His real name was . Tachiyama joined
Tomozuna stable at the insistence of
Itagaki Taisuke and
Saigō Tsugumichi. There, he became stablemate with
Kunimiyama, who later became an
ōzeki. However he was so strong that most of the wrestlers in the stable were unable to practice with him. Therefore,
Hitachiyama Taniemon became his practical coach. He was promoted to
yokozuna in February 1911. His most feared skill was
tsuki, or pushing. On the 3rd day of June 1910 tournament, Tachiyama's thrusts caused
komusubi Kohitachi Yoshitaro to fly over spectators where he fell in the fourth row of seats. Kohitachi was wounded and left the tournament. Tachiyama is reported to have waved a shell weighing with one arm. He was, however, good on the
mawashi as well. Much taller and stronger than his contemporaries, Tachiyama never had a losing record
(make-koshi) in his eighteen-year career, and whilst at the
yokozuna rank lost only three bouts. On the final day of January 1917 tournament, he was defeated by
Ōnishiki Uichirō. Tochigiyama and Ōnishiki were pupils of Hitachiyama. After this second loss, he retired. In 1917, he said to wrestlers, "I will give you one bale of rice if you can walk around the
dohyō shouldering me." A boy, who had not made his debut in professional sumo yet, acceded to his request. He failed at the first attempt but succeeded at the second. About 15 years later, that boy became
yokozuna Tamanishiki San'emon. His style of
yokozuna dohyō-iri (ring-entering ceremony) came to be known as
Shiranui after it was imitated by later
yokozuna Haguroyama. However, he insisted that his style was
Unryū Kyūkichi's. His sheer strength and physical presence drew comparisons with
Raiden Tameemon, but also meant he was perhaps less popular with the general public than his predecessors Hitachiyama and
Umegatani II. After retiring from active competition he was briefly an elder of the
Sumo Association under the name Azumazeki, but left the sumo world in May 1919. In 1937 he became the first
yokozuna to perform a
kanreki dohyō-iri, or '60th year ring entrance ceremony' to commemorate his years as
yokozuna. ==Top Division Record==