 After several more absences Kitanofuji announced his retirement at the age of 32 three days into the July 1974 tournament, acknowledging that there was now a new era being led by Wajima and Kitanoumi, both several years younger than himself.Kotozakura retired in the same week, and Kitanoumi was promoted to "yokozuna" after the tournament ended.Kitanofuji's total of ten tournament championships was, at the time, behind only Futabayama's 12 and Taiho's 32.