| Wakanohana Kanji | |
|---|---|
| 若乃花 幹士 | |
 Wakanohana, 1961 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Hanada Katsuji March 16, 1928 Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | September 1, 2010 (aged 82) Tokyo, Japan |
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Nishonoseki, Hanakago |
| Record | 593-253-70-4 draws |
| Debut | November, 1946 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (January, 1958) |
| Retired | May, 1962 |
| Elder name | Futagoyama |
| Championships | 10 (Makuuchi) 1 (Sandanme) 1 (Jonidan) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (2) Technique (1) |
| Gold Stars | 6 Haguroyama (2) Chiyonoyama (2) Azumafuji (2) |
| * Up to date as of June 2020. | |
Wakanohana Kanji (Japanese: 若乃花 幹士, Hepburn: Wakanohana Kanji, March 16, 1928 – September 1, 2010) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 45th yokozuna. He was a popular wrestler and was nicknamed the "Devil of the Dohyō" (土俵の鬼, Dohyō no Oni) due to his great fighting spirit and endurance.
Wakanohana's younger brother (by twenty-two years) was the late former ōzeki Takanohana Kenshi and he was the uncle of Wakanohana Masaru and Takanohana Kōji. He won ten top division yūshō or tournament championships during his career and at a fighting weight of around 100 kg was one of the lightest yokozuna ever. He had a long-standing rivalry with Tochinishiki and was one of the most popular wrestlers of the 1950s. After his retirement in 1962 he established Futagoyama stable and was also head of the Japan Sumo Association from 1988 until 1992.