Background
Sadaji Tokitsukaze (real name: Akiyoshi Sadaji (龝吉 定次)) was born on February 9, 1912 in Oita Prefecture, Japan.
Futabayama (left) celebrates his wrestler Kagamisato's victory in the January 1953 tournament that saw him promoted to yokozuna
定次 双葉山
Sadaji Tokitsukaze (real name: Akiyoshi Sadaji (龝吉 定次)) was born on February 9, 1912 in Oita Prefecture, Japan.
Sadaji Tokitsukaze worked on fishing boats as young boy. He joined professional sumo in March 1927 at the age of 15, recruited by Tatsunami stable.
Sadaji Tokitsukaze became Juryo wrestler (Juryo: The intermediary grade between Makuuchi, senior grade, and Makushita, junior grade) (1931); starting with summer tournament of 1936 in which he appeared as Sekiwake (third-ranking wrestler) maintained championship for 12 consecutive seasons establishing a record of 69 successive victories.
At age of 26 was promoted to the top rank of Yokozuna (May 1937) and achieved fame as the greatest Yokozuna since Hitachiyama. He was the 35th yokozuna in sumo wrestling, from 1937 until 1945.
He retired from the ring (1945), founded Futabayama Dōjō (which presently is called Tokitsukaze Training Quarters) where he has been engaged in training of his pupils. Sadaji Tokitsukaze was a director of Dai-Nippon Sumo Kyokai (The Great Japan Sumo Wrestling Association).
Physical Characteristics: Sadaji Tokitsukaze was actually blind in one eye, due to an injury suffered in his youth. His height was 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in). He weighed 128 kg (282 lb; 20.2 st).
Sadaji Tokitsukaze was one of the first top wrestlers to break away from the tradition of marrying his stablemaster's daughter, instead choosing a young heiress from a rich Kansai family. Their reception was held in April 1939 at the Tokyo Kaikan.