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November 22, 2024
 

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John Gunning
An event that was part of a regional sumo tour in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, in April 2019.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 1, 2024
Summer sumo tour may be tough for wrestlers, but it's a boon for fans
Grueling tours can be quite taxing for top pros, but they offer fans in small cities a rare chance of seeing their heroes up close.
Terunofuji accepts the Emperor's Cup after winning the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
SUMO
Jul 28, 2024
Terunofuji rebounds from stumbles to claim milestone 10th Emperor’s Cup
Thanks to a series of stumbles by the previously imperious yokozuna, the destination of the title was not decided until a playoff in the tournament’s final bout.
Terunofuji (left) throws down Kirishima on Tuesday to build on his perfect record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 24, 2024
Terunofuji, as he tends to do, returns to stamp his authority on sumo pretenders
The veteran was in vintage form through the first 10 days, simply overwhelming opponents and appearing impervious to all manner of attacks.
Summer Basho winner Onosato is trying to join Terunofuji as the only wrestlers to win consecutive titles since 2018.
SUMO
Jul 12, 2024
Onosato poised to continue rapid rise at Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament
The 24-year-old former amateur yokozuna has been on fire since turning pro 14 months ago and already stands on the verge of promotion to sumo’s second-highest rank.
Dolphins Arena in Nagoya. While the new IG Arena will almost certainly provide a more enjoyable experience for fans, the hope is that action on the raised ring will retain the heat that Dolphins Arena has long been famous for.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 10, 2024
A farewell to a Nagoya sumo arena known for heat — inside and outside the ring
The upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament will be the last to be held at Dolphins Arena, which has been the scene of numerous memorable moments over the years.
Onosato (left) participates in a training session last month in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 3, 2024
Nagoya ranking list marks the end of one sumo era and the start of another
This month marks the final sumo tournament for Nagoya's Dolphins Arena, and the rankings list could look very different when the new venue opens next year.
Oshoma watches the All Japan Championships at the Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2022.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 26, 2024
Rising star Oshoma blends traditional background with unique approach
Despite his late arrival in sumo’s higher ranks, it would be wrong to dismiss Oshoma's impressive 10-win top-tier debut.
After his Emperor's Cup triumph in Tokyo last month, Onosato (right) is the clear favorite to be the next wrestler to earn promotion to ozeki.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 19, 2024
Onosato heads slim field of sumo wrestlers with ozeki potential
The wrestler's meteoric rise makes him the clear-cut favorite to become the sport's next "ozeki."
Otowayama stable wrestlers in front of their stable. It may come as a surprise to some, but the use of ring names between wrestlers in the same stable isn’t all that common.­
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 12, 2024
Burning questions (and their answers) new fans may have about sumo
The slow month of June is as good a time as any for our columnist to answer some of the fan questions that crop up with regularity.
Christina Griffin-Jones was a big part of a historically strong U.S. women's team at the 2023 Sumo World Championships.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 5, 2024
American sumo organization becomes battleground in fight for equality
At the heart of the fight is growing opposition to a longtime federation trustee who has not been shy about expressing his homophobic views.
Onosato receives the Emperor's Cup from Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sunday.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 29, 2024
Onosato's path to sumo greatness was plain for all to see
Sumo’s latest top division champion tore through the collegiate and amateur circuits at an almost unprecedented clip.
Aonishiki at the Sumo World Championships 2023 on Oct. 8. The Ukrainian wrestler remains on track to reach the sport’s salaried divisions by the end of the year.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 22, 2024
Is Ukraine's Aonishiki set to be the next European sumo superstar?
28 wins in 30 bouts suggests the former evacuee is on the fast track to glory.
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.
SUMO
May 15, 2024
Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?
It would be premature to dismiss Onosato’s win as the product of circumstance, or downplay its significance.
Onosato (right) defeats Abi during their bout at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka in March.
SUMO
May 10, 2024
Onosato in position to use Summer Basho as springboard to stardom
The race for glory in the upcoming meet appears destined to be led by two men who have yet to win the Emperor’s Cup.
Seigo Saito with his father, Kabutoyama Oyakata, at Isenoumi stable in Tokyo in December 2022
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 8, 2024
Wakaikari out to etch his family's place into sumo's history books
The 19-year-old from Tokyo is ranked near the top of the third tier for the upcoming summer tournament.
Kotonowaka (left) competes at the Spring Basho in Osaka in March. The grandson of former yokozuna Kotozakura has decided to take on the legend's ring name.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 2, 2024
Love of family behind return of historic sumo ring name
The tenure of ozeki Kotonowaka lasted just one tournament, with the wrestler changing from his father’s ring name to that of his late grandfather.
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 24, 2024
For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship
Among the measures is an emphasis on wrestlers putting both hands down at the same time, with punishments including disqualification for noncompliance.
The heights Akebono reached in sumo helped pave the way for future foreign-born yokozuna Asashoryu and Hakuho.
SUMO
Apr 15, 2024
Akebono's human side eclipsed his incredible sumo achievements
Talk to anyone personally acquainted with recently deceased former yokozuna Akebono and almost immediately the words “generous” and “kind” will arise.
Despite Japan’s strict anti-scalping laws, tickets for premium seats to sumo tournaments are being offered at massive markups on resale sites.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 10, 2024
Scarcity of tickets leaves foreign sumo fans out in the cold
Almost as soon as general ticket sales began on Saturday for the upcoming May Grand Sumo Tournament, the entire meet was sold-out.
Hakuoho (right) shoves out Aoiyama during the Nagoya Basho in July last year. The promising young wrestler is now part of Terunofuji's Isegahama stable after the Miyagino stable was forced to close following a bullying scandal.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 3, 2024
With absorption of Miyagino stable, Isegahama looks to be building sumo super team
Whether it’s Real Madrid’s famous Galacticos or the 2024 Dodgers, few things in sport divides opinion among fans more than the creation of a super team.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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