Quick Facts
Biography
Maruyama Gondazaemon (丸山 権太左衛門, December 23, 1713, Miyagi Prefecture – November 14, 1749) was a sumo wrestler. He is formally recognised as the third yokozuna. His real name was Haga Gindayu (芳賀 銀太夫). He came from a village in the Sendai Domain (part of what is now Miyagi Prefecture).
Career
Gondazaemon went to Edo (now Tokyo) at the age of just 17, and was trained by Nanatsumori Oriemon (七ツ森折右衛門). His height was 197 cm and his weight was 166 kg. He left Edo to fight in Osaka sumo. In Osaka, he debuted at west ōzeki in 1737. It is said that he lost only two bouts in his career.
He is considered to have been a strong wrestler but it has not been proven that he was awarded a yokozuna license. In honor of him, the house of Yoshida Tsukasa allowed him to be their disciple from August 1749 but this did not confer him the status of yokozuna. However, there are tales told that he wore a black-and-white rope. Though it was not a traditional shimenawa, Masahiko Nomi conjectured that it may have been related to the shimenawa.
Gondazaemon died in Nagasaki while an active sumo wrestler on November 14, 1749 possibly from dysentery. His grave lies in Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture. A statue of him stands in Yoneyama, Tome, Miyagi Prefecture.
It was not until over 150 years after his death that he was recognised as the third yokozuna by later yokozuna Jinmaku when he was compiling a formal list for a monument.
His life and career predate banzuke and tournament records so no record of his rank and bouts exists.