Asakayama Oyakata in the spotlight due to the Hakuho problem… The human power of Kaio, the greatest ozeki in history, who embodied “gentle in spirit but powerful in power
Perhaps the episode with former ozeki Chishio-Okai (now the Kuju stablemaster) that best symbolizes Kaio’s good-natured personality is the following: ”On the third day of the January tournament in 2010, Kaio defeated Chishio-Okai to set a new makuuchi record of 808 victories. On the third day of the January 2010 tournament, Kaio set a new record with a total of 808 wins in the makuuchi division by defeating Chiyotaoumi. He broke Yokozuna Chiyonofuji’s record for the first time in 19 years. However, Kaio declined an interview with Chishiooumi, who had decided to retire after that bout. About that time, Kokonoe Oyakata said, “Normally, I wouldn’t have refused [an interview],
He said, “Normally, I couldn’t refuse an interview, but he said, ‘You know the relationship between me and Chiyodaoumi. You know my relationship with Chiyotaoumi. There is no way I can go to a winner’s interview when I might retire today. …… When I heard Kaio-san said that, I cried in the bathroom.
(Number Web, September 10, 2010). He also had this episode with Chiyodaoumi: …….
On the 10th day of the July ’11 tournament, when Kaio was down 3-7 and almost certain to lose, he decided to retire. Even if he had lost the next tournament, he would have been able to set a new record by surpassing Chiyotaoumi with 66 ozeki stints if he had competed in the next tournament as a kadoban. However, it is said that he decided to retire out of consideration for Chiyotaikai,” said a sumo magazine reporter.
Kaio’s chance for promotion to yokozuna came in 2004. After winning his fifth championship at the Autumn Tournament, Kaio went on to win the following Kyushu Tournament with a record of 12 wins and three losses.
At the time, Kaio had been without a Japanese yokozuna for more than a year, and although he had missed two consecutive tournaments, he was the runner-up after defeating yokozuna Asashoryu in the last round, so everyone thought he would be promoted to yokozuna, but he was passed over,” said an association official at the time.
However, Kaio never complained about the decision.
The criteria for promotion were very strict at the time. Furthermore, Kaio, who knew best how strong Takanohana was, who was a yokozuna at the same time, compared himself to Takanohana and told everyone around him that he was not of that caliber. I think he was satisfied with the decision.
