Shiratori Bunpei (白鳥 文平) is a civic employee in his home village of Inba, Chiba Prefecture in the Health and Services department. He is a SASUKE All-Star and former triple jumper. He is also known for building over 13 replica SASUKE obstacles in his backyard. Competitors have visited his home to train on what is sometimes called the 'Shiratori Shrine'.
Debut and Early Success
In the 9th tournament, his debut, Shiratori impressed many by clearing the Jump Hang by using only one foot on the trampoline. Though he ultimately timed out on the Soritatsu Kabe, he left a strong impression. Shiratori did not compete in the 10th tournament, but in his next attempt, the 11th tournament, he cleared the First Stage. He would time out at the Wall Lift in the Second Stage.
Shiratori's potential was not truly shown until SASUKE 12, where he advanced to the Third Stage without any problem whatsoever. Though at one point his grip slipped on the Lamp Grasper, he recovered and made his way through the Cliffhanger and Pipe Slider at an incredible speed. Landing the Pipe Slider jump perfectly as well, he cleared the Third Stage on his first attempt, a feat only achieved since then by Urushihara Yuuji in SASUKE 22 and Hashimoto Koji in SASUKE 24. Ultimately, he timed out on the Rope Climb in the Final Stage.
His success was recognized in SASUKE 13, where he was given #99. Shiratori once again made his way to the Pipe Slider in the Third Stage, but mistimed his jump/dismount, and fell into the water below. However, this did prove that his performance in the previous tournament was not a fluke, and after this tournament he was named as an All-Star.
As an All-Star
In SASUKE 14, though he cleared the First Stage with time to spare, he fell on the Balance Tank in the Second Stage. Afterward, in an interview, Shiratori speculated that his fall was due to the fact that he had gotten too used to the obstacles, and was not paying enough attention.
In SASUKE 15, due to temperatures upward of 34 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), before his run Shiratori fell prey to heat exhaustion. For a while it was uncertain whether he would be able to compete. As his number approached, he was still being treated, and Yamamoto Shingo, who was next in line, went before him. After the other 99 competitors went, Shiratori was ready to compete and managed to clear not only the First Stage, but the Second Stage as well. He advanced all the way to the Climbing Bars in the Third Stage before falling, apparently too exhausted to continue. His result in this tournament was second only to Takeda Toshihiro's, who advanced to the Devil's Swing.
In SASUKE 16, he once again made it to the Third Stage, where he was the first to use the one-handed approach on the Devil's Swing. Though he was once again unable to clear the Pipe Slider jump, his approach to the Devil Balanço paved the way for an 100% success rate on the obstacle in the next tournament. However, he was to fall early on the Body Prop in the Third Stage in SASUKE 17.
Shin-Sasuke
In SASUKE 18, after the renewal, though Shiratori was viewed as one of the most likely to do well on the course, he slipped on the Spider Walk portion of the Jumping Spider and fell into the water. This was his first First Stage failure since his debut. SASUKE 19 was to be a battle with stamina; he failed the Soritatsu Kabe (now 20 cm higher) multiple times, and though he finally cleared it, he timed out on the Flying Chute.
In SASUKE 21, though he still suffered from back pains, he was able to clear the First Stage (though afterward he seemed exhausted). However, he lost his balance on the Downhill Jump in the Second Stage, and fell into the water below.
Shiratori missed SASUKE 20 with a back injury and SASUKE 22 with a knee injury; however before SASUKE 22 he helped train Satô Hiromichi on his version of the Soritatsu Kabe, which Satô passed in the tournament. He was present at SASUKE 24 and stood on the sidelines with other All-Stars, but did not compete due to his injuries from which he was still recovering.
Results
SASUKE | # | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
9 | 79 | Failed Soritatsu Kabe (First Stage) | Time Out. Digest. |
11 | 66 | Failed Wall Lifting (Second Stage) | Time Out |
12 | 77 | Failed Rope Climb (Final Stage) | Time Out |
13 | 99 | Failed Pipe Slider (Third Stage) | |
14 | 96 | Failed Balance Tank (Second Stage) | |
15 | 94 | Failed Climbing Bars (Third Stage) | Went last in the First Stage. |
16 | 96 | Failed Pipe Slider (Third Stage) | |
17 | 81 | Failed Body Prop (Third Stage) | |
18 | 95 | Failed Jumping Spider (First Stage) | |
19 | 82 | Failed Flying Chute (First Stage) | Time Out |
21 | 83 | Failed Downhill Jump (Second Stage) |
External Links
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