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Meaning

peerless champion

So strong in martial arts or sumo that no one in the land is a match; also, such a person. Usually used as another name for a yokozuna.

Example

全勝で賜杯を抱いた新横綱は、日下開山の名にふさわしかった。

The new yokozuna, who took the Emperor's Cup with a perfect record, lived up to the title of hinoshita kaisan.

Origin

Hinoshita (日下) means the whole realm, and kaisan (開山) is the founder of a temple. In 1682 calling oneself tenka-ichi (best in the realm) was banned, and martial artists and performers began using this term instead. In the late Edo period it referred to an ōzeki who had received a yokozuna license, and from around the Meiji era it became another name for yokozuna. It is also read hinoshita kaizan.

Sources