In his third year of junior high he was persuaded by the former head coach of Nishonoseki stable, the former sekiwake Tamanoumi Umekichi, to try sumo.
He was initially reluctant, but was persuaded by the fact that Tamanoumi Umekichi, by then a well-known NHK sumo commentator, was also from Nagasaki.
He joined an offshoot of Nishonoseki stable, Katonami, set up by another former sekiwake, Tamanoumi Daitarō.
Due to his small size, (he was only 177 cm (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) and 75 kg (165 lb) when he first joined) he made slow progress through the divisions.
[1] In March 1986 he reached his highest rank to date of maegashira 2, and though he only scored 5–10 he defeated the tournament winner Hoshi and ōzeki Asashio.
In November 1986 on the fourth day he defeated Chiyonofuji to earn his first (and only) kinboshi for a win over a yokozuna, in his 102nd career tournament, which is the slowest ever.
Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi