Yokozuna Hakuho came bursting out of the blocks in his bid to win consecutive titles, overpowering fellow Mongolian Kakuryu on the first day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
With Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko watching from above from the VIP section, Hakuho bided his time before making a fierce charge to topple the komusubi over the edge at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
The odds-on favorite here, Hakuho is in the hunt for his 13th career title and has a 25-bout winning streak extending back to the autumn meet in September last year.