Initially fighting under the name Yamadanishiki, adapted from his own surname, he was given the shikona of Kirinishiki ("winning trophy") in 1984.
On the 14th day of the March 1992 tournament he received a win by default when his opponent Wakahanada withdrew, but he then broke his toe in training the following morning and had to withdraw from his final match, falling to a make-koshi 7–8.
In January 1993 he was forced to withdraw from what proved to be his final top division tournament with a left knee medial collateral ligament injury, and was demoted to juryo.
In March 2024, he was elected director of the Japan Sumo Association for the first time, his term of office to run until 2026.
Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi