Michihiro Taguchi– Author –
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Takayasu: The Star-Crossed Ozeki Chasing a Title
In sumo, Takayasu is a wrestler who climbed to ozeki on the back of a sudden surge in form. He was never tipped early on as a future ozeki — his rise came only recently, after a run of strong tournaments in the sekiwake and komusubi rank... -
Daieisho: The Explosive Pusher and His Championship
In sumo, Daieisho is a pushing-and-thrusting specialist out of Oitekaze stable, run by the former Daishoyama. A product of the powerhouse Saitama Sakae High School sumo club, he climbed steadily through the ranks before breaking through ... -
Oho: Carrying the Taiho Bloodline Through the Ranks
In sumo, Oho is a makuuchi wrestler of Otake stable and the third of the four Naya brothers. The grandson of the legendary yokozuna Taiho, he rose from the bottom of the rankings under his birth name Naya, weathered a long stretch in the... -
Chiyonofuji: The Wolf, His Glory and Tragic End
In sumo, Chiyonofuji is remembered as one of the sport's greatest yokozuna — a wrestler who won 31 yusho and put together a 53-bout winning streak despite competing at a far lighter weight than his rivals. He was the first wrestler to re... -
How to Watch Sumo Live: Tickets and Venues
To watch sumo live in Japan, plan around one of the six honbasho (grand tournaments) held each year. Three take place in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan (January, May and September), with the others in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fuk... -
Sumo Rules Explained for Beginners
The rules of sumo wrestling come down to one short contest with one simple goal: force your opponent out of the ring, or make any part of his body other than the soles of his feet touch the ground. Whoever does that first wins. The bouts... -
Yokozuna: The Highest Rank in Sumo Explained
In sumo, a yokozuna is the highest rank a wrestler can reach — the grand champion who stands at the very top of the sport. Unlike every rank below it, a yokozuna can never be demoted: a grand champion who can no longer perform at the lev... -
Hakuho: The Greatest Yokozuna of All Time
Hakuho is, by the numbers, the greatest yokozuna sumo has ever seen. He won a yusho every single year for 16 straight years, strung together a 63-bout winning streak, and lifted his final championship at age 36 — the oldest yusho ever in... -
Takerufuji: To Makuuchi in Eight Tournaments
In sumo, Takerufuji is a hard-charging thrust-and-push wrestler of Isegahama stable who tore through the lower ranks at astonishing speed — reaching the top makuuchi division in just eight tournaments from his debut, without a single los... -
Terunofuji: The Ozeki Who Climbed Back from Jonidan
In sumo, Terunofuji is the Isegahama-stable wrestler who climbed back to ozeki after falling all the way down to the jonidan division. His return was made official on March 31, the first comeback to ozeki since the September 2017 tournam...
