Tamawashi, the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament winner, vowed to keep defying the odds on Monday after becoming the oldest winner of an Emperor's Cup at 37 years and 10 months.
The No. 3 maegashira went 13-2 this month at Ryogoku Kokugikan, once again displaying his powerful pushing and thrusting when he gave his closest rival, No. 4 Takayasu, no chance in a title-clinching final-day push-out win on Sunday.
Mongolian Tamawashi, who won his only previous title in January 2019 when fighting in the ancient sport's third highest rank of sekiwake, became the oldest winner since the current format of six grand tournaments a year was introduced in 1958.
"I'm still going strong," Tamawashi said during an online news conference from his Kataonami stable. "I had in my mind that someday, someday (the second title) would arrive."
The veteran credited an unusual training method of simultaneously taking on two young wrestlers from his stable, both fighting in the third-tier makushita division or below, for his latest success.
"It had an immediate effect," Tamawashi said. "I'm really thankful."
Tamawashi beat yokozuna Terunofuji and three ozeki en route to his second title. Rank-and-file wrestlers won two consecutive tournaments for the first time in 31 years after Ichinojo claimed the Nagoya meet in July.