Tamanofuji Shigeru

Shigeru was born in Ogawa, Nasu District, Tochigi Prefecture. He played basketball in high school. He began his career in May 1967, joining Kataonami stable. However, he ran away from the stable shortly after fighting his first tournament in the lowest jonokuchi division, and joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. After being discharged, he returned to sumo in September 1970, winning two straight tournaments (or yūshō) in the jonokuchi and jonidan division. He was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. He defeated Kitanoumi again in the next tournament in November 1979, but did not get a kinboshi as he was ranked as a komusubi (he also defeated Wajima for the third time in this tournament, and was awarded his second Fighting Spirit prize). However, he did pick up another kinboshi in November 1980 with a win over Mienoumi. In 1981 he fell back to the jūryō division and he retired in November of that year. ==Retirement from sumo==

Shigeru became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Minatogawa. In October 1987 he became head of the Kataonami stable following the death of the previous head, his old boss Tamanoumi Daitaro. As Kataonami Oyakata he produced several top division wrestlers including Tamakasuga, Tamanoshima, and Tamawashi. He died of liver cancer on 21 June 2021 at the age of 71. ==Personal life==

His wife was the president of a company that trades in marine products. ==Fighting style==

Tamanofuji had a steady, unspectacular style, and has been described as a "dull and plodding grinder." His most common winning kimarite was yorikiri or force out, followed by hatakikomi, slap down. His favoured grip on his opponent's mawashi was migiyotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position. ==Career record==