Yoshikaze is in second place for the slowest promotion from makuuchi debut to the third highest sekiwake rank in history, behind only his stablemate Takekaze.

He was an amateur sumo champion at Nippon Sport Science University, and won the college equivalent of the yokozuna title in his third year.

Because he wanted to wait until after his graduation from university before joining professional sumo, he missed out on the chance to enter at the level of the third makushita division.

At the start of his career he was considerably older and more experienced than most of the competition there and quickly worked his way up the ranks, winning two tournament titles in the jonokuchi and sandanme divisions with perfect 7–0 records.

In the November 2007 tournament he defeated fan favourite Takamisakari with the rare but spectacular technique of utchari, or spin throw from the edge of the ring.

This not only saw him win his third Fighting Spirit Prize, but also guaranteed him promotion to the san'yaku ranks for the first time, as all the maegashira above him on the banzuke had losing scores.

He recovered in May however, with a 10–5 result and then produced a career-best makuuchi score at Nagoya in July, finishing with 12–3 and earning a fourth Fighting Spirit prize.

His excellent form continued in September 2015 when his eleven wins from maegashira 1 included victories over both competing yokozuna, Hakuhō and Kakūryū.

[10] Returning to the sanyaku ranks at komusubi in May 2017, he defeated two yokozuna, Kisenosato and Kakuryū, in the first four days,[11] and received his third Technique Prize at the end of the tournament.

In February 2013 Yoshikaze acquired the Nakamura toshiyori kabu or elder stock from the former Fujizakura, indicating that he intended to stay in sumo as a coach upon his retirement.

[16] On the fifth day of the September 2019 tournament, with his continuing absence making demotion to the makushita division certain, he submitted his retirement papers to the Japan Sumo Association.

Wrestlers transferring to the new Nakamura stable included then-maegashira Tomokaze as well as Kayō [ja], who had just been promoted to the second-highest jūryō division.

[24] Yoshikaze's favourite techniques are listed at the Sumo Association as tsuki/oshi, meaning he preferred pushing and thrusting moves as opposed to fighting on the opponent's mawashi or belt.