In the 2012 January tournament he recorded his first top division championship.
The result of 10-5 there took him up to maegashira 3, but he was again injured in the January 2007 tournament.
Three days into the January 1953 tournament, he announced his retirement.
Tochiazuma retired two months later, during the January 1977 tournament.
On the eve of the January 2007 tournament his father was killed in a traffic accident.
He retired from an active wrestler after the January 1844 tournament.
He missed the January 2004 tournament as well, but the public injury system once again kept him at sekitori level.
He was promoted to a new high of maegashira 2 for the January 2009 tournament.
After missing the whole of the January 2005 tournament he fell to the second division once again.
He fell back to the jūryō division after pulling out of the January 1997 tournament on the 4th day.