Fujiyama Kenji

Fujiyama Kenji (born April 10, 1884 as Sakari Fugi, died December 6, 1972) was a sumo wrestler from Kyoto, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1900. He won one top division championship, His highest rank was ozeki. He was dismissed in 1923, but was allowed to return in 1924 where he retired in 1925.

Early Life
Sakari Fugi was born to Shinyatsu Fugi and Keiko Fugi in 1884. His father was friends with an ambassador and when naming Fugi, got the name Sakari from the english name Zachary. Fugi had a usual childhood for a Japanese boy in the final years of the 19th century. When he was sixteen, his size was noted by Hanakago-oyakata, and so, he joined Hanakago-beya in 1900.

Career
Fugi made his debut in the Natsu basho of 1900. it took him 17 tournaments to reach the top division. In 1903, he won a sandanme championship and spent the next 2 years in makushita before winning another championship which promoted him to juryo, the division he stayed in until 1909. He made his makuuchi debut in Natsu 1909, the same tournament in which a prize is first announced, he went on to win this championship and become the first (and to date only) rikishi to win his makuuchi debut tournament, although Koderakaru Keru came close in 1824. He also became the first yusho winner, and additionally, he held the record for youngest yusho winner at 25 years, 2 months, until it was broken 12 years later by Asashoryu Yoshi at 20 years, 7 months. He propelled to ozeki just 2 tournaments later but was met with a kadoban 4-6 record, the next tournament he scored 3-7, and was instantly demoted to sekiwake, however he scored 7-3 and was promoted back to ozeki. In 1914, he scored a perfect 10-0 record, however, he lost in a playoff that basho. He was demoted again after the Natsu 1917 tournament, and persisted in the sanyaku ranks and upper maegashira until 1923, and was dismissed according to Miyabiyama's Fresh Faces Program, he was reinstated as an ozeki in 1924, and he returned with a strong 7-win showing, however, he scored a 1-10 the next basho and retired the basho after with a 2-8-1d record.

After Sumo
After sumo Fujiyama became hanakago-oyakata and helped to train his son, Fugimoto to yokozuna, ironically, Fugimoto would not inherit his father's Hanakago Stable, instead, Fugimoto's cheif rival Odaiyama would buy the stable after Fujiyama went into retirement in 1949. Fujiyama died in 1972, just long enough to see his son become chairman of the sumo association at the age of 63.