Daimon Kinoshita - 横綱隆の里土俵入り (Yokozuna Takanosato Toshihide Ring-Entering Ceremony)

A fabulous woodblock print by Daimon Kinoshita: 横綱隆の里土俵入り (Yokozuna Takanosato Toshihide Ring-Entering Ceremony). The 59th Yokozuna is shown performing his stately dohyō-iri (土俵入り) ring-entrance, shoulders rounded and gaze steady, his ceremonial white tsuna rope and zigzag shide fanning outward across the dohyo. Kinoshita brings Takanosato’s imposing physique - nicknamed “Popeye” for his muscular build - into focus, anchoring him firmly in the ukiyo-e tradition of sumo portraiture. 💪🎌

• Year & Edition: 1985 onward · Published by 京都版画院 (Kyoto Hanga-In). Carved by 松田寅葳 (Matsuda Torazo). Printed by 伊藤智郎 (Ito Tomoro). 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: Takanosato Toshihide (隆の里俊英, 1952-2011) became the 59th Yokozuna after an unusually long climb of 91 tournaments. He famously won his debut Yokozuna tournament with a perfect record. Admired for his rivalry with Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (千代の富士貢), his style blended yorikiri force-outs, uwatenage throws, and tsuridashi lifts. Retiring in 1986, he went on to establish the successful Naruto stable in 1989. Daimon Kinoshita comments on his website (www.daimon-e.sakura.ne.jp): 「第５９代横綱。」(59th 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]