Futabayama recorded 69 consecutive victories in professional sumo between 1936 and 1939.
Futabayama Sadaji was one of the dominant wrestlers of the prewar era. His winning streak began in January 1936 and ended in January 1939, when he was defeated by former sekiwake Akinoumi. The run remains one of the most famous records in sumo history.
The streak covered multiple tournaments and continued across different stages of Futabayama’s career. It is especially notable because sumo wrestlers normally compete only once per official tournament day, so a long winning run requires sustained success over many months rather than a single event.
Futabayama later became the first wrestler to receive the newly formalized yokozuna license from the Japan Sumo Association in 1938. His record is often confused with modern championship totals, but 69 refers to consecutive bout victories, not tournament wins or overall career victories.