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Japan Forward
6 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Sumo Star Onosato Becomes the 75th Yokozuna
Onosato earned promotion to sumo's highest rank faster than any other wrestler. The Ishikawa Prefecture native received the honor after only 13 tournaments. Onosato (left) and stablemaster Nishinoseki attend a yokozuna promotion ceremony on May 28, 2025, in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture. (©SANKEI) Onosato has had a brilliant start to his sumo wrestling career, winning four of his first 13 tournaments as a professional. And now, after capturing back-to-back titles, including the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, May 25 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Ishikawa Prefecture native has reached the pinnacle of his sport. The Japan Sumo Association's board of directors held a meeting on Wednesday, May 28 and, as expected, unanimously approved Onosato's promotion to yokozuna (grand champion), the sport's highest rank. Consecutive titles is considered a requirement for an ozeki to ascend to the highest rank. Onosato's rapid rise to the top broke the record for the fewest number of tournaments needed to become a yokozuna. In the 1940s, Haguroyama and Terukuni both became yokozuna with just 16 tournaments under their belt. The six-tournament era was adopted in 1958. And during the modern era of Japan's traditional sport, Wajima, another Ishikawa Prefecture native, set the previous record of earning promotion to grand champion after 21 tourneys in May 1973. Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds the Hanshin Tigers megaphone after his promotion ceremony. (©SANKEI) Becoming a yokozuna carries great responsibility as a public figure and as a bearer of the sport's traditional values. On Wednesday, JSA representatives visited Nishinoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, where Onosato trains, to deliver the good news. "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, according to Kyodo News. "I think what I do from here is important." Onosato won his fourth Emperor's Cup at the Summer Basho on May 25 in Tokyo. (KYODO) Onosato, whose given name is Daiki Nakamura, turns 25 on June 7. The 192-cm wrestler made his pro debut in May 2023. Before that, he was a Nippon Sport Science University student and wrestler. After Terunofuji's retirement in January 2025, there was a one-yokozuna period for several months. There are now two yokozuna once again, with Onosato joining Mongolian Hoshoryu, who has held the rank since January, at the top. Hoshoryu spoiled Onosato's bid for a perfect Summer Basho, winning their match on the 15th and final day, meaning Onosato finished with a 14-1 record. Looking ahead, Onosato is determined to make his mark as a yokozuna. "I will devote myself to training so as not to disgrace the rank of yokozuna," Onosato was quoted as saying by The Asahi Shimbun on Wednesday. He added, "I aim to be the one and only grand champion." Onosato and stablemaster Nishinoseki (right) attend the promotion ceremony. (KYODO) What does being called yokozuna mean to him now? "I still haven't gotten used to it," The Sankei Shimbun reported him saying at Nishinoseki stable. "[But] I guess I will get used to it." Retired yokozuna Kisenosato, now known as Nishinoseki stablemaster, has guided Onosato's career. In 2017, he became the last Japanese to earn the prestigious title of yokozuna. Mongolians have dominated sumo's makuuchi (top) division over the past few decades. "I hope he leads by example and lifts the entire world of sumo," stablemaster Nishonoseki said of Onosato, according to Kyodo News. "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]." Then-ozeki Onosato defeats fourth-ranked maegashira Takerufuji on Day 7 of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on May 17. (©SANKEI) In May 2024, Onosato won his first Emperor's Cup with a 12-3 record as a komusubi, sumo's fourth-highest rank. As a result, he was promoted to sekiwake for the July 2024 meet in Nagoya. In his second tourney as a sekiwake, Onosato claimed his second Emperor's Cup at the Autumn Basho in Tokyo in September 2024, posting a 13-2 record. That earned him another promotion, reaching ozeki for the final meet of 2024 in November in Fukuoka. Interestingly enough, upon his promotion to the sport's second-highest rank, Onosato also vowed to be "the one and only" ozeki. There was no doubt that Onosato had the ability to shine as an ozeki and that he was destined for even greater prestige. He compiled a 45-15 record as an ozeki, raising his win total from nine to 10 to 12 to 14 in his four meets at that rank. Winning the Spring Basho by beating Kisenosato in a playoff at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Onosato took that first big step toward promotion to yokozuna. His outstanding Summer Basho performance was confirmation that has the ability to be a great sumo wrestler for many years to come. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Forward
