At Eko-in in Ryogoku (Sumida-ku 2-8-10), 2nd-generation yokozuna Tanikaze Kajinosuke (1750–1795) deserves a close look.
Rakugo "Sanoyama" portrays him as a man of character who once threw a fixed bout for devoted son Sanoyama (fiction). Born eldest son of a wealthy farmer in Mutsu (Sendai), he came to Edo at 19, trained under Ise-no-umi, and debuted as "billboard ozeki" Tatsugasaki Moriuemon in April 1769 (Meiwa 6), winning all four bouts—no small feat when the rank was a placeholder for a missing ozeki.
Next year he restarted from top maegashira, rose steadily, took the name Tanikaze upon promotion to sekiwake in 1775, became ozeki in 1781, and received yokozuna license with rival Onogawa Kisaburo in November 1789 (Kansei 1). At the shogun's viewing sumo in June 1791 (Kansei 3) he danced with a bow granted by the shogun—the origin of today's dohyo-iri bow ritual.
Tanikaze died suddenly of influenza on January 9, 1795 (Kansei 7) at 44—young, yet still active, on a 35-bout win streak.
Career totals: 21 championship-equivalent records; in Edo honbasho 47 tournaments, 258 wins, 14 losses, 16 draws, 16 absences, 5 no-contests, 112 missed—94.9% win rate. Sixty-three straight wins in Edo alone stood nearly 150 years until Futabayama's 69. Including Kyoto and Osaka, 98 straight. Over 26 years and 47 basho (five canceled), only 14 losses; the 63-win streak spanned four years unbeaten.
Tanikaze is counted 4th yokozuna, Onogawa 5th; earlier yokozuna lacked formal licenses in life, so Tanikaze is often called the effective first. Onogawa ranks after because the earlier retiree counts first—Tanikaze died young.
Locally they sing "In our land, Tanikaze of old, Date fashion today"—a peerless great yokozuna. A bronze statue stands in Sendai's Kotodai Park. At his peak: 189 cm, 169 kg, barrel-chested; legend says a sho and five go of rice in his tabi. Fair-skinned with long eyes—gentle in the ukiyo-e we showed last month.
Beloved for strength and character, yet reportedly temperamental in later years—around 1790 he would not enter the practice ring unless a teen concubine coaxed him. Charming anecdote.
From Takebashi to Ryogoku is about 20 minutes by subway with one transfer.