The 11th yokozuna Shiranui Koemon (may also be known as Mitsuemon) was born in 1825 and died on February 24, 1879.  He has been largely credited with a dohyo-iri style he is said to have initiated and currently one of the two dohyo-iri styles performed by yokozuna.  The other is the Unryu style, which is known to have been originated by the 10th yokozuna Unryu Kyukichi (1822-1890).

The dohyo-iri forms by yokozuna Unryu and Shiranui were so admired for their simplicity and beauty in the day that the styles were widely accepted by later generations of yokozuna to this day.  Shiranui’s dohyo-iri was reported to be like “a white crane majestically spreading its wings”.

Most sumo historians believe that what is currently known as the Unryu style dohyo-iri was actually originated by Shiranui, as he is shown performing his dohyo-iri with his arm to his chest in the period painting.  Interestingly, it is actually the 22nd yokozuna Tachiyama Mine-emon (1877-1941) that is acknowledged as having perfected the current Shiranui dohyo-iri style, but Tachiyama himself was quoted as saying his dohyo-iri was based on yokozuna Unryu and he considered his dohyo-iri to be that of yokozuna Unryu.  The confusion about two dohyo-iri has not really been settled but yokozuna Shiranui’s dohyo-iri likely was closer to the current Unryu form.

 In the Unryu style of dohyo-iri, the yokozuna will put his left arm in front of his chest and extend his right arm while raising himself up.  Recent yokozuna Akebono, Takanohana and Musashimaru all performed Unryu dohyo-iri, as Asashoryu is doing now.  The act of putting the arm to the chest is considered a defensive move, while extending the right arm is an offensive gesture.  For this reason the Unryu style is said to be both an offensive and defensive form.

But in the Shiranui dohyo-iri, the yokozuna will extend both arms out to his side while raising himself up without bending his left arm to bring it to his chest. Another major difference is that the yokozuna rope of the Shiranui yokozuna is tied with two knots in the back rather than one, as in the Unryu yokozuna.  

More sumo fans are eager to see the Shiranui dohyo-iri  performed as there were so few yokozuna who adopted it, the last being the third Wakanohana (Masaru).  Most yokozuna who performed the Shiranui style were either not successful or else had a short tenure as yokozuna.  Of those, the 43rd yokozunaYoshibayama Junnosuke (1920-1977) won no yusho as yokozuna – while in recent memory – the yokozuna careers of Wakanohana III, Asahifuji, Takanosato and Kotozakura were short-lived.  Actually, as his shisho performed the Shirauni style, it is entirely conceivable that ozeki Kotooshu may go with it if he too becomes a yokozuna one day.

In the 2007 Natsu basho, ozeki Hakuho will be making another serious challenge for yokozuna promotion.  Should he win the yusho or equivalent he will most likely be promoted as the 69th yokozuna after the basho.  Already, active discussion is underway to see which dohyo-iri style Hakuho will be performing.
Hakuho is from Miyagino-beya and Yoshibayama was its founder.  After his retirement at the 1958 January basho, Yoshibayama was granted an ichidai (one generation) toshiyori by the Nihon Sumo Association and he then founded Yoshibayama Sumo Dojo, but then after he inherited the Miyagino toshiyori share, the dojo was renamed as Miyagino-beya.  For this reason, many fans of the Shiranui style of dohyo-iri are looking forward to seeing Hakuho continuing the tradition. Incidentally there is a chanko restaurant in Ryogoku named “Yoshiba” where the old Miyagino beya was located, and its old dohyo is still intact in the restaurant.

The 11th yokozuna Shiranui Koemon was born in the town of Ozu in Kumamoto Prefecture.  His grandfather competed as an ozeki in local amateur sumo tournaments while working on his farm.  By 16 years old the young Koemon (then known as Minematsu Harano) became well known locally as there was no opponent equal to him in sumo around the area.  Four years later, through a local wealthy landowner, the young Koemon was introduced to Minato oyakata in Osaka sumo, who is currently recognized as the 8th yokozuna, Shiranui Dakuemon.  The oyakata had been granted a yokozuna license from the House of Yoshida Tsukasa, and had competed in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto basho.  Minato oyakata was also from Kumamoto and had become a major power broker in Osaka sumo after his retirement from active sumo.

Minato oyakata took an instant liking to the young Koemon as he was not only from Kumamoto Prefecture, but the boy was also handsome and had light complexion despite his background as a peasant farmer.  His features and looks later garnered huge popularity and he was ardently followed by a great number of female fans.  His pictures were known to sell out as soon as they were released. 

