Tsukioka Hinata 月岡 雛大 · つきおか

Tsukioka Hinata (月岡 雛大 · furigana つきおか), born January 23, 2005 in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, has one of the most distinctive backstories of any wrestler at Futagoyama Stable. A native of Tokorozawa, Saitama, Tsukioka's path to professional sumo began not on the dohyo (sumo ring) but on the baseball diamond. Before joining the stable in 2020, he had no prior sumo training or competition experience whatsoever — an almost unheard-of starting point for a professional wrestler.

The vast majority of professional sumo wrestlers come to the sport with years of background — either from youth sumo clubs, middle school programs, or specialized high school sumo teams like Tottori Johoku or Saitama Sakae. Wrestlers without that foundation rarely advance beyond the lower divisions. Tsukioka's achievement of reaching the Sandanme level is therefore a testament to exceptional natural athleticism, physical adaptability, and determination.

Baseball and sumo may seem like distant sports, but they share some transferable attributes: explosive rotational power, hand-eye coordination, and competitive mental toughness. Tsukioka has channeled whatever physical gifts developed through baseball into a sumo body that at 169cm and 107kg is compact but powerful for its size.

In January 2026, Tsukioka reached a career high of West Sandanme 48, the peak of his professional career. A setback in subsequent results dropped him to East Jonidan 9 in March 2026, but he rebounded with a 4–3 at West Jonidan 53 in the May 2026 Natsu Basho, earning promotion to East Jonidan 28 for the July 2026 Nagoya Basho and remaining in striking distance of returning to Sandanme. At 21, his best sumo years are still ahead of him.

Current rank: East Jonidan 28 for the July 2026 Nagoya Basho. Career high: Sandanme 48.

Trajectory: A heavy 1–6 at East Jonidan 9 in March dropped him deeper in Jonidan, but he rebounded with a winning 4–3 at West Jonidan 53 in the May Natsu Basho, earning promotion to East Jonidan 28 for the July Nagoya Basho. The next-step target: his publicly-stated concern is putting on weight — at 168.6 cm / 104 kg he is among the lightest in the stable; weight gain plus further winning records at Jonidan should restore upward movement toward Sandanme.

Originally a baseball player who joined Futagoyama with no prior sumo experience. At 168.6 cm and 104 kg, he is the smallest active wrestler in the stable. His listed dream destination is Australia ("because I love koalas"), and his publicly-stated 2025 goal is "show people my forward-pressing style."

Source: Self-introduction, New Year resolution, debut interview and Q&A videos on Futagoyama Stable's official YouTube channel 'Sumo food' (2024–2025), transcribed from on-screen captions.

From Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture. Came from baseball and joined Futagoyama with zero sumo experience — a late starter. In his 2025 New Year's resolution he emphasized 'I want people to see my forward-pressing style.' His biggest concern is putting on weight — at 169cm/107kg he is one of the lighter members of the stable. When asked his dream overseas destination he picked Australia, simply 'because I love koalas.'