Raiden Tameemon--The Legend of the Strongest Wrestler Ever Sealed (1767-1825)

Raiden Tameemon--The Legend of the Strongest Wrestler Ever Sealed (1767-1825)

Raiden Tameemon was a legendary sumo wrestler active in the late Edo period. During his active career, he boasted a record of 254 wins, 10 losses, and 2 defeats, for an astounding 96.2% winning percentage. This is one of the strongest records in sumo history, yet he never became yokozuna. It is said that the reason for this is related to his overwhelming strength.

Raiden was born in Oishi-mura, Ogata-gun, Shinano-kuni (present-day Tomi-shi, Nagano Prefecture), and was physically gifted from childhood; by the age of 15, he was already unbeatable in village sumo, and was admitted to the Dewakai stable, a prestigious Edo Sumo stable. At the age of 19, he made his first appearance in the main tournament and quickly made a name for himself as a powerful rikishi. At 197 cm in height and 169 kg in weight, he was an extraordinarily large man for his time, and he dominated the sumo ring with his overwhelming power.

However, his strength was so extraordinary that his opponents were often defeated at their own hands. As a result, the sumo world banned Raiden from using his signature techniques, such as kan-nuki (a technique in which both arms clamp down on the opponent's body) and tsukkari. Nevertheless, Raiden continued to win and established his reputation as the strongest wrestler of all time.

Raiden's failure to become yokozuna was closely related to the prestige of the sumo world at the time. A yokozuna is not only a man of strength, but also a man of "dignity" and "style," and it is said that Raiden, with his overwhelming power, was judged unworthy of being included in this category. It is also said that there was concern that if Raiden became yokozuna, "there would be no one to surpass him in future generations.

In 1811, at the age of 44, Raiden Tameemon retired and returned to his hometown in Shinano. After leaving the sumo world, his name continued to be spoken of, and he died in 1825 at the age of 58. Today, Raiden Shrine dedicated to him was built in Tomi-shi, Nagano Prefecture, and is a sacred place visited by many sumo fans and wrestlers.

Raiden Tameemon was invincible, even when his techniques were blocked. His name continues to shine as the greatest sumo wrestler of all time.