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Sumo stablemaster Shikoroyama (right) with wrestler Abi in Nagoya in June 2019
SUMO
Dec 18, 2023

Sumo stablemaster Shikoroyama dies at 60

Shikoroyama made his professional sumo debut from the Izutsu stable, then headed by his father, in 1979.
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.
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 (above) defeats Hiradoumi on the first day of the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 13, 2024

The good, the bad and the sumo: Kyushu Basho gets underway

To no one’s surprise, new ozeki Onosato continues to tear through the top division with ease.
Takakeisho (seated, left) following his loss to Asanoyama on Sunday in Fukuoka.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 22, 2023

Takakeisho falters as sumo’s wait for next superstar continues

The good news for Takakeisho is that slip-ups elsewhere mean he remains in the title race.
Terunofuji (back) knows what it’s like to overcome setbacks, having won two of his eight titles after middling starts to a tournament.
SUMO
Jan 24, 2024

Big names set up thrilling finale for January sumo meet

Terunofuji would appear to be the favorite as sumo's first tournament of 2024 reaches the homestretch, but a host of contenders means it could come down to the final day.
Onosato (top) battles Tamawashi during the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament last month in Tokyo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 7, 2024

In the world of sumo, a mock draft reflects the sport's generational shift

Here's a look at who might go No. 1 overall if sumo's stables conducted a North American-style draft.
Hoshoryu could become the first wrestler since Hakuho in 2006 to win the  Emperor’s Cup in his ozeki debut.
SUMO
Sep 8, 2023

Young ozeki duo will be in spotlight at Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament

The Autumn Basho is shaping up to be another unpredictable event.
Akebono waves an American flag as he watches U.S. skaters in Nagano on Feb. 5, 1998, ahead of the Winter Olympics.
SUMO
Apr 11, 2024

Sumo legend Akebono, first foreign-born yokozuna, dies at 54

Akebono, born Chadwick Haheo Rowan in Waimanalo, Hawaii, became the 64th yokozuna in 1993 and gained immense popularity.
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.
Onosato (right) during his bout against Kotoshoho in Tokyo on Wednesday, which marked his 11th straight win to open the Autumn Basho.
SUMO / Basho reports
Sep 22, 2024

With Autumn Basho win, Onosato makes it clear that he is sumo's dominant force

Onosato was so dominant over the course of the Autumn Basho that it's hard to see who can stop him from adding even more silverware in the coming tournaments.
Aonishiki competes at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Jan. 28.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 6, 2024

Head to sumo's second tier and it's a dog-eat-dog world

Jūryō action is something fans of exciting sumo shouldn’t miss.
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.
Former sumo wrestler Daisuke Yanagihara discusses his lawsuit against the Japan Sumo Association during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Monday.
SUMO
Aug 1, 2023

Former wrestler sues sumo association for alleged mistreatment

The former fourth-division rikishi said he was told to fight or quit as coronavirus cases rose in Tokyo ahead of the 2021 New Year Basho.
Hokuseiho leaves the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo after a meeting with the Japan Sumo Association on Wednesday.
SUMO
Feb 22, 2024

Sumo great Hakuho facing demotion over protege's alleged bullying

The JSA will hold an emergency board meeting on Friday to discuss the recommendation that the Mongolian-born protege, Hokuseiho, retire.
Two Japan Sumo Association officials have been sanctioned.
SUMO
Oct 1, 2023

Sumo association officials punished over harassment claims

The association will suspend Tetsuji Miyata, its administrative affairs chief, for one month, and demote the head of the office in charge of accounting.
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.
Elementary, junior high and high school girls represented 76 different sumo clubs from across the nation on Sunday at the Dream Girls Cup, with the tournament also given a slight international flavor by the inclusion of one athlete from the United States and one from Brazil.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 15, 2024

All-time great Hakuho hopes to help girls realize their sumo dreams

The inaugural Dream Girls Cup saw 76 sumo clubs from across the nation gather in Tokyo for an event that Hakuho hopes will spur big dreams.
Asahanshin Torakichi's ring name is nod to the Osaka native's favorite baseball team, the 2023 Japan Series champion Hanshin Tigers.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 8, 2023

Tigers’ triumph resonates in a sumo world full of Kansai natives

As Hanshin fans celebrate a long-awaited championship, it's timely to look back at what sumo looked like when Hanshin last won it all in 1985.
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.
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.
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.
Kotozakura speaks during a news conference in Fukuoka on Monday
SUMO
Nov 25, 2024

Kotozakura unburdened by weight of history after claiming first title

Sumo's top-ranked ozeki has won his first Emperor’s Cup.
Kotonowaka surely has his eyes on eventually emulating his grandfather, former grand champion Kotozakura.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 30, 2023

New sumo ranks highlight rise of next generation

Ahead of the autumn tournament in Tokyo, it's the up-and-coming wrestlers who are making waves.
Set allocations to tea houses and other businesses, combined with various presale lotteries — some exclusive to paid fan club members — account for the bulk of sumo’s premium seat purchases.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 13, 2023

Sumo's big ticketing problem

Securing tickets for sumo's biggest matches can be a headache, particularly for sumo's many foreign fans, partially due to outdated information online.
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.
Hoshoryu (right), joined by Tatsunami stablemaster, participates in a news conference following his promotion to ozeki in Nagoya on Wednesday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 27, 2023

Hoshoryu's Nagoya triumph shows enduring power of Mongolian rikishi

Kirishima and Hoshoryu’s promotions to ozeki have shown that the Mongolian era of sumo dominance isn’t close to concluding just yet.
Daieisho (left) and Kirishima take part in a practice session at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Saturday.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Sep 6, 2023

Power of ozeki trio on display in muted return of open practice session

The first Yokozuna Deliberation Council sōken training session open to the public in four years has taken place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Takakeisho (left) wins his opening-day bout on Sunday in Fukuoka. The Hyogo Prefecture native is nearing a promotion to yokozuna.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 15, 2023

Top wrestlers' hot starts set stage for dramatic Kyushu tourney

The opening three days of action at the Fukuoka International Center has seen the six highest-ranked wrestlers that are taking part go a combined 17-1.

Longform

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