Sumo Star Yoshinofuji’s Kumamoto Home Ruined by July Earthquake, Faces Rank Drop
Komusubi Yoshinofuji disclosed that his residence in Uto was utterly demolished by the July 28 Kumamoto tremor and is determined to regain a top-rank slot.
During a Japan Sumo Association tour in Ibaraki, komusubi Yoshinofuji revealed that the powerful July 28 earthquake in Kumamoto left his family home in Uto beyond repair, requiring demolition and reconstruction. He recounted feeling a massive jolt, witnessing fallen power lines and collapsed concrete block walls, and noted that the house’s doors now fail to shut, with the storage room holding his trophies stuck shut. The quake, measured at magnitude 7.1, has resulted in 38 fatalities, over 2,000 evacuees, and an estimated 42,222 damaged dwellings.
The wrestler, who was in his hometown after the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament when the shock struck, expressed ongoing concern for the region’s residents. Although his July tournament record of 6-9 will drop him from komusubi to the maegashira ranks for the upcoming Autumn meet in Tokyo, he pledged to fight back and re-enter the sanyaku tier at the November Kyushu tournament.
Why it matters
The story highlights how a major natural disaster directly affects a prominent athlete’s life and career aspirations.
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