Kurama Tatsuya

Who was Kurama Tatsuya?

Kurama Tatsuya was a sumo wrestler from Yasu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. He fought under his real name for his entire career, never adopting a traditional shikona. He made his debut for the Tokitsukaze stable in September 1968, retiring 21 years later in September 1989, at which point he was the oldest wrestler active in sumo. He was ranked in the top makuuchi division for 62 tournaments from 1976 to 1988, reaching a highest rank of sekiwake which he held for one tournament in May 1978. He won two Technique and one Fighting Spirit prize, and earned two kinboshi for defeating yokozuna. After his retirement he was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Shikoroyama, but left his role in 1990 due to ill health. He died of leukemia in 1995.