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Summer Basho Champ Onosato on the Verge of Promotion to Yokozuna
Onosato went 14-1 in the Summer Basho, winning his second consecutive tournament. The Ishikawa Prefecture native will become the sport's 75th yokozuna. Ozeki Onosato receives the Emperor's Cup from Japan Sumo Association chairman Hakkaku after winning the Summer Basho. Onosato went 14-1 in the tournament, which wrapped up on May 25, 2025, at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. (©KYODO) Ozeki Onosato achieved his goal of winning the Summer Basho, clinching the title on Friday, May 23 with a victory over Kotozakura, another ozeki. The Ishikawa Prefecture native then entered the final day of the 15-day tournament on Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan with a perfect record. In the day's last bout, lone yokozuna Hoshoryu spoiled Onosato's bid to become the first unbeaten champion since now-retired yokozuna Terunofuji went 15-0 at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in November 2021. Hoshoryu, who fell to 2-2 after his Day 4 defeat to second-ranked maegashira Abi, improved to 12-3 with a twisting overarm throw that sent Onosato tumbling downward. Yokozuna Hoshoryu (left) grapples with ozeki Onosato on Day 15. (©SANKEI) With the victory, Hoshoryu improved his head-to-head record against Onosato to 6-2. "I am really happy even though I lost in the end," said Onosato, who turns 25 on June 7, on NHK. He added, "I wanted to win the whole tournament (every match), but I couldn't, so I will do my best next time." Summer Basho winner Onosato is interviewed after the tournament concluded. (KYODO) Even if perfection was Onosato's goal at the Summer Basho, there's consolation just around the corner. He will become sumo's 75th yokozuna (grand champion), reaching the top in only 13 tournaments ― a modern era record for the fewest meets to ascend to the top. Onosato will break Wajima's record of needing only 21 tourneys to become a yokozuna in the six-tournament era, which was established in 1958. It's a record that has stood since 1973. The Japan Sumo Association's Yokozuna Deliberation Council is on the verge of rubber-stamping Onosato's promotion. An announcement is likely on Wednesday, May 28. "I will wait to hear good news on Wednesday, when the extraordinary meeting of the board of directors is held," Onosato said on NHK. He added, "I think the upcoming tournament (July's Nagoya Basho) will be an important one, so I will prepare well and do my best to have a good tournament." Komusubi Wakatakakage forces sixth-ranked maegashira Tobizaru over the edge of the raised ring on Day 15. Wakatakakage went 12-3 in the tourney. (©SANKEI) In addition to Onosato and Hoshoryu, nine other makuuchi division wrestlers finished with double-digit victory totals. Komusubi Wakatakakage matched Hoshoryu's record (12-3), and on the final day, he defeated rank-and-file grappler Tobizaru (7-8). In March, Wakatakakage went 9-6 as a top maegashira. Aonishiki, a ninth-ranked maegashira, triumphs against No 13 Sadanoumi on the final day of the Summer Basho. (©SANKEI) Sekiwake Kirishima and 21-year-old Ukrainian Aonishiki, a ninth-ranked maegashira, both compiled 11-4 records. Six wrestlers finished with 10-5 marks: Asakoryu, Sadanoumi, Kinbozan, Onokatsu, Oshoma and Daieisho. Kirishima earned the fourth Technique Prize of his sumo career. Aonishiki, who debuted in the top division in March, claimed the Fighting Spirit Prize. After posting an 11-4 record in the Spring Basho, Aonishiki received his first Fighting Spirit Prize. Onosato's 14 consecutive wins in the Summer Basho began with a strong five-day stretch at the outset of the tourney. In that period, he rattled off wins in succession over top maegashira Wakamotoharu, komusubi Takayasu, Abi, top maegashira Oho and third-ranked maegashira Tamawashi. "I thought the first five days of the tournament were important, and I was good in those five days, so I think I was able to create a good flow, which led to the [title]," Onosato said during his on-air interview. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Forward
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Hoshoryu Returns to Sumo Spotlight at the Summer Basho
