People :
Brilliant victories in two championships last year! Sumo club captain
Mr. Tokuhide Tatuhiro

Mr. Tokuhide Tatuhiro Born on June 1st, 1984. Graduate of Meguro Gakuin High School. Presently a junior in the School of Sports Sciences, and belongs to Professor Tuneo Samukawa’s seminar. Hobbies include watching movies (especially horror movies) and reading books such as historical novels and Sangokushi (a historical text of ancient China). Korean food is his favorite. Last year he had a great record, topping both the Eastern Japan Individual Weight Class Student Sumo Championships and All Japan Individual Weight Class Student Sumo Championships (both in the under 100kg division).

At first sight, the champion of last year’s two big titles seems rather small. Yet, the broad chest and big hands are truly that of a student sumo wrestler. His soft tone of voice and bracing smile sticks in one's mind. There was a glimpse of his strong emotions toward sumo in his simple but clear speech.

From childhood, Tokuhide had interest in martial arts, and the first one he took up was karate at the beginning of elementary school. However, after winning the local kiddy sumo competition, which he happened to take part in 2nd grade, he chose the path of sumo. Since then, he has gone through a lot of hard practice, together with his eager coach and father, who actually has no experience in sumo. Tokuhide says that he was already well-built in those days, but it’s a surprise to hear that by 4th grade he had about the same height as now!

Soon he met the person fated to be a lifetime friend. That was Takahiro Horikoshi (former captain of the sumo club) who was a senior in a rival high school. The two were great rivals to each other as well as good friends from their high school years. Tokuhide wouldn’t be in Waseda now were it not for Takahiro.

The sumo club currently has only five members. Yet, Tokuhide observes that “the independent atmosphere allows me to work freely and comfortably. Actually, because we are a small group, we have solid team spirit and team work like no other teams have.” Regular practice is an intensive two hours, but he doesn’t like the practices themselves. He confesses with a bitter smile, “the ‘knocking practice’ we do at the end of each practice is especially trying.” (knocking practice = a practice in which you keep pushing against your opponent usually for about ten minutes) Nevertheless, there is no doubt that there was tremendous continuous effort behind his triumphs last year. As for the attraction of sumo, he replies, “it’s the fact that a small wrestler can beat a larger wrestler in an instant.” This may be one of the reasons why he calls himself the type of sumo wrestler “who fights not with power, but skill.”

Ever since his victories last year, congratulations from alumni seem to be endless. “The stories I hear from the seniors about the Golden Age give me motivation and encourage me as well. This year I hope to make a record like my great seniors,” says Takuhide with enthusiasm. His words suggest that a new Golden Age of Waseda Sumo club may not be so far away with Takuhide.