Stablemaster Naruto and his apprentices pose for a photo in February (Provided by stablemaster Naruto)
As he did during his successful sumo career, Kotooshu never quit when things got difficult and kept strongly moving forward in life outside the dohyo.
Today, the former Bulgarian ozeki, who now heads the Naruto stable and is known as stablemaster Naruto, is striking a blow for others like him in the traditional sport.
It is not easy for foreign wrestlers to become stablemasters after retirement as they face mountains of hurdles, including Japanese citizenship requirement and few ties with Japanese schools to scout talent.