He started sumo in high school, and in his third year contributed to his team taking the championship in a national tournament.

He benefitted from a large number of retirements in the jūryō division following a match-fixing scandal, with the Sumo Association needing to over-promote to fill the gaps.

However he took advantage of his good fortune by putting in a strong 9–6 score in July and was promoted to the top division for the September 2011 tournament.

This feat took him fifteen years and 93 tournaments from his professional debut, the third slowest rise to the top division in the history of sumo.

He was also the second oldest wrestler since World War II to earn promotion to makuuchi for the first time at 34 years, 3 months.

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