Daimon Kinoshita - 双葉山土俵入り (Yokozuna Futabayama Sadaji Ring-Entering Ceremony)

A fabulous woodblock print by Daimon Kinoshita: 双葉山土俵入り (Yokozuna Futabayama Sadaji Ring-Entering Ceremony). This commanding portrait shows Futabayama Sadaji (双葉山定次, 1912-1968), the 35th Yokozuna, performing the dohyō-iri. His imposing figure is emphasized by the sacred white tsuna (綱) rope, from which hang zigzagging shide (紙垂) streamers, a powerful Shinto symbol of purity and elevated status. Futabayama is revered for his astonishing 69-bout winning streak, an unmatched record in sumo history, and for his legendary rivalries with Minanogawa and Akinoumi. 🏯💪

• Year & Edition: 1985 · Published by 京都版画院 (Kyoto Hanga-In). Carved by 木島重男 (Kishima Shigeo). Printed by 伊藤達也 (Ito Tatsuya). Publisher and copyright inscriptions to margins.
  
• Medium: Woodblock.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 41.00 cm × W: 27.00 cm.
  
• Condition: Wonderfully stored; strong, beautiful colours, paper crisp & intact.
  
• Notes: Futabayama, born in Oita Prefecture, was promoted to Yokozuna in 1937 and is remembered as one of the greatest rikishi of all time. His dominance and technical skill set a benchmark in sumo history. After retirement, he became head of the Tokitsukaze stable (時津風部屋) and later served as chairman of the Japan Sumo Association (理事長) until his death in 1968. Daimon Kinoshita comments on his website (www.daimon-e.sakura.ne.jp): 「時津風理事長時代しか知りませんので、土俵入は見ていないのですが。 正面顔の錦絵は江戸時代にも多くは描かれていません。」 (“I only know of the time when Tokitsukaze was chairman, so I haven’t actually seen his ring-entering ceremony. Even in the Edo period, nishiki-e (colour woodblock prints) depicting a full face from the front were not often drawn").

About the Artist

Born in Hokkaidō in 1946, Daimon Kinoshita is Japan’s foremost contemporary artist of sumo nishiki-e (錦絵). Since 1985 he has worked closely with the Japan Sumo Association, using authentic Edo-period ukiyo-e techniques and the traditional hanmoto system of artist, carver, and printer. His woodblock prints bring Yokozuna, Ōzeki, and rikishi to life in bold ceremonial portraits, often depicting the dohyō-iri (土俵入り) ring-entrance with mica (kirazuri) details that echo Edo traditions. Sold at the Kokugikan arena and presented to visiting dignitaries, Kinoshita’s works combine beauty, craft, and cultural significance, keeping the art of nishiki-e alive in the modern age. [ ← View All Works by Daimon Kinoshita]