Latest news with #Japanese-born
Tokyo Weekender
2 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
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Top court rejects claim dual nationality ban is unconstitutional
Japan's top court has rejected an appeal by a Japanese-born U.S. citizen challenging the constitutionality of the country's ban on dual citizenship, finalizing lower court rulings. The decision by the Supreme Court's First Petty Bench, dated Monday, was on a claim that Article 11 of the Nationality Law, which stipulates the loss of Japanese nationality upon voluntarily acquiring a foreign nationality, infringes on the right to self-determination. The Fukuoka District Court turned down the initial claim in 2023, noting that the law was appropriate and was not beyond the scope of discretion. The Fukuoka High Court also supported the first decision last year. According to the ruling, the woman acquired U.S. citizenship in 2004. She applied for a Japanese passport in 2017, but her application was rejected the following year on the grounds that she had lost her Japanese nationality. © KYODO
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Onosato becomes yokozuna at record pace after 13 tournaments
KYODO NEWS - 23 minutes ago - 21:23 | Sports, All Onosato was promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna on Wednesday, attaining the honor at a record pace after competing in just 13 professional tournaments. The 24-year-old from Ishikawa Prefecture became the 75th yokozuna and the first Japanese-born grand champion since his stablemaster Nishonoseki, who wrestled as Kisenosato and won his promotion after the New Year meet in 2017. "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," Onosato said during a promotion ceremony at his Nishonoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture. Onosato ensured his promotion by winning the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with two days to spare on Friday, achieving the required benchmark of back-to-back championships as an ozeki, the second-highest rank. The Japan Sumo Association officially approved Onosato's elevation at an extraordinary board meeting on Wednesday. The previous record holder under the six-tournament calendar introduced in 1958 was the late Wajima, another Ishikawa native, who secured promotion after his 21st meet in May 1973. Onosato joins 14-time winner Wajima as the only wrestler to become a grand champion after entering the professional ranks from university. The imposing 192-centimeter, 191-kilogram star, who excels both with his pushing and grappling techniques, has won four Emperor's Cups having claimed his first last May. "Since entering professional sumo, I've always thought the rank of yokozuna is something I'd absolutely aim for. I'm happy to have achieved it," Onosato said. "I think what I do from here is important." He was happy with his choice of words after receiving the news from sumo association messengers. "I thought there was no better phrase. I didn't get nervous and managed to say it commandingly," Onosato said. "I wasn't planning to include (one-of-a-kind) originally but then felt it was the perfect fit." He is set to forge a rivalry with Mongolian yokozuna Hoshoryu, who reached the rank after January's New Year meet. They will go head-to-head as yokozuna for the first time at July's Nagoya meet at the newly built IG Arena. Two wrestlers have been promoted to yokozuna in the same year for the first time since 1987 when Hokutoumi and Onokuni rose to the top. "I hope he carves out a new era," said Hokutoumi, who now goes by Hakkaku and is the current JSA president. With the sport set to hold an exhibition tour of London in October, Hakkaku said having two grand champions is a timely boost. "It's a good thing. It's not something that happens even if the association hopes for it." Onosato needed nine tournaments to reach the exalted rank since making his top-tier makuuchi division debut, setting another milestone as he eclipsed the previous record of 11 meets by 32-time Emperor's Cup-winning icon Taiho. Onosato is the first wrestler to turn yokozuna without a single losing record. "I hope he leads by example and lifts the entire world of sumo," said Nishonoseki. "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)." "He's still developing. He's been building his body properly since entering the stable, making steady efforts. Training does not lie." Onosato made his professional debut as No. 10 in the third-tier makushita division in May 2023, a head start granted to those with strong amateur records. He reached ozeki also at a record clip, earning promotion after last September's Autumn meet, his ninth as a professional. His meteoric rise saw him achieve the rank with hair still too short for the "oicho" hairstyle, named after the ginkgo leaf, worn by makuuchi and second-tier juryo wrestlers. The last Japanese wrestler to rise to yokozuna in his early 20s was Takanohana, who was 22 when he was promoted after the November 1994 Kyushu meet. "He's always smiling when he comes here. I hope he stays the way he is -- someone loved and supported by everyone," said 50-year-old Keisuke Koyama, who runs a sushi restaurant in the new yokozuna's hometown of Tsubata. Onosato said he was "able to deliver good news" with his promotion and promised to continue "energizing Ishikawa and Noto" peninsula, devastated by an earthquake on Jan. 1, 2024. Related coverage: Sumo: Onosato lifts trophy with 14-1 record after loss to Hoshoryu
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Asahi Shimbun
SUMO/ Onosato pledges to be ‘one and only' yokozuna upon promotion
Onosato, left, declares his resolve to be the best as the 75th yokozuna on May 28 in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture. (Sayuri Ide) The Japan Sumo Association launched a new era in the sport on May 28, making Onosato's promotion official to the highest rank as the 75th yokozuna. And just as he vowed to be the best when promoted to the second-highest rank of ozeki in September, Onosato repeated that pledge. 'I will devote myself to training so as not to disgrace the rank of yokozuna. I aim to be the one and only grand champion,' the 24-year-old wrestler said in his acceptance speech at his Nishonoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture. Association envoys visited Onosato at his stable to deliver the good news, as is tradition. The phrase 'one and only' echoed Onosato's earlier declaration upon being promoted to ozeki. On that occasion, he similarly promised to become a unique and unmatched rikishi. 'I hadn't originally planned to use those words again, but they just felt right,' Onosato said. 'They were the only words that came to mind.' Onosato's promotion follows his dominant performance in the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo, where he won 14 consecutive bouts from the opening day, securing his second consecutive championship and fourth overall. His bid for an undefeated slate over the 15-day tournament ended on the final day on May 25, by Hoshoryu, who was promoted to yokozuna in January. Hoshoryu ended with a 12-3 record, as sumo fans now look forward to the start of a heated rivalry between the two young yokozuna. Onosato's rise marks the first Japanese-born yokozuna in more than eight years, since the 2017 promotion of Kisenosato, who is now his stablemaster. He is also the third yokozuna from Ishikawa Prefecture, following the renowned Wajima, who was promoted in 1973. Ishikawa Prefecture suffered devastation in the 2024 New Year's Day Noto Peninsula earthquake, so Onosato's rapid ascent to the top of his sport has brought much encouragement to residents affected by the disaster. Onosato's promotion comes just 13 tournaments after his professional debut, marking the fastest ascent to yokozuna in the modern era and surpassing the previous record of 16 tournaments set by Haguroyama and Terukuni in the 1940s. With the debut of a new yokozuna, the upcoming Nagoya tournament in July will feature two yokozuna topping the East and West sides of the banzuke ranking list for the first time in nearly four years.
4 days ago
- Sport
Sumo Wrestler Onosato Promoted to Yokozuna
News from Japan Sports May 28, 2025 12:06 (JST) Ami, Ibaraki Pref., May 28 (Jiji Press)--The board of the Japan Sumo Association on Wednesday unanimously decided to promote 24-year-old wrestler Onosato to yokozuna, the highest rank in the makuuchi top division of professional sumo wrestling. Onosato became the first Japanese-born yokozuna since Kisenosato, currently his stablemater, Nishonoseki, was promoted to the rank in 2017. "I'll devote myself to training hard so as not to tarnish the title of yokozuna, and aim to become a one-of-a-kind yokozuna," Onosato said in a ceremony at the Nishonoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, where the decision to promote him was relayed. Onosato, whose real name is Daiki Nakamura, made his professional sumo debut in the 2023 summer grand tournament. His promotion came after he claimed the title at the second straight grand tournament this month, the fourth victory in his career. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
