Hokuten'yū was scouted at the age of nine by former ōzeki Masuiyama Daishiro I of Mihogaseki stable, and given 3,000 yen to ensure his commitment.
In his early career he fought under his own surname of Chiba, but in 1978 he was given the shikona of Hokuten'yū, or "heavenly gift from the north", a reference to his birthplace.
In March 1983 he shared second place with a 12–3 score, and in May he swept the rest of the field aside, losing only to Takanosato and winning his first tournament championship with a superb 14–1 record.
Hokuten'yū had accumulated 37 wins over the course of the previous three tournaments, and it was seen as only a matter of time before he joined his stablemate Kitanoumi at the rank of yokozuna.
After finishing runner-up for the fourth time in November 1985, he was rarely in contention for the title in subsequent tournaments, and he was also restricted by a serious knee injury suffered in a match against Konishiki in March 1987.
Hokuten'yū withdrew from the September 1990 tournament after suffering four losses in a row and announced his retirement from sumo at the age of 30.
Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi