Daimon Kinoshita - 横綱北勝海信芳 (Yokozuna Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi)

A fabulous woodblock print by Daimon Kinoshita: 横綱北勝海信芳 (Yokozuna Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi). The wrestler is depicted in the powerful moment of shiomaki (塩まき, salt-throwing) before a bout. Hokutoumi’s broad stance and strong gaze emphasise his intensity, with one hand casting salt while the other rests firmly at his hip. His body is set against a dark backdrop, the baskets of salt grounding the scene in the ritual solemnity of the dohyo. A wonderful piece celebrating the grandeur of a modern Yokozuna. 🧂💪

• Year & Edition: 1985 onward · Published by 京都版画院 (Kyoto Hanga-In). Carved by 木島重男 (Kishima Shigeo). Printed by 栃木義郎 (Tochigi Yoshiro). Margin inscriptions include “不許按製” (rights), 財団法人 日本相撲協会 (Japan Sumo Association), and copyright seals, with Kinoshita’s “Daimon” and edition seals below.
  
• Medium: Woodblock.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet W: 27.00 cm × H: 41.00 cm.
  
• Condition: Wonderfully stored; strong, beautiful colours, paper crisp & intact.
  
• Notes: Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi (北勝海信芳, b. 1963) was promoted in 1987 to become the 61st Yokozuna, celebrated as an oshi-sumo specialist with a powerful tachi-ai charge and thrusting technique. Retiring in 1992, he went on to found the Hakkaku stable and has held senior roles within the Japan Sumo Association, including chairman. Daimon Kinoshita comments on his website (www.daimon-e.sakura.ne.jp):「第６１代横綱。」(61st Yokozuna).

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]