<figure id="attachment_277210" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277210" style="width: 2632px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c324642a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/jpp12004204.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277210" class="wp-caption-text">Dairyu Chishiro was popular for his uninhibited behavior (Image: Jiji Press)</figcaption></figure>
 I don&#8217;t get nervous. The only time I have been nervous in my life was when I was playing mahjong and I got a big four-way tie.
 Chiyodairyu (34), the 12th maegashira, who announced his retirement during the November tournament, made everyone around him laugh. The reason for his retirement is that &#8220;I like meat, so I want to open a yakiniku restaurant. He dozed off in the tense preparation room, did not do any preparation exercises, and was told by his valet that &#8220;sprinkling salt three times is training. &#8230;&#8230; Chiyodairyu sometimes infuriated his stablemaster and at other times stunned the press with his outlandish words and actions. We would like to introduce the endearing &#8220;silly&#8221; legend of this unique rikishi, who will regrettably retire.
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
 Chiyodaairyu was a controversial figure from the time of his initiation (January 2011). He failed the mandatory sumo training course because he did not attend for a sufficient number of days. Here is his &#8220;defense&#8221; at the time.
 I was told to come back in October.
 He won the juryo division championship in the January 2012 tournament, but his tendency to back down was noticeable, as was his use of &#8220;yikidoshi&#8221; and &#8220;tsukkomi&#8221; (a strike in the head). His master, Kokonoe Oyakata (former yokozuna Chiyonofuji), who had demanded that Chiyodairyu take the initiative, was furious with him, saying that he was &#8220;licking his chops. Chiyodairyu countered, &#8220;I am not a special student.
 I am not a special student, and I have come this far through this kind of sumo. If I change my style of wrestling because of someone else&#8217;s words, I will be denying myself.
<h2> Kachi-Age,&#8221; a move that is always the right thing to do.</h2>
<figure id="attachment_277205" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277205" style="width: 3648px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="2df137ec"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/aflo_84431769.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277205" class="wp-caption-text"> Chiyodairyu was the first sumo wrestler from Adachi-Shinden, a Tokyo Metropolitan high school. His favorite food is calpis and his least favorite food is natto (image: Afro).</figcaption></figure>
 In the March 2013 tournament, he was promoted to the second maegashira, his highest rank at the time. He must have been in a good mood, because on the fourth day before his match against Yokozuna Hima Fuji, he made a big-mouth remark that could be taken as a provocation.
 I think everyone is just scared,&#8221; he said. I&#8217;m going to do a kachi-age (kariage) on Yokozuna.
 As predicted, he did exactly what he said he would do: he kiki-upped and then pulled out all the way for the white star. He won a gold medal in his first challenge for yokozuna. However, in the May 14 tournament, he was pitted against yokozuna on three consecutive days and lost three in a row. He revealed his true feelings, saying, &#8220;I was finally released from the torture. In the September tournament of the same year, he was promoted to komusubi. He was promoted to koboshi in the September tournament of the same year, and in that tournament he lost all 15 of his matches as a san&#8217;yaku. Hasn&#8217;t any rikishi ever lost all 15 of his bouts as a san &#8216;yaku? 　I will make history,&#8221; he said lightly, but he was injured and was absent from the 10th day of the tournament&#8230;&#8230;. He lost 1-10 and was 4-rest.
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
 In the May 17 tournament, he won 9 games and lost 6 for the first time in 8 places. When asked by the press, &#8220;You are on the verge of returning to the san&#8217;yaku ranks,&#8221; he replied, &#8220;I can&#8217;t climb a high mountain all of a sudden.
 I don&#8217;t think I can climb a high mountain right off the bat. I will start with Mt. McKinley (in Alaska, 6,190 meters above sea level) someday.
 On the 11th day of the 9th tournament in 2007 against Goeido, he cut his lip and bled profusely. He made the worried press laugh by saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m going to have to keep my gums and lip in good shape for the next tournament.
 I&#8217;m going to train my gums and lips for the upcoming tournament. （I&#8217;m going to eat meat, which I love. Even though I know it stings, I&#8217;m going to eat about five servings of liver.
 Dairyu Chiyo has chosen to manage a yakiniku restaurant as his second life. If he can fully demonstrate his lovable character, the restaurant will soon be &#8220;full to capacity.
<figure id="attachment_277206" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277206" style="width: 4589px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="545071a2"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/aflo_101123709.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277206" class="wp-caption-text"> His unique way of taking a bite was called &#8220;MSP (Meigetsuin Special)&#8221; from his real name, Meigetsuin Hidemasa (Image: Afro).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_277207" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277207" style="width: 3000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f9dff873"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/aflo_101123706.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277207" class="wp-caption-text"> He sometimes &#8220;talks frankly&#8221; to the press, saying, &#8220;I won today, so even if I lose all the rest, I&#8217;ll stay in the makunouchi (top division)&#8221; (Image: Afro)</figcaption></figure>

 Jiji Press Afro

 Chiyodaoryu retired, saying that he wanted to open a yakiniku restaurant. Since his entrance into the sport, he has entertained fans with his eccentric behavior. This is a collection of rare episodes of the lovable wrestler who sometimes infuriated his master and sometimes stunned the press. A look back at the unique life of Chiyodaoryu.

The legend of Chiyodaoryu, the retired wrestler, who dozed off in his dressing room and provoked a yokozuna…

Access Ranking