Culture Ministry celebrates Tochinoshin’s sports career in Tokyo

Georgia: The Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports celebrates Tochinoshin’s sports career in Tokyo. The First Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports of Georgia, Ioseb Bagaturia, attended the event.

Ioseb Bagaturia attended the Danpatsu-shiki ceremony commemorating the end of Georgian sumoist Levan Gorgadze’s (Tochinoshin) career in Tokyo, Japan.

At the event, which was held in Tokyo’s main sumo hall “Ryogoku Kokugikani”, the legendary Georgian sumoist was given a chomage (sumoist haircut), after which Rikishi (fighter) said goodbye to Sumo forever.

The historical day was attended by Georgian Emergency and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Japan Teimuraz Lezhava, foreign diplomats, high-level guests, members of Levan Gorgadze’s family, citizens of Georgia living in Japan and many fans.

After the ceremony commemorating the end of Levan Gorgadze’s (Tochinoshin’s) career, a reception was held in honour of Tochinoshin, which was musically formed by the Georgian State Academic Folk Song and Dance Ensemble “Rustav” with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Georgia and earned the significant appreciation of the attending public.

Georgian sumoist Tochinoshin Tsuyoshi

Tochinoshin Tsuyoshi is a former Georgian professional sumo wrestler from Mtskheta. He was a member of the Kasugano stable and made his professional debut in March 2006.

The Georgian sumoist Tochinoshin debuted in “The Kasugano Beya” club in 2006, and in 2008, he continued to compete in “The Makuchi” division. Especially noteworthy is Levan Gorgadze’s persistence and fighting character, thanks to which he won the Emperor’s Cup at Hatsu Basho despite his severe injuries and defeat in the lower divisions. 

With this result, he became the first Georgian and third European Sumoist in the history of Sumo, who won the Imperial Cup and reached the rank of Odzeki. It is noteworthy that Levan Gorgadze has won more than 500 matches in the “Makuchi” division.

The Famous Georgian sumoist ended his sports career in May 2023 at 35 due to injuries. Levan Gorgadze, with Kokaisa (Levan Tsaguria) and Gagamaru (Teimuraz Jugheli), significantly contributed to the popularization of Sumo in Georgia and the strengthening of Georgian-Japanese relations.