Koemon made his dohyo debut initially as Shingari Minematsu in Osaka sumo when he was 20 years old and became dominant immediately.  Realizing his potential, Minato oyakata took him to Tokyo (Edo at the time) sumo in 1850.  Shingari made his Tokyo sumo debut at the 1850 November basho as makushita nidanme tsukedashi from Sakaigawa-beya.

Shingari improved his record every basho but due to the old customs, his banzuke ranking rose ever so gradually.  After eight years in Tokyo sumo, Shingari was finally promoted to maegashira in the 1856 November basho with a shikona name of Shingari Katsugoro.  The following basho, in January of 1857, his shisho gave him the new shikona of Shiranui Koemon after his own career shikona.  Koemon was already 31 years old.

“Shiranui” shikona comes from the village of Shiranui (currently a part of Uki City) in Kumamoto Prefecture. The village name was based on a natural phenomenon of mysterious flames said to occur on the nearby Sea of Ariake.

In his makuuchi debut, Shiranui faced Jinmanku Kyugoro – later the 12th yokozuna.  Even though Jinmaku was still a makushita rikishi he already was showing great promise.  Their bout became the hardest fought bout of the basho and ended in Shiranui’s loss.  Jinmaku was said to get especially motivated to face Shiranui as he felt Shiranui put him down when they met while walking on a street.  He sincerely greeted Shiranui but Shiranui laughed at him and ignored him.  In his career, Shiranui was never able to win a bout from Jinmaku; he faced him 15 times and lost 13 with 2 draws.  

In his days Shiranui faced the formidable four rikishi known as the “Awa Four Kings” – Jinmaku, Kimenzan Tanigoro (later yokozuna), Nijigatake Somaemon (later ozeki) and Onaruto Uraemon (later Maegashira 2).  They were all known as “Awa” as they were employed by the lord of Tokushima area (also known as Awa). After long years of struggle and perseverance, in the 1862 March basho Shiranui was finally promoted to ozeki. He was 37 years old and a dozen years had passed since he first arrived in Tokyo. 

During his ozeki debut basho there was a tragic incident at his heya that forced him to withdraw voluntarily from the last four days.  Makuuchi rikishi Koyanagi Heisuki of his heya was disliked vehemently by the heya’s lower ranked rikishi due to his constant rough treatment of them.  One day Shiranui’s two tsukebito had enough of Koyanagi and stabbed him to death.  Shiranui heard of the commotion and grabbed a sword and chased after them.  One of them later reported to the police and was imprisoned, while the other fled and his fate never became known.  Koyanagi was also from Kumamoto Prefecture and Shiranui felt he could not continue the basho, while knowing that an active rikishi was killed during the basho by his subordinates – this while he was sleeping in the next room and was unable to stop it.

Though his records as ozeki were neither distinguished nor noteworthy, Shiranui Koemon was granted the yokozuna license from the House of Yoshida Tsukasa in October 1863, after three basho as ozeki.  In the three basho he had 13 wins, 6 losses, 2 draws, 1 hold and 8 kyujo.  Clearly his yokozuna license was based on his immense popularity and his long years of service, as at this point he was already 38 years old.  Another possible reason was that the House of Yoshida Tsukasa was in a way his employer, as Shiranui was associated with the House of Hosokawa, the lord of Kumamoto, who held jurisdiction over the House of Yoshida Tsukasa.      

On the dohyo Shiranui was known for his skill and technique.  He could have competed with either oshi or yotsu style but once he grabbed the right mawashi, he showed extraordinary power and quickness.  He could respond to almost any opponent’s move, as he once grabbed a leg of sekiwake Ryogoku Kajinosuke – himself known to be an expert of lifting his opponent’s leg – and downed him cleanly. 

Shiranui Koemon retired from active sumo after the 1869 November basho.  He was 44 years old by then and could no longer physically continue.  But he could not stay away from the dohyo completely.  After he returned to his original ‘home’ of Osaka sumo, he inherited his shisho’s name Shiranui Dakuemon and for three years he continued to perform the dohyo-iri ceremony for which he became so well known.
 
As the head of Osaka sumo, Shiranui worked tirelessly to make it a financially viable enterprise until his death on February 24, 1879.

Shiranui competed in a chaotic age when the Tokugawa Dynasty was coming to a complete collapse.  Living in such an age, people sought solace in Ozumo and Shiranui provided them with many memorable bouts against his great foes like Kimenzan, Jinmaku and Unryu.

As he was promoted to ozeki late in his life, his ozeki records are not distinguished but in his days he was the best liked and most sought after rikishi.  His signature dohyo-iri ceremony was often more eagerly awaited than the bouts themselves. 

Shiranui’s legacy continues to this day, as his toshiyori share of Shiranui is currently held by former sekiwake Aobajo Yukio, and of course the famous Shiranui dohyo-iri  style is named after him.