However, while recuperating from a baseball injury he was persuaded to drop out of school and join Dewanoumi stable where his father, the former sekiwake Oginohana Masaaki, worked as a coach.

As he rose up the ranks Oginohana's strong and supple physique, and the power of his right arm overarm throw, were much admired.

Twice he was in a position when he would have been awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize if he had won on the final day of the tournament, but on both occasions he lost (to Terao on his top division debut in January 1990 and Takahanada in March 1991).

In February 2014 he became the head coach of Dewanoumi stable, succeeding former sekiwake Washūyama who was also nearing retirement age.

In addition, none of those seven became yokozuna or ōzeki, and in Japan they are compared unfavourably with their contemporaries from professional baseball where "Kuwata–Kiyohara Generation" is regarded as a golden age.

It was diagnosed as variant angina and he was saved by the availability of an automated external defibrillator, which was required by the Sumo Association to be installed at every stable following the death of his stablemate Ryūkozan in 1990.

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi