Shodai: The Student-Origin Ozeki Who Won the September 2020 Title
Shodai is a former ozeki sumo wrestler from Kumamoto Prefecture, known for winning the September 2020 top-division championship and reaching ozeki straight off that title. He wrestled at Tokyo University of Agriculture, then joined Tokitsukaze stable and started his professional career from the unranked preliminary. This guide explains his rise, his fighting style, his title run, and where he stands today.
Key takeaways
- Shodai is a student-origin wrestler from Kumamoto who came up through Tokyo University of Agriculture and Tokitsukaze stable.
- He won his first and only top-division championship at the September 2020 (Aki) basho, clinching it on the final day.
- He was promoted to ozeki on the strength of that title and made his ozeki debut in November 2020.
- He held ozeki for 13 tournaments, posted six losing records there, and was demoted on the January 2023 banzuke.
- He remained active in the top division into 2026 as a former ozeki.
Career and rise
Shodai grew up in Kumamoto Prefecture, where he spent his middle-school and high-school years. He went on to wrestle at Tokyo University of Agriculture, and that connection led him to join Tokitsukaze stable. Because he carried no notable record from his final university year, he started his professional career from maezumo, the unranked preliminary that sits beneath the formal ranking sheet.
The climb that followed was fast. Shodai reached the juryo division in only eight tournaments without a single losing record, taking the jonokuchi and makushita championships along the way for a combined 44-12 mark, a .786 winning rate. He then cleared juryo in two tournaments, going 11-4 and then 13-2 with the divisional title.
His top-division debut came at the January 2016 basho, where he went 10-5 and won the Fighting Spirit Prize. He claimed a second Fighting Spirit Prize that November with an 11-4 record, and in March 2017 he recorded his first win over a yokozuna by beating Hakuho. For years, though, the same obstacle recurred: in tournaments where he faced a full slate of yokozuna and ozeki, he kept failing to secure a winning record. At the January 2020 basho he went 13-2 and finished runner-up, beating ozeki Takakeisho during the tournament but missing the title.
Style and techniques
Shodai wrestles a belt-fighting game. His core method is a right-hand-inside (migi-yotsu) force-out, set up by a quick attack from the double-inside grip (moro-zashi) that he uses to walk an opponent straight back and out. He also keeps a tsukiotoshi — a thrust-down — in his arsenal, and that technique decided the bout that sealed his championship.
Notable results
Shodai won his first top-division championship at the September 2020 (Aki) basho, clinching it on the final day (senshuraku). He secured the title by winning the decisive head-to-head bouts against Takakeisho and Asanoyama, then taking the final-day bout against Tobizaru by tsukiotoshi.
That championship earned him promotion to ozeki. The messenger ceremony was held at Tokitsukaze stable, where he pledged to pursue sumo with the spirit of shisei ikkan — utmost sincerity. He became a student-origin ozeki at age 28; among earlier student-origin ozeki, only Wajima had gone on to reach yokozuna. Shodai made his ozeki debut at the November 2020 basho.
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| Top-division debut | January 2016, 10-5, Fighting Spirit Prize |
| Second Fighting Spirit Prize | November 2016, 11-4 |
| First win over a yokozuna | March 2017, beat Hakuho |
| Runner-up | January 2020, 13-2 |
| Top-division championship | September 2020 (Aki), clinched on senshuraku |
| Ozeki debut | November 2020 |
| Ozeki tenure | 13 tournaments, six losing records |
| Demotion from ozeki | January 2023 banzuke |
Ozeki tenure and demotion
Shodai held the rank of ozeki for 13 tournaments. That was the second-longest tenure among the then-current former ozeki, behind Takayasu at 15, yet he never contended for a championship while at the rank. Across those 13 tournaments he posted six losing records.
He wrestled the November 2022 Fukuoka basho on kadoban, the warning status an ozeki carries after a single losing tournament. Mid-tournament he stood at 4-5 and lost to Hoshoryu, while local fans cheered him near his native Kumamoto. Under the rule that two consecutive losing records (make-koshi) cost an ozeki his rank, his demotion took effect on the January 2023 banzuke. By the March 2023 basho he was competing as a sekiwake, beating Kiribayama and Hoshoryu and losing to ozeki Takakeisho.
Current status
As of the January 2024 basho, Shodai was one of four active former ozeki, alongside Takayasu, Asanoyama, and Mitakeumi. Through that tournament his record as a former ozeki stood at 46-59, with a 2-1 mark versus yokozuna (including a forfeit win) and 2-8 versus ozeki. He has not won a special prize since his demotion. He weighed 169 kg in the 2024 top-division weight ranking, and was 34 years old as of March 31, 2026, counted among the top-division veterans over 30. He remained active in the top division into 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Shodai from?
Shodai is from Kumamoto Prefecture, where he spent his middle-school and high-school years before wrestling at Tokyo University of Agriculture.
When did Shodai win his championship?
He won his first top-division championship at the September 2020 (Aki) basho, clinching it on the final day with a thrust-down win over Tobizaru.
How long was Shodai an ozeki?
He held ozeki for 13 tournaments, from his November 2020 debut until his demotion took effect on the January 2023 banzuke. He posted six losing records over that span.
Why was Shodai demoted from ozeki?
An ozeki who records two consecutive losing tournaments loses the rank. After the November 2022 Fukuoka basho, Shodai’s back-to-back losing records triggered the demotion, which took effect on the January 2023 banzuke.
What is Shodai’s fighting style?
He favors a right-hand-inside force-out, set up by a quick attack from the double-inside grip, and keeps a thrust-down (tsukiotoshi) as a secondary weapon.
Is Shodai still wrestling?
Yes. He remained active in the top division as a former ozeki into 2026.
