Tochiazuma won his first yusho on the final day of the Hatsu Basho after defeating fellow-ozeki Chiyotaikai in a playoff for the championship, coming from behind to take the title Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Tochiazuma thus became the first ozeki to win the title in his initial tournament at the rank since Kiyokuni in July 1969. The only other ozeki to win in his first tournament in the postwar era was Wakahaguro in November 1959. Neither Wakahaguro nor Kiyokuni reached yokozuna.
Tochiazuma has also become the first rikishi since World War II to win the title of all six divisions. The last rikishi to achieve that feat was yokozuna Haguroyama, who set the mark when he took his first makuuchi title in May 1941. Tochiazuma also became the first ozeki to win 11 consecutive bouts from the opening day in the postwar era.