Beginning his second tournament as a yokozuna, sumo wrestler Hoshoryu aims to remain healthy throughout the 15-day event at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. Yokozuna Hoshoryu (right) grapples with ozeki Kotozakura on May 2, 2025, during a practice session in front of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. (©SANKEI) Hoshoryu begins his quest to win his first Emperor's Cup as a yokozuna against komusubi Wakatakakage on the opening day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, May 11. Promoted to sumo's highest rank in January 2025, Hoshoryu pulled out of the Spring Basho in Osaka on Day 10. He had compiled a 5-4 record over the previous nine days. Hoshoryu withdrew from the March tournament due to elbow pain and a neck injury. In addition to his physical preparations for the 15-day Summer Basho at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Mongolian-born wrestler visited Nominosukune Shrine in the Japanese capital's Sumida Ward. The Shinto shrine was established in honor of Nomi no Sukune, sumo's founder. After making his first visit to the shrine on Friday, May 9, Hoshoryu revealed he prayed for his physical well-being. "I prayed that I would not be injured in this tournament," Hoshoryu was quoted as saying by Sports Nippon . "I'm sure I'll be fine." Hoshoryu, who won his second title at the 2025 New Year meet, is the lone yokozuna for the Summer Basho. With his aforementioned earlier promotion to sumo's highest rank, the number of ozeki was reduced from three to two. And for the second consecutive tournament, there will be a pair of grapplers at the sport's second-highest rank, Onosato and Kotozakura. Ozeki Onosato receives the Emperor's Cup from Japan Sumo Association chairman Hakkaku after winning the Spring Basho on March 23 at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. (©SANKEI) Onosato captured his third Emperor's Cup at the Spring Basho, beating Takayasu in a playoff. Both men had 12-3 records in the tourney, necessitating a playoff. After winning in dramatic fashion at the most recent tourney, Onosato appears on fast track to become the next yokozuna. But first things first. Onosato, who turns 25 on June 7, has a plan for May's sumo competition. "I want to do my best without thinking too much," he said, according to Jiji Press. Ozeki Onosato (right) faces Hoshoryu in a training session on May 2. (KYODO) Onosato will square off against maegashira No 1 Wakamotoharu on that first Sunday. Kotozakura, who was promoted from No 4 maegashira to komusubi after the Spring Basho, will clash with Oho, the other top maegashira. Oho had a disappointing 6-9 record at the March tourney. And then he was demoted from sekiwake, the sport's third-highest rank, to the lowest rung of the top division. Kotozakura, winner of the November 2024 tournament, said he's focusing on one opponent at a time. "There is no time to neglect the early rounds," said Kotozakura, who will face Abi on Day 2, according to Sports Hochi . "I just have to concentrate on the first match in front of me and do what I have to do." Ozeki Kotozakura (right) participates in a sumo training session on May 1 in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. (KYODO) Sekiwake Daieisho begins the sumo meet with a Sunday showdown against second-ranked maegashira Abi. Meanwhile, sekiwake Kirishima will encounter maegashira No 2 Gonoyama on the opening day. Also, it should be interesting to follow Takayasu coming off his runner-up finish in March. Has he turned the page and put the disappointment of defeat behind him? Takayasu's first test of May is against No 3 maegashira Tamawashi. women's MVP Kotona Hayashi (© Outside hitter Kotona Hayashi of the women's champion Osaka Marvelous and opposite hitter Nimir Abdel-Aziz of men's club Wolfdogs Nagoya were named Most Valuable Players for the 2024-25 season. The held an awards ceremony on Friday, May 9, in Tokyo. Hayashi also took home the women's Receiver of the Year award. After it was announced that Hayashi was chosen MVP, she admitted that she "didn't expect to be chosen, so I'm truly grateful to have received this award." Hayashi then said, "While I'm of course happy to be named MVP, what brings me the most joy is winning the championship with Osaka Marvelous — with [my] teammates." men's MVP Nimir Abdel-Aziz of Wolfdogs Nagoya (right) poses with league chairman Masaaki Ogawa at an awards ceremony on May 9 in Tokyo. (© Abdel-Aziz's name was called frequently during the banquet, as the Dutch-born player was named the winner of several additional awards: Top Scorer, Top Spiker, Top Server, Most Impressive Player and Best Opposite Hitter. "Although it (the MVP accolade) is an individual award, I want to thank my teammates again and all the club members of Wolfdogs Nagoya," Abdel-Aziz said. "[It's] really a pleasure to play in Japan and I had an amazing time. Thank you so much. "My impression [of the is very good," he continued. "The league has clearly made great efforts to become one of the best in the world — and it shows." Yomiuri Giants first baseman Kazuma Okamoto injures his left elbow on this play in the first inning on May 6 against the Hanshin Tigers at Tokyo Dome. The Tigers' Takumu Nakano is out on the bang-bang play. (©SANKEI) Yomiuri Giants infielder Kazuma Okamoto, one of NPB's top offensive players, was hurt during a collision with Takumu Nakano of the Hanshin