It took him about five years to make the sekitori ranks, climbing the divisions steadily without picking up any yusho or championships along the way.
In September of that year he scored an impressive ten wins, defeating yokozuna Kitanoumi to earn his first kinboshi.
In the following tournament he defeated Kitanoumi and Chiyonofuji in the first two days, winning the Outstanding Performance prize and promotion back to sekiwake.
In July 1989, at the age of 30, he produced a strong 11-4 record and won the Fighting Spirit prize for the third time, earning one last promotion to the titled ranks in the following September tournament.
He recruited the Mongolian wrestler Kōryū in 2000, and he became the stable's first sekitori after the November 2006 tournament, and reached the top division in July 2008.
[6] Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi