An amateur sumo competitor while studying at Kinki University, he joined Kise stable and made his professional debut in January 2009.

After spending most of 2018 and 2019 in the second tier, Tokushōryū returned to makuuchi in January 2020 and recorded 14 wins to take an upset top-division championship victory at the age of 33.

In his fourth year in university he made the decision to join Kise stable and first stepped into the ring for the January 2009 tournament, along with other contemporaries such as Takarafuji, Kimikaze and Takanoiwa.

This was followed by a disastrous 2–13 record for the January 2012 tournament, largely due to a knee injury, which dropped him back to makushita.

Fighting from the low rank of maegashira 16 in the January 2015 tournament he scored 11–4 and was runner-up to Hakuhō, who won a record-breaking 33rd yūshō.

He returned to the top division in May 2019 but only for one tournament as he recorded four wins against eleven losses, a failure he later attributed to a "lack of appetite for victory" because he was content simply to be in makuuchi again.

[3] After recording eight wins in November 2019 he earned his sixth promotion to the top division and started the January 2020 tournament at west maegashira 17, making him the lowest-ranked of the 42 entrants.

The final match on the last day of the tournament saw Tokushōryū pitted against ōzeki Takakeishō and needing to win to take the title: if he lost he would have to face Shōdai again in a play-off.

Tokushōryū secured a right hand outside grip on Takakeishō's belt and forced his opponent out of the ring to win by yorikiri.

[3] When asked if his good results in the early part of the tournament had led him to focus on the championship, Tokushōryū said: "I didn't think about it... OK, That's a lie.

"[5] Referring to his visible display of emotion upon clinching victory, rarely seen on the dohyō, he said, "I might have cried too much, but at that moment I felt relieved from all the pressure.

"[5] Tokushōryū also paid tribute to his mentor at Kindai University's sumo club, Katsuhito Ito, who had died suddenly at the age of 55 on the seventh day of the tournament.

[12] The Japan Sumo Association made the official announcement about Tokushōryū's retirement (intai) the following day.

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