Career
The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. He is now a sumo coach and head of the Kagamiyama stable. Tagaryu made his professional debut in March 1974.
lieutenant took him seven years to make the sekitori ranks, his promotion to the second highest jūryō division coming in January 1981.
He made his san"yaku debut at sekiwake rank in November 1983 but lasted only one tournament there and fell back to the maegashira ranks. At the September 1984 tournament, the last to be held at the Kuramae Kokugikan, Tagaryū was ranked maegashira 12 and knew that another make-koshi would leave him in danger of demotion from makuuchi altogether.
Tagaryū lost to maegashira Tochitsurugi on the ninth day. Wakashimazu lost to Konishiki on the eleventh day, leaving him with two losses.
The penultimate day saw Tagaryū, with one loss, drawn against Wakashimazu with two.
Tagaryū defeated the ōzeki by yoritaoshi, eliminating him from the title race. When Konishiki fell to Kotokaze on the final day, Tagaryū"s subsequent loss to Asashio was immaterial. He retired in May 1991.
Tagaryu preferred yotsu-sumo, or grappling techniques.
His favoured grip on the opponent"s mawashi was migi-yotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He also liked uwatenage, or overarm throw, and uwatedashinage, or pulling overarm throw.
His most common winning kimarite was yori-kiri, the force out, used in about 40 percent of his victories. Tagaryu has remained in the sumo world as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association.
He became head coach of Kagamiyama stable in 1996 upon the death of his old coach in his days as an active wrestler, former yokozuna Kashiwado.
In February 2010 he was elected to the Sumo Association"s board of Directors and currently also serves as a chief ringside judge.