Tigers on Tuesday, May 6. In the first inning of a game between the Central League rivals at Tokyo Dome, Okamoto, who was playing first base, sustained an elbow injury while making a catch. On the play, Giants third baseman Shunsuke Urata fielded a sacrifice bunt and fired the ball to Okamoto. The throw was off the mark, forcing Okamoto into an outstretched position, and the impact of the collision caused a left elbow ligament injury. Okamoto will likely be sidelined for up to three months, according to published reports. "I'll do my best to get back as soon as possible," Okamoto was quoted as saying by Jiji Press. The 28-year-old right-handed slugger has played in 32 games in the 2025 NPB season, appearing in 24 as a first baseman and 15 as a third baseman. Okamoto is batting .308 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | NPB Hitting Standouts: Top Batters in 2025 IOC President Thomas Bach speaks at the Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on May 9. (KYODO) Thomas Bach, who's wrapping up his 12-year tenure as president of the International Olympic Committee, visited the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday, May 9. Attending a ceremony there, the German was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in recognition of his efforts to stage the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 during the global pandemic. The award also honored Bach's active role in promoting sports and their development for decades. On the same day, Bach visited the Japanese Olympic Committee office, where he thanked the host nation for its cooperation and support in staging the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games. "The Olympics were held under unprecedented circumstances that no one could have predicted," Bach said, according to Sports Hochi . "It was the COVID-19 pandemic, and we were able to accomplish something that no one had ever done before, something that no one would have been able to do. We were very fortunate to have Japan as our partner and host in the midst of such a crisis. Without Japan's support, the Tokyo 2020 Games would not have been possible." Newly elected IOC chief Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe, will officially take over for Bach on June 24. Coventry is the first woman elected to serve as IOC president. Bach said he believes Coventry is well-suited to be a successful leader for the global organization. "I know that she has this very clear compass of the Olympic values," Bach said, according to Kyodo News. "She has been elected because she has the professional and the human qualities to be a very good president of the IOC and lead the Olympic movement into an even better future." Naoya Inoue (AP/via KYODO) Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (30-0, 27 knockouts) remained No 2 in The Ring magazine's pound-for–pound rankings, which were released on Wednesday, May 7. Inoue picked up his latest victory with an eight-round technical knockout of American challenger Ramon Cardenas on Sunday, May 4 in Las Vegas. Ukrainian Oleksander Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), holder of the WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight championship straps, tops the Bible of Boxing's chart. American WBA super welterweight title holder Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is No 3. Also for Japan, WBC bantamweight champ Junto Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOs) is seventh on the prestigious pound-for-pound list. And WBA and WBC flyweight champ Kenshiro Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) is ninth. Naoya Inoue Extends Title Reign with an 8th-Round TKO of Ramon Cardenas ―Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, commenting after his latest start, according to The Baltimore Banner . Sugano tossed 7⅓ innings of one-run ball against the Los Angeles Angels on May 9. He allowed three hits while striking out five batters in a 4-1 win over the Angels. The O's snapped a five-game losing streak. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
More than just training: Sumo's open practices are intense — and entertaining
Last week's column detailed how regional tours continue to provide wider access to sumo in an era when demand for regular tournament tickets far outstrips supply. But while the jungyō are an excellent introduction to the sport, and feature all kinds of interesting aspects of sumo not seen in regular meets, there is one element of the tours that sometimes leaves hardcore fans dissatisfied. No matter how entertaining the matchups may be, the fact that there is little at stake in what are essentially exhibition bouts means the intensity of jungyō matches falls well short of what is usually seen during sumo's six yearly honbasho. For fans unable to get seats at one of those bimonthly tournaments, however, there is another option. Normally held behind