Sekiwake Mitakeumi credits the cheers of his home prefecture with helping him win his first career title.
A prospect for the next ozeki, Mitakeumi, 25, won the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday. The basho has been described as a tournament "without leading actors," due to the absence of the three yokozuna and other major wrestlers.
Mitakeumi, a member of the Dewanoumi stable, clinched his first career title on Day 14, one day before the tourney ended. He is the first wrestler from Nagano Prefecture to win the Emperor's Cup.
"It's not too much to say that the cheers of local supporters helped me win the title," said a tearful Mitakeumi in a postmatch interview.
A native of Agematsu, Nagano Prefecture, Mitakeumi entered the world of sumo with much fanfare, after capturing the All-Japan collegiate and national amateur titles when he was a senior at Toyo University. He made his professional debut at the Spring tournament in 2015.
His ring name comes from Mt. Ontake near his hometown, with Ontake and Mitake sharing same kanji characters. The mountain's eruption in September 2014 caused serious damage, and Mitakeumi decided to use this name "to help rally my hometown."
The final part of his name -- umi, meaning sea -- comes from the last kanji character for Dewanoumi.
Nagano Prefecture was also the home of Edo-period (1603-1867) wrestler Raiden, called the strongest sumo wrestler of all time. However, no one from that prefecture has won a title since the current championship system was established in 1909.
"There is no sea in Nagano Prefecutre, so let me be the sea [for the prefecture]," Mitakeumi has said. He has competed in the dohyo ring with pride as a Nagano Prefecture native.
Stablemaster Dewanoumi (former makuuchi wrestler Oginohana) chose the ring name.
Mitakeumi initially had no intention of becoming a professional and received an job offer from the Wakayama prefectural government, a powerhouse in the field of amateur sumo.
However, the Dewanoumi stable, which at that time had no sekitori salaried wrestlers in the top two juryo and makuuchi divisions, eagerly invited the collegiate champion to join the stable. Mitakeumi eventually chose to do so, after he was asked to help revive the once-noted stable that had produced such strong wrestlers as legendary yokozuna Hitachiyama.
As an elite wrestler with significant achievements in amateur sumo, Mitakeumi rose quickly in the pro world. Wrestlers from collegiate sumo often fail to succeed as pros, as they are often criticized for "not being hungry."
However, Mitakeumi became the first wrestler from collegiate sumo to grab a grand sumo title since Kotomitsuki, who graduated from Nihon University, did so in the autumn tourney in September 2001.
"In the dohyo, being from collegiate sumo makes no difference," said Mitakeumi.
Stablemaster Dewanoumi, who watched him win at the Nagoya venue on Saturday, said: "I didn't expect he would let me watch him win a title so soon [after he entered my stable]."
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