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The Mainichi
a day ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Sumo: Despite unhappy exit, Hakuho's all-time great status remains
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Former yokozuna Hakuho's impending retirement from the Japan Sumo Association marks an inglorious exit from the sport, but the Mongolian-born wrestler's record inside the ring will remain a testament to his greatness. The ruling body announced Monday that the winner of a record 45 elite-level championships will officially retire on June 9 following more than a year of uncertainty about the fate of the scandal-hit Miyagino stable that he oversaw as stablemaster. It was closed indefinitely in April 2024 after Hakuho, now known in the sumo world as elder Miyagino, took responsibility for one of his proteges physically abusing younger wrestlers at the stable. Hakuho, who debuted as a yokozuna at the 2007 Nagoya tournament, once expressed a wish to eventually see his championship milestone eclipsed by a younger generation, saying, "I hope someday, some children will come along who will surpass this record." The 40-year-old's all-time records also include winning 1,187 professional bouts and 1,093 matches in the elite makuuchi division, the latter more than 100 greater than the total of the No. 2 in the rankings, former ozeki Kaiho. Hakuho collected his 33rd Emperor's Cup at the January 2015 tournament, beating the 32 held by his idol Taiho, dubbed the "Great Yokozuna of the Showa Period." "I may have surpassed him in terms of numbers, but I still don't know how Taiho feels," he said at a press conference after the tournament. His achievements as a grand champion, required to continually achieve excellence or be forced into retirement, were exceptional, with his 84 tournaments, 1,019 bouts and 722 consecutive all yokozuna records. Having retired from competition just four years ago, the all-time great's departure feels both premature and a missed opportunity to impart his wealth of knowledge to new generations of wrestlers.
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Despite unhappy exit, Hakuho's all-time great status remains
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 22:37 | Sports, All, Japan Former yokozuna Hakuho's impending retirement from the Japan Sumo Association marks an inglorious exit from the sport, but the Mongolian-born wrestler's record inside the ring will remain a testament to his greatness. The ruling body announced Monday that the winner of a record 45 elite-level championships will officially retire on June 9 following more than a year of uncertainty about the fate of the scandal-hit Miyagino stable that he oversaw as stablemaster. It was closed indefinitely in April 2024 after Hakuho, now known in the sumo world as elder Miyagino, took responsibility for one of his proteges physically abusing younger wrestlers at the stable. Hakuho, who debuted as a yokozuna at the 2007 Nagoya tournament, once expressed a wish to eventually see his championship milestone eclipsed by a younger generation, saying, "I hope someday, some children will come along who will surpass this record." The 40-year-old's all-time records also include winning 1,187 professional bouts and 1,093 matches in the elite makuuchi division, the latter more than 100 greater than the total of the No. 2 in the rankings, former ozeki Kaiho. Hakuho collected his 33rd Emperor's Cup at the January 2015 tournament, beating the 32 held by his idol Taiho, dubbed the "Great Yokozuna of the Showa Period." "I may have surpassed him in terms of numbers, but I still don't know how Taiho feels," he said at a press conference after the tournament. His achievements as a grand champion, required to continually achieve excellence or be forced into retirement, were exceptional, with his 84 tournaments, 1,019 bouts and 722 consecutive all yokozuna records. Having retired from competition just four years ago, the all-time great's departure feels both premature and a missed opportunity to impart his wealth of knowledge to new generations of wrestlers. Related coverage: Ex-yokozuna Hakuho to leave sumo world: governing body Sumo: Onosato performs ring entry ceremony at Meiji Jingu shrine Sumo: Hoshoryu ready to rest after promotion-earning New Year win
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Despite unhappy exit, Hakuho's all-time great status remains
KYODO NEWS - 6 minutes ago - 22:37 | Sports, All, Japan Former yokozuna Hakuho's impending retirement from the Japan Sumo Association marks an inglorious exit from the sport, but the Mongolian-born wrestler's record inside the ring will remain a testament to his greatness. The ruling body announced Monday that the winner of a record 45 elite-level championships will officially retire on June 9 following more than a year of uncertainty about the fate of the scandal-hit Miyagino stable that he oversaw as stablemaster. It was closed indefinitely in April 2024 after Hakuho, now known in the sumo world as elder Miyagino, took responsibility for one of his proteges physically abusing younger wrestlers at the stable. Hakuho, who debuted as a yokozuna at the 2007 Nagoya tournament, once expressed a wish to eventually see his championship milestone eclipsed by a younger generation, saying, "I hope someday, some children will come along who will surpass this record." The 40-year-old's all-time records also include winning 1,187 professional bouts and 1,093 matches in the elite makuuchi division, the latter more than 100 greater than the total of the No. 2 in the rankings, former ozeki Kaiho. Hakuho collected his 33rd Emperor's Cup at the January 2015 tournament, beating the 32 held by his idol Taiho, dubbed the "Great Yokozuna of the Showa Period." "I may have surpassed him in terms of numbers, but I still don't know how Taiho feels," he said at a press conference after the tournament. His achievements as a grand champion, required to continually achieve excellence or be forced into retirement, were exceptional, with his 84 tournaments, 1,019 bouts and 722 consecutive all yokozuna records. Having retired from competition just four years ago, the all-time great's departure feels both premature and a missed opportunity to impart his wealth of knowledge to new generations of wrestlers. Related coverage: Ex-yokozuna Hakuho to leave sumo world: governing body Sumo: Onosato performs ring entry ceremony at Meiji Jingu shrine Sumo: Hoshoryu ready to rest after promotion-earning New Year win
