special yokozuna license by the . He also became one of the first two sumo wrestlers to be allowed to perform a yokozuna dohyō-iri. At the time of his promotion, he and Onogawa were ranked as sekiwake. At the time, the rank of yokozuna was more of an honorary title and wrestlers weren't designated as such in the banzuke, or ranking sheet, hence explaining why the two wrestlers are promoted while being ranked at sekiwake. Officially Tanikaze is recorded as being the 4th yokozuna in sumo history but is effectively the first, as the first three were awarded the title posthumously. Death and posthumous influence On 9 January 1795, Tanikaze contracted influenza, which spread throughout Edo, and died suddenly at the age of 46 while still active. The wrestler who succeeded Tanikaze as ōzeki was Raiden Tameemon, who was an apprentice of Tanikaze. He was on another winning streak of 35 bouts at the time of his death, making him a leading figure of sumo during the Tenmei and Kansei eras. In the top makuuchi division, Tanikaze won 258 bouts and lost only 14 bouts, achieving a winning percentage of 94.9. Tanikaze was burried in his hometown of Wakabayashi, Sendai and his tomb serves as a monument in a residential area. The Tanikaze shikona became a prestigious name in the Edo-sumo association and several wrestlers were given the opportunity to take it, but all declined. Today, the name is said to be , meaning that it is a name which is no longer allowed to be used. Tanikaze was a very popular rikishi. Unlike other wrestlers of his day, many nishiki-e portraits and images of him participating in bouts still remain. Fighting style Tanikaze's reputation at the time was that he had a great strength. He is frequently described as an expert in sumo, short in the waist and quick in the stride, with a strong back and quick feet. Family He had a younger brother, Dategaseki Moriemon (1756-1807), who was also a sumo wrestler and reached the top division himself in 1791. They were the second pair of brothers in sumo history to both reach makuuchi. Homage Tanikaze is the wrestler chosen to represent sumo in the popular nishiki-e 'The three pleasures of Edo', representing the three most popular entertainments at the time (sumo, kabuki and yoshiwara). Tanikaze makes an appearance in the Record of Ragnarok manga series, where