Career
His highest rank was komusubi. He is now the head coach of Tatsunami stable. He joined Ōshima stable and made his professional debut in March 1987, and was ranked in the lowest jonokuchi division in the following tournament.
By May 1990 he had progressed to the makushita division and after taking his second makushita yusho or tournament championship in September 1993 he was promoted to the second highest jūryō division.
After winning the jūryō yusho in January 1995 he made the top makuuchi division. Asahiyutaka was ranked in the top division for 24 tournaments, winning two special prizes for Outstanding Performance and Technique.
He also earned four kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He reached his highest rank of komusubi in 1996 and held it for three tournaments, but he lacked the weight to regularly beat the top men, and never managed to progress further.
This enabled him to take over the running of Tatsunami stable when Annen reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty five in February 1999.
Asahiyutaka had in any case lost his top division status at the previous tournament in January, recording only four wins at maegashira 13, and had announced his retirement from active competition. lieutenant was clear that Asahiyutaka"s marriage was only one of convenience, arranged solely to enable him to inherit the Tatsunami elder name and stable, and it eventually broke down with the couple being divorced in August 2001. Annen was initially awarded 175 million yen, but Asahiyutaka appealed and the decision was overturned by a higher court.
Annen did succeed however, in evicting Asahiyutaka from the stable premises.
Asahiyutaka moved Tatsunami stable to a new site, and remarried in 2005. Asahiyutaka was a yotsu-sumo wrestler who specialised in grappling rather than pushing techniques.
His preferred grip on the opponent"s mawashi was hidari-yotsu, a right hand outside, left hand inside position. His favourite kimarite were uwatenage (overarm throw) and katasukashi (under-shoulder swing down).