Former Grand Champion Sumo Wrestler Kisenosato Yutaka Kept His Marriage in Secret – Bunshun Revealed Why

As reported today, we are pleased to announce our marriage. I will be more determined and will continue to work hard to nurture the next generation of wrestlers.

On April 27, Former grand champion sumo wrestler Kisenosato Yutaka (35), the head of the Nishonoseki stable, reported his marriage on the stable’s official Twitter page.

The report today refers to the news reported on the front page of “Sports Nippon” on the same day.  This was an unusual report, as it was preceded by a report in a sports paper, rather than announced by Kisenosato‘s own announcement. What was behind this?

The reason was that the next day’s issue of the Shukan Bunshun (Weekly Bunshun) had reported Kisenosato’s marriage. He must have made the announcement through a sports paper before “Bunshun” came out. Kisenosato frankly admitted his marriage to the reporter. He prefaced his answer by saying, “Not many people know about it yet,” according to a reporter for a sports paper.

No marriage proposal, just a ring.

Kisenosato got married in January of this year; he met her through an acquaintance about three years ago, and they began dating at the end of last year. What kind of woman is he dating?

“She seems to be petite and lovely, with a gentle personality. She is said to resemble actress Yuko Oshima. I heard that they share the same taste in food, which was the deciding factor in their marriage. She gave him a ring without proposing.”

In an interview with “SpoNichi,” he said, “I can respect her and feel comfortable with her.” As for his ideal married life, he expressed his own theory: “Sumo wrestlers are the reason for the sumo room. A sumo stable is a place where the wrestlers and the staff can live in a stress-free environment. I hope to create a stress-free environment for the wrestlers and staff. I have only been a master for a short time, so I want to work steadily every day.” according to a reporter for a sports paper.

In December, he took over the signature name of the stable and renamed it the Nishonoseki stable. Currently, there are 18 wrestlers  in the stable.

“What is strange is that Kisenosato did not make his marriage public until he was interviewed by Bunshun. If he made it public, he would have received many congratulatory gifts from the supporters’ association and the Tanimachi, and the stable would have been enriched. I don’t think there is any reason to hide it unless there is a lot of opposition from the people around him…” according to a reporter for a sports paper.

Why did Kisenosato not reveal the existence of his wife for nearly half a year after their marriage?

“I think there are two reasons: First, the new coronavirus has made it impossible to hold a big wedding ceremony or reception. She may have held off on making a public announcement until she was ready to make an announcement in front of a large group of supporters.”

The second reason is Kisenosato’s earnest character. The Nishonoseki stable has secured a plot of land in Ami-cho, next to Kisenosato’s hometown of Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, but the building has not been completed. They are currently renting the facilities of the University of Tsukuba Sumo Club and practicing there. The stable will open in June. I think that Kisenosato, who tries to keep everything straight, did not want to be noticed for his personal matters until the stable officially started. It is a typical Kisenosato attitude,” said an official of the Sumo Association.

The summer tournament was held in May, the stable opened in June, and Kisenosato celebrated his 36th birthday in July… Kisenosato will spend busy but fulfilling days with his beloved partner.