Tochiazuma, runnerup at last month's Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, will start a new adventure when he steps into the ring next month as his ozeki status was officially confirmed in the new rankings released Tuesday by the Japan Sumo Association.
Tochiazuma, who went 12-3 as a sekiwake in November, will be the first wrestler from the Tamanoi stable to fight at sumo's second-highest rank when the 15-day meet gets under way at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Jan. 13.
The 25-year-old grappler will also be the first ozeki from Tokyo since Wakanohana's promotion in the autumn of 1993.