Japan's Latest Yokozuna Continues Stable's Tradition of Champions Training Champions

Yomiuri Shimbun

28-05-2025

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Onosato, right, and Stablemaster Nishonoseki smile after being informed of his promotion to yokozuna in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Wednesday.
Onosato's promotion to yokozuna, the top rank in sumo, was due in large part to the training he received from his stablemaster Nishonoseki, 38, who helped his talents fully bloom.
The sumo world was interested in Onosato from his school days, and when he declared his desire to be a professional sumo wrestler, many stables competed to win him. Onosato ultimately chose the Nishonoseki stable led by former yokozuna Kisenosato.
Nishonoseki became a yokozuna in his 89th tournament. He conveyed the hardships and experience of his days in the ring to Onosato and helped him reach the top rank with surprising speed.
Hard training
'From yokozuna to yokozuna.' This slogan is displayed on the Nishonoseki stable's website beside a photo of the curent stablemaster in his wrestling days. In the picture, he is shaking hands with stablemaster Naruto, the former yokozuna Takanosato who trained Nishinoseki.
Takanosato was in his time trained by stablemaster Futagoyama, who was the first yokozuna named Wakanohana.
The conviction that retired yokozuna wrestlers should foster the next generation of yokozuna has been passed down steadily. Onosato's promotion extended the relay to a fourth generation.
Nishonoseki stable produced its first yokozuna less than four years after Nishonoseki became an independent stablemaster in August 2021.
'The practice that we have wrestlers steadily engage in bears fruit little by little. This clearly shows that training never lets you down,' Nishonoseki said.
Training was very hard at the Naruto stable where Nishinoseki practiced during his days as Kisenosato. At many stables, wrestlers' daily practice ended in the morning, but the Naruto stable often continued past noon.
Stablemaster Naruto once scolded a trainee who had lost, saying: 'Imagine there are spikes outside the dohyo ring. Would you casually step out of the ring in that kind of situation?' The practice venues were always tense at Naruto stable.
Humbly acquiring the basics
Nishonoseki learned about the importance of basic physical training from his own stablemaster. So, Nishinoseki built two dohyo rings in his stable's practice room and had trainees spend a lot of time practicing 'shiko' foot stamping and 'suriashi' foot sliding.
He did not give preferential treatment to Onosato, even though he already had excellent capabilities and achievements, but had him engage in the same practice as trainees in the makushita and lower divisions.
Onosato humbly participated, saying, 'I'm grateful because I'm being firmly taught the basics.' His stablemaster praised him: 'He has obediently continued to do what I told him to.'
Ahead of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, which would decide whether Onosato was promoted to yokozuna, Onosato and the stablemaster practiced by wrestling in the dohyo ring. Onosato physically felt his stablemaster's enthusiasm.
At a press conference after his promotion, Onosato expressed his intention to perform dohyo-entering ceremonies in the Unryu style, like his stablemaster did when he was a yokozuna.
The stablemaster and the wrestler who both sought advancement have finally reached their long-desired summit.
Home prefecture excited
In Onosato's home area of Ishikawa Prefecture, residents expressed their joy after learning about his promotion.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Banners celebrating Onosato's promotion to yokozuna are displayed at a store inside the Kanazawa Station building in Kanazawa on Wednesday.
Shunto Miwa, a 30-year-old company employee in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, taught Onosato sumo techniques when the wrestler was a high school student. 'I never dreamed a person close to me could become a yokozuna. I'm proud of that and very glad,' Miwa said.
He sent a message saying 'Congratulations on the championship' after the end of the summer tournament, and Onosato replied, 'Let's meet again when I go back to Ishikawa Prefecture.'
'I want him to continue fighting as a yokozuna in an overwhelmingly impressive way,' Miwa said.
A 54-year-old man who coached Onosato in Tsubata, Ishikawa Prefecture, when Onosato joined a sumo club in his elementary school years offered encouragement. 'I hope he won't forget to enjoy sumo, will continue to grow and will have as long a wrestling career as possible,' the man said.
Many banners and other decorations celebrating Onosato's promotion were displayed at Kanazawa Station in Kanazawa.
A 75-year-old business operator who had come to Kanazawa for sightseeing from Suzaka, Nagano Prefecture, was an enthusiastic fan. 'I hope he won't get injured and will stay in the yokozuna rank as long as he can,' they said.