」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
9. "Churanoumi Yoshihisa Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 8 November 2023.

External links

• Churanoumi Yoshihisa's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage