Tamanofuji Shigeru

Tamanofuji Shigeru (玉ノ富士茂, born 24 November 1949 as Shigeru Akutsu) is a former sumo wrestler from Ogawa, Nasu District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

He played basketball in high school. He began his career in May 1967, joining Kataonami stable. However, he ran away from the stable shortly after fighting his first tournament in the lowest jonokuchi division, and joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. After being discharged, he returned to sumo in September 1970, winning two straight tournaments (or yūshō) in the jonokuchi and jonidan division. He reached sekitori status in November 1973 upon promotion to the jūryō division. In September 1974 he reached the top makuuchi division. In January 1978 he scored 11 wins against 4 losses at the rank of komusubi, including wins over all four ōzeki. As a result, he was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize and promotion to sekiwake for the following tournament. He held the rank a further five times, and stayed in the san'yaku ranks for eight consecutive tournaments. In September 1979 he defeated the eventual tournament winner, yokozuna Kitanoumi to earn his first kinboshi (he had defeated yokozuna Wajima on two previous occasions but had been ranked in san'yaku so was not eligible for a kinboshi). The victory was remarkable as Tamanofuji had lost every one of his previous 19 matches with Kitanoumi. He was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. He defeated Kitanoumi again in the next tournament in November 1979, but did not get a kinboshi as he was ranked as a komusubi (he also defeated Wajima for the third time in this tournament, and was awarded his second Fighting Spirit prize). However, he did pick up another kinboshi in November 1980 with a win over Mienoumi. In 1981 he fell back to the jūryō division and he retired in November of that year.

He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Minatogawa. In 1987 he became head of the Kataonami stable following the death of the previous head, his old boss Tamanoumi Daitaro. As Kataonami Oyakata he produced several top division wrestlers including Tamakasuga, Tamanoshima, Tamarikido, Tamaasuka and Tamawashi. In February 2010 he handed over control of the stable to Tamakasuga and adopted the Tateyama name. In February 2012 he joined the board of Directors of the Sumo Association. In November 2014 he reached the Sumo Association's mandatory retirement age of sixty-five. He no longer has full oyakata status, but following a rule change he was rehired by the Sumo Association as a san'yo or consultant for a period of five years with reduced pay, the first example of this happening.

Tamanofuji had a steady, unspectacular style, and has been described as a "dull and plodding grinder." His most common winning kimarite was yorikiri or force out, followed by hatakikomi, slap down. His favoured grip on his opponent's mawashi was migiyotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position.