Jinmaku Kyūgorō

Jinmaku Kyūgorō (陣幕 久五郎, June 4, 1829 – October 21, 1903) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Itō, Izumo Province.

Jinmaku was born in Ou District, Izumo Province (modern Matsue, Shimane Prefecture).

In 1847, he became a pupil of a wrestler named Hatsushio Kyūgorō in Onomichi, Bingo Province (now in Hiroshima Prefecture).

[1] When Hatsushio died in 1848, he moved to Osaka and became a pupil of Asahiyama Shirouemon, fighting his first bout in 1850 and taking the shikona, or ring name, Makinosuke Kuroodoshi (黒縅巻之助).

[1] His change of affiliation laid the groundwork for a rivalry between Jinmaku and the other Tokushima domain wrestlers, which resulted in several grudge matches.

However, Osaka-sumo has been in constant turmoil, with many deserters and with the death of his collaborator Asahiyama, the power of Jinmaku rapidly declined.

[1][2] In 1900, he erected the Yokozuna Rikishi Memorial Monument in the grounds of the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine in the Koto ward of Tokyo.

Woodblock print of Jinmaku