is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Yaizu, Shizuoka. Known for being a katasukashi specialist, he debuted in sumo wrestling in September 2016 and made his makuuchi debut in January 2021. His highest rank has been maegashira 1. He wrestles for Isegahama stable.
Early life
Born in Yaizu, Shizuoka, Kazunari grew up in a single-mother household. He began participating in sumo from elementary school and notably wrestled at the Wanpaku National Championship. After this initial experience he stopped practising sumo before entering his third year in junior high school at Yaizu Junior High School, where he placed in the national team top 8 at the National Junior High School Sumo Championships. In his second year at Hiryū Senior High School, he defeated future Takakeishō of the Saitama Sakae High School team at the All-Japan High School Sumo Tournament, preventing Saitama Sakae from winning a fourth consecutive title and winning the first medal (third-place) of Hiryū High School in a sumo team tournament. Individually, he also won the All-Japan Junior Weight Classification Championships in the under-80kg category and the National Championships in the under-100kg category, respectively. He attended Kindai University, where in his first year he won the National Student Sumo Individual Weight-class Championship in the under 100 kg category. He however left during his second year, and eventually he returned to his hometown. It was during a visit there by the head coach of Isegahama stable, the former yokozuna Asahifuji, that he was persuaded to join professional sumo. Midorifuji turned pro at the same time as Nishikifuji, his former classmate from Kindai University, the two being in a friendly rivalry ever since.
Career
Early career
Initially wrestling under his real surname , Midorifuji began his first real tournament in jonokuchi in November 2016. At the end of the 7 official days of competition, he and his stablemate Nishikifuji (then named Ogasawara) were both unbeaten and tied for the championship. Nishikifuji nevertheless won the championship by yoritaoshi. For the January 2017 tournament, Midorifuji received his current shikona, or ring name, to evoke, with the kanji 翠 (meaning green), jade, a stone that shines brighter when polished, in the same way that a wrestler becomes better through practice. During this tournament, Midorifuji and Nishikifuji faced off again in the championship playoff. Although Midorifuji prepared his fight with his senior, and then ōzeki, Terunofuji, he lost again to Nishikifuji. In January 2020 ranked at makushita 2 he earned promotion to the sekitori ranks for the first time with a 5-2 record. This promotion made him the first sumo wrestler from Shizuoka Prefecture to become a new jūryō since in the March tournament of 2013, and the second sekitori from Yaizu, after Katayama in 2004. However, he still weighed barely and turned in a losing 7-8 record in his jūryō division debut. He managed to remain in the division, and in September 2020 he produced an 11-4 record. In the following November 2020 tournament, Midorifuji notably scored a victory over Jōkōryū on Day 13 using the rare kimarite (winning technique) zubuneri ("head pivot throw"), a first at this level of competition since Kyokushūzan used it in January 1996. In total, Midorifuji also used the katasukashi kimarite ("under-shoulder swing down") 4 times during the tournament. Midorifuji ended with a 10-5 score, enough to earn him his first career championship (yūshō) after a playoff win over Kyokushūhō. This championship victory also saw him promoted to sumo's top division, makuuchi, for the next tournament in January 2021.