Sumo · People · Japanese culture
A window
into Japan.
Begin at the ring. Discover the people, rituals and places that make sumo a world of its own.
Explore the culture First time watching sumo? Start here →Original photography by Michihiro Taguchi.
English stories rooted in Japanese reporting.
Next tournament
Next: Kyushu Basho 2026
November 8 – 22, 2026 at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. The new banzuke is released on October 26, 2026.
See the current banzukeKyushu Basho 2026: dates, tickets & venue
Top of the banzuke · Aki Basho 2026
Yokozuna, EastOnosato
Yokozuna, WestHoshoryu
Ozeki, EastKirishima
Ozeki, WestKotozakura
Ozeki, EastAonishiki
Photos by Michihiro Taguchi.
Beyond the bout
Small details. A bigger world.
Craft · TokoyamaThe hands behind the topknot
Meet the hairdressers whose work is part of every sumo day.
Places · TokyoA neighbourhood built around sumo
Find your bearings in Ryogoku, from the arena to the streets beyond.
A meal made for the stable
Chanko-nabe, shared tables, and the food behind the sport.
Read the food guide →Photographs from Taguchi’s archive. Original reporting and photograph sources are linked in our photo stories.
The ringside archive
A photograph has
a story to tell.
A ceremonial apron. A carefully shaped topknot. A trophy passing from one pair of hands to another. Look closely at four photographs from the Japanese archive, with the original sources beside them.
Open the photo storiesThe reading room
Find your next story.
Why the salt comes before the contest
The gestures to notice before the charge.
ClothingWhat the ceremonial apron tells you
Embroidery, support and a wrestler’s public identity.
TravelYour first tournament day
Tickets, seat types and how to plan ahead.
PeopleGet to know the wrestlers
Careers, comebacks and photographs from the ring.