Tokyo Weekender
5 days ago
- Sport
- Tokyo Weekender
Introducing Onosato: Japan's Record-Breaking Yokozuna Grand Champion
Onosato was promoted to the highest rank of yokozuna on Wednesday following his Summer Grand Sumo Tournament triumph. The 24-year-old Ishikawa Prefecture native achieved the feat after just 13 professional tournaments, making him the fastest to attain the exalted rank in the modern era. The previous record was held by fellow Ishikawa Prefecture native Wajima, who secured promotion after his 21st meet in 1973. Onosato, whose birth name is Daiki Nakamura, is the first Japanese-born sumo wrestler to become grand champion since 2017. List of Contents: A New Era in Sumo The Rise of Onosato Related Posts A New Era in Sumo The only other Japanese-born competitor promoted to the top rank of the sport this century was his stablemaster Nishonoseki, who wrestled as Kisenosato. He retired in 2019. Since Asashoryu's ascent to the highest rank 22 years ago, sumo has been dominated by Mongolian wrestlers, with six of the last eight yokozuna hailing from the world's second-largest landlocked country. The rise of Onosato, though, could mark a new era in the sport. A remarkable talent, he is the first wrestler to turn yokozuna without a single losing record. 'I'll devote myself to training in order not to bring the rank of yokozuna into disrepute, and aim for a one-of-a-kind yokozuna,' said Onosato during his promotion ceremony at his Nishonoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture. Nishonoseki added, 'I hope he leads by example and lifts the entire world of sumo. It's important to be strong, but I hope he becomes a role model for other wrestlers. I hope he wrestles while being aware (of a yokozuna's responsibilities).' The Rise of Onosato Described as 'the most eagerly awaited prospect to come out of collegiate sumo in decades,' Onosato only became a professional in May 2023 after graduating from Nippon Sport Science University. Speaking about the wrestler's potential, his former coach at Niigata's Kaiyo High School said , 'It may be presumptuous to call him the Shohei Otani of sumo, but I have high hopes for him to become a 'monster of a new era.'' So far, he has lived up to the hype. Beginning as a pro in the third-tier makushita division, Onosato won the Emperor's Cup in his seventh tournament, the fastest since the championship system was established more than a century ago. He secured his fourth career championship last Friday with two days to spare in the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. Going into the final day, he had a perfect 14-0 record. Hoshoryu , however, spoiled his bid to finish the tournament undefeated. The Mongolian is, of course, sumo's only other current yokozuna. He was promoted in January. The last two wrestlers promoted to yokozuna in the same year were Hokutoumi and Onokuni in 1987. It's hoped that the sport's latest rivalry will become one for the ages. Hoshoryu currently has the upper hand, with six wins in eight career bouts between the pair. They will meet as yokozuna for the first time at the IG Arena in Nagoya in July. Onosato will be hoping to claim his third successive title this year, while Hoshoryu will be aiming for his third career championship. Related Posts The Greatest Sumo Rivalries of All Time | List of 7 London To Host First Overseas Sumo Tournament in 20 Years A Guide to Sumo in Tokyo
Asahi Shimbun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Onosato's rapid rise to yokozuna signals new era for sumo world
Ozeki Onosato, foreground, defeats maegashira No. 4 Takayasu on March 23 to capture his third Emperor's Cup at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka. (Takuya Tanabe) A father ordered his son, who was leaving home to become a sumo wrestler: 'Do not come home until you've made it to 'sekitori.'' (Sekitori means sumo wrestlers in the highest 'makuuchi' division and the second-highest 'juryo' division.) This was paternal 'tough love' par excellence. Aware of the hardships his boy was about to face, the father knew that the best thing he could do for his son was to just let him deal with the tough challenges like a grown man. The son debuted in the May tournament in 2023 and became a sekitori after only two tournaments. By the Bon summer holidays that year, he was able to visit his family at his home in Ishikawa Prefecture. The situation makes me almost picture his father trying unsuccessfully to suppress his glee by telling his son with mock dismay, 'Aren't you home a bit early?' This episode was introduced in the Hokkoku Shimbun, a local daily newspaper. The son's name is Daiki Nakamura, whose 'shikona' (ring name) is Onosato. Because of his phenomenally rapid rise, his hair did not grow fast enough to be styled into a proper topknot and he sported a messy 'do' until recently. And, less than six months after he was finally able to wear the formal 'oicho' topknot, he was promoted to the highest rank of yokozuna. From his ring debut, it took him only 13 tournaments to reach that pinnacle—said to be the fastest since yokozuna became an officially recognized title during the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Anyone holding that exalted rank is expected to have achieved perfection in what is called 'shin-gi-tai' (spirit, technique and physical strength). Scriptwriter Makiko Uchidate once complained of 'young men' who raced up the ranks and behaved with no manners whatsoever on the dohyo. But Onosato, the 24-year-old new yokozuna, has been working on self-improvement forever. There is already something about him that suggests greatness. For instance, after toweling himself before a bout, he would fold the towel politely before returning it to the 'yobidashi' (ring attendant) as a matter of courtesy to the latter. He is more than just a great wrestler, enthuses author Nobuya Kobayashi in his recently published book 'Onosato wo Sodateta Kaniya Ryokan Monogatari' ("The story of Kaniya Ryokan that raised Onosato"). Yokozuna Wajima (1948-2018), another Ishikawa Prefecture native, established the 'Rinko Jidai (Era)' together with yokozuna Kitanoumi (1953-2015). Onosato's promotion to yokozuna ends the 'single yokozuna' situation that lasted three and a half years. A new era of sumo has dawned. —The Asahi Shimbun, May 29 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
