Umeyama 梅山 · うめやま

Umeyama (梅山, furigana うめやま) is a professional sumo wrestler born February 14, 2007 in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. His real name is 梅山 颯大郎 (Umeyama Sōtarō). He competes for Futagoyama Stable (二子山部屋) and made his professional debut at the March 2025 Haru Basho at age 18 — making him one of the most recent additions to the stable.

Per the Japan Sumo Association's official profile, Umeyama stands 177.0 cm and weighs 130.6 kg. As of the March 2026 Haru Basho he is ranked West Jonidan 65 (西序二段六十五枚目), and his career-high rank to date is Jonidan 54 (序二段五十四枚目).

Takasaki is the largest city in Gunma Prefecture, in the inland Kanto region approximately 100 km northwest of Tokyo. It is well known nationally as a major Shinkansen hub connecting Tokyo with northern Japan. Wrestlers from Gunma are uncommon in professional sumo, which makes Umeyama's background distinctive within the stable's roster.

Just one year into his professional career, Umeyama is in the foundational phase of development — accumulating bout experience, refining his technique, and building the physical conditioning the sport demands. He has a long career ahead of him.

Umeyama's family background is arguably the most unusual in professional sumo today. His father is an Italian chef and his mother, Misako (美佐子), is a pastry chef. Together they run Angelino (アンジェリーノ), an Italian restaurant located inside the pastry shop Angelique in Takasaki, Gunma (群馬県高崎市菊地町416-2). Most professional sumo wrestlers come from sumo families, judo backgrounds, or other combat-sports lineages — so having a son of two chefs enter the professional ranks is genuinely distinctive.

Since Umeyama turned professional, the restaurant has reportedly become something of a destination for sumo fans visiting the Takasaki area. His favorite dishes at Angelino are said to be the Squid Ink Pasta Roman Style and the Lasagna — hearty choices for a wrestler who needs to maintain serious weight.

Fans visiting Takasaki can find the restaurant on Instagram (@angelinogumma), where the family shares updates and occasionally references their son's sumo career.

Umeyama's path to professional sumo was far from conventional. During middle school at Naganogo Junior High School (高崎市立長野郷中学校) in Takasaki, he was a member of the art club (美術部) — not a sport club. It was not until his third year of middle school that his physical build caught the attention of those around him, and he was encouraged to try sumo. He quickly showed promise, placing 3rd at the Kanto regional tournament while still in middle school.

He then entered Jutoku High School (樹徳高校) in Kiryū, Gunma, where he began training in sumo seriously. His results at Jutoku were impressive: he won the prefectural high school individual championship (May tournament) and helped his team reach the Round of 16 at the National High School Tournament (Interhigh).

On October 16, 2024, Futagoyama oyakata (former Yokozuna Miyabiyama) visited Jutoku High School, and Umeyama's decision to enter Futagoyama Stable was officially announced at that meeting. As Umeyama said at the time: "精いっぱい頑張る" (I will do my absolute best) and "親方のもとでしっかり精進したい" (I want to devote myself under the master's guidance). His stated goal: "十両以上が目標" — to reach at least the jūryō division.

Umeyama's signature technique is gaburi-yori (がぶり寄り) — a distinctive headfirst charging and pressing style. In gaburi-yori, the wrestler drives their head into the opponent's chest and uses short, powerful forward bursts to force the opponent backward and out of the ring. It is an aggressive, pressure-based approach that relies on weight, lower-body strength, and relentless forward momentum.

At 176–177 cm and roughly 130–143 kg (his weight has been reported differently at various points), Umeyama has the stocky, heavy build that suits this technique. For a wrestler still in the early stages of his professional career, having an identifiable signature style is a promising sign — many lower-division wrestlers are still searching for their approach. It will be worth watching how he refines this technique as he gains experience and faces stronger opposition at higher ranks.