closed doors and accessible only to members of the Sumo Press Club, the Yokozuna Deliberation Council (YDC) practice, known as Soken in Japanese, is occasionally opened up to the general public. This year the Soken, which will be held ahead of the Summer Basho, is the one to which fans can gain admittance. Scheduled to take place at Tokyo's Kokugikan on May 2, the practice is free to attend and should feature all of the sport's top wrestlers participating in a series of training bouts that have a higher intensity than those seen during regional tours. Although banzuke ranking positions aren't at stake, the fact that the practice is so close to a real tournament ensures most of the rikishi are in advanced stages of preparation and are giving it their all in an effort to reach full match fitness. For yokozuna, and to a lesser extent ozeki, there is the added motivation of needing to perform at a high standard to avoid incurring criticism from YDC members. Adding to the atmosphere of seriousness is the fact that, even when the event is open to the public, cheering or shouting out support for wrestlers is discouraged. The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) asks attendees to watch the practice in silence, and not use phones. Gates open at 8 a.m. and, going on past years, proceedings should conclude around 11 a.m. One point to be aware of is that while Kokugikan can hold 11,000 people, the upper floor normally isn't open to the public for Soken, and if the first floor reaches capacity, no one else will be admitted. Ura is mobbed by wrestlers vying to be next during a Yokozuna Deliberation Council practice in 2016. While the Soken is normally conducted in an air of solemn focus and seriousness, there are occasional moments of levity. | John Gunning Because of that, and the fact that it's first-come, first-served in terms of seating, it's advisable to arrive at the venue early to secure positions close to the wrestlers. One pro tip is to try and find seating on the front side (behind the white cloth covered table at which the YDC members sit) as wrestlers standing around the ring can block views of what's going on in the ring from the east, west and back sides of the arena. Physical checks for sumo's newest batch of recruits also take place at Kokugikan on May 2, giving those in attendance at the Soken an opportunity to see some of the future stars of sumo take their very first steps as professionals. In terms of the number of high-level sumo contests, it's hard to beat the Soken. On no other occasion can you see all the sports top-rankers engage in anything like the volume of bouts that take place at the YDC practice. Pre-tournament tensions not only contribute toward ensuring fierce fights, but can sometimes lead to tempers flaring. Two decades ago, notoriously fiery yokozuna Asashoryu engaged in a series of heated battles with Russian standout Roho and Hakuho, then an up-and-comer. Normally sumo practices of such intensity only take place inside a single stable or perhaps during training sessions among ichimon (groups of aligned stables). With some of the more promising third-tier wrestlers also staying on to train with those in the second division (or second with third), the Soken offers an early opportunity to evaluate the career prospects of young talent or college stars who earned advanced starting positions in the professional ranks. Being able to watch the best wrestlers currently in sumo duking it out for an hour or more isn't the only thrill for sumo fans when it comes to the Soken. Numerous stars of the past can be seen as many, if not most, stablemasters are in attendance, and the YDC practice often brings out former legends no longer in the JSA such as Konishiki. While the Soken is normally conducted in an air of solemn focus and seriousness, there are occasional moments of levity. Throughout sumo's history there have always been wrestlers who can't resist hamming it up or playing to the crowd no matter the situation. With training bouts often following a 'king of the hill' pattern, winners are mobbed by those trying to be picked next. Sometimes 10 or more men will immediately rush into the center of the ring at the same time in an attempt to get the attention of the winner. Now and again, a showman will take that to extremes by bear-hugging the winner or grabbing his face with both hands in an attempt to prevent him from picking someone else. Such lighthearted interludes are the exception rather than the rule though, and for the most part the Soken is conducted in impressive near-silence, only broken by the sounds of exertion from the sport's top competitors. With Hoshoryu having withdrawn midway through his first tournament at sumo's highest rank in March, the upcoming YDC practice is sure to see a refocused version of the sport's lone yokozuna, and that should provide a spectacle to satisfy the most demanding of fans.
