Sumo in 2024 is arguably more popular than at any time since the Waka-Taka boom of the early 1990s, when a young pair of bothers from a sumo dynasty sparked a Beatlemania-like surge of interest in Japan’s national sport.
Tickets for Grand Sumo Tournaments sell out almost instantly, top wrestlers are a near-constant presence on television screens and the number of sumo-themed shows and events popping up in the capital continues to increase.
Internationally, it’s a similar story. Sumo engagement abroad is at an all-time high, both in terms of content consumption and active participation. The sport’s pageantry combined with its made-for-social-media short bursts of action have ensured sumo is finding traction among younger demographics.