After a torn calf muscle in the previous tournament and starting the November tournament with just one win in five matches, the former ōzeki Kotoshōgiku Kazuhiro retired from competition on day 6. Kotoshōgiku had a terrific career. He made his professional debut in 2002 and reached the top division in 2005. In 2011 he achieved the standard for promotion to the second highest rank of ōzeki by winning 33 bouts over three tournaments and was formally promoted by the Japan Sumo Association on 28 September. He continued to fight after losing his ōzeki rank in January 2017 and, in March 2020, became the oldest active sekitori.

On 24 January 2016, he became the first Japanese-born wrestler in ten years to win a top-division tournament. This was before I started watching sumo, but I have since watched all his matches from that tournament on YouTube many, many times. His greatest match during that run to the championship was on day 11 of the tournament when undefeated ōzeki Kotoshōgiku defeated undefeated Yokozuna Hakuho. 

Why was Kotoshōgiku my favorite? I guess that is something I inherited from my parents. Long before I was around to brighten up their life, they attended their first sumo tournament in Fukuoka, Japan. It was during Kotoshōgiku’s first year in the top division, and they happened to be sitting next to Kotoshōgiku’s family (he is from Fukuoka Prefecture).  They struck up a friendship, and my parents became fans for life. And while I caught him at the end of his career, he was always a feared competitor and fun to watch.