2011 in sumo
Encyclopedia
Tournaments
- Hatsu bashoHonbashoA is an official professional sumo tournament. There are six held each year, a system established in 1958. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
, Ryogoku KokugikanRyogoku Kokugikan, also known as Sumo Hall, is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ryōgoku neighborhood of Sumida, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo in Japan, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is the third building built in Tokyo associated with the name kokugikan. The current building was opened in 1985 and has a...
, TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 9 January – 23 January - Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, 13 March – 27 March (cancelled) - Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 May – 22 May
- Nagoya basho, Aichi Prefectural GymnasiumAichi Prefectural GymnasiumThe is an all purpose gymnasium in Aichi, Japan, built in 1964. Located on the site of the secondary enclosure of Nagoya Castle, it is host to numerous concerts and events...
, Nagoya, 10 July – 24 July - Aki basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 September – 25 September
- Kyushu basho, Fukuoka International Centre, KyushuKyushuis the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, 13 November – 27 November
January
- 23: Hakuho wins the first honbasho of the year. It is his eighteenth championship, and his sixth in a row, a feat only previously achieved by TaihoTaiho KokiTaihō Kōki is the 48th Yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. He became a yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time, and he won a record 32 tournaments between 1960 and 1971...
and Asashoryu. His only defeat is to Kisenosato, who also beat the yokozuna in the previous tournament and once again wins the Outstanding Performance Prize. Kotoshogiku and Okinoumi finish runners-up to Hakuho on 11–4 and are awarded Technique and Fighting Spirit prizes respectively. Goeido also finishes on 11–4. The juryo championship is won by Kasugao, and the makushita title by Matsutani, returning from suspension. Former maegashira Kasuganishiki announces his retirement. He will stay in the sumo world as an elder under the name Takenawa Oyakata. - 23:Kiriyama stableKiriyama stablewas a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon of group of stables. It was set up in January 1995 by the former komusubi Kurosegawa, who branched out from the now defunct Isegahama stable and took with him the remaining members of the Onaruto stable which closed at the end of 1994....
shuts down, with its wrestlers moving to Asahiyama stableAsahiyama stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It has a long history. As of April 2008 it had 11 sumo wrestlers.-History:...
. - 24: GeorgianGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
wrestlers KokkaiKokkai FutoshiKokkai Futoshi is a professional sumo wrestler from Georgia. He began his career in May 2001. He is the first Caucasian rikishi to reach sumo's highest division, makuuchi, which he achieved in 2004. His highest rank has been komusubi, which he reached in 2006...
and Gagamaru are reprimanded by the Japan Sumo AssociationJapan Sumo AssociationThe is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
after allegedly damaging an Indian restaurant after a night of drinking following the sixth day of the Hatsu tournament. - 26: Three former wrestlers from the Ōnomatsu stableOnomatsu stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables. It was founded in its modern form on 1 October 1994 by Masurao Hiroo, who branched off from the now defunct Oshiogawa stable. His first wrestler to reach the top makuuchi division was Katayama in 2005....
are arrested in connection with illegal gambling on professional baseball. - 27: The Sumo Association issues a warning to Tamawashi after he leaned against and broke the window of a restaurant in Tokyo after the last day of the Hatsu basho. He had been drinking, and the accident caused an injury to his right arm which will keep him out of action for three weeks.
- 29: The danpatsu-shiki or official retirement ceremony of former komusubi Kaiho (Tanigawa Oyakata) takes place at the Kokugikan.
February
- 2: It becomes public that police last May investigating the baseball betting scandal found evidence of match fixingMatch fixingIn organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
of sumo bouts, known as yaocho, from mobile phones belonging to juryo wrestlers Kasuganishiki and Chiyohakuho. Leaked to the media are a series of text messages between Kasuganishiki and Kiyoseumi, with the low ranker Enatsukasa acting as a go-between. They discuss trading cash for wins and how to orchestrate the matches, with Kiyoseumi saying of one bout, "Hit me hard at the tachi-aiTachi-aiThe tachi-ai is the initial charge between two sumo wrestlers at the beginning of a bout.There are several common techniques that wrestlers use at the tachi-ai, with the aim of getting a decisive advantage in the bout:...
and just go with the flow." Also mentioned in the messages are Kaiho (Tanigawa Oyakata), Shimotori, Shotenro, KoryuKōryū TadaharuKōryū Tadaharu is a Mongolian former sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator. His highest rank was maegashira 11. He was forced to retire from sumo in 2011 after being found guilty of match-fixing.-Early years and entry into sumo:...
, Toyozakura, Kyokunankai, Wakatenro, Shirononami, and Yamamotoyama. Twelve of the wrestlers are summoned to the Sumo Association headquarters to explain themselves. Chairman HanaregomaKaiketsu MasateruKaiketsu Masateru is a former sumo wrestler, who reached the second highest rank of ōzeki on two separate occasions. He also won two top division tournament championships...
tells a press conference that this questioning did not uncover any conclusive evidence but he promises severe punishments to those proven to be involved. - 3: Sports minister Yoshiaki TakakiYoshiaki Takakiis a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. A native of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi and high-school graduate he was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1990 after serving in the union executive and local assemblies for...
tells the DietDiet of JapanThe is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
that three people in the sumo world have admitted their involvement in bout rigging. They are Chiyohakuho, Enatsukasa and the now-retired Kasuganishiki (Takenawa Oyakata). Kiyoseumi denies any wrongdoing. During these interviews Kirinowaka's name is mentioned, bringing the number of wrestlers involved to 14. The Japanese Prime Minister Naoto KanNaoto Kanis a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
calls the scandal a "betrayal" of the Japanese public. At stake is the Sumo Association's future as a government affiliated entity with tax benefits, as this is up for renewal. NHKNHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
announces that it will not hold the 44th Annual Charity Ozumo tournament scheduled for February 11, and is considering dropping TV coverage of the March honbasho. Fuji TV is also scrapping its 1-day tournament on February 6. A Ministry of Education official, Kan SuzukiKan Suzukiis a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Akashi, Hyōgo and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1986. He was elected to the House of Councillors for the...
, insists the Sumo Association conduct a thorough investigation, saying "Holding the scheduled sumo tournament in March will not gain the public's support unless the association uncovers every detail." An independent panel of seven figures from outside sumo has been set up and will report its findings to the Sumo Association. - 5: It is reported that the Sumo Association has decided to cancel the March tournament in Osaka. This will be the first time since 1946 (when the bomb-damaged Kokugikan was undergoing renovation) that a honbasho has been called off. A regional exhibition tournament in Akita PrefectureAkita Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
on August 8 has also been cancelled. - 6: Cancellation of the Haru basho is confirmed by Hanaregoma, who tells reporters "We cannot, and should not hold the tournament under these circumstances. Until we can completely root out corruption in the sport, we cannot appear in the sumo ring." He also announces the scrapping of all regional tours (jungyo) for the year. The head of the investigative panel, Waseda UniversityWaseda University, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
professor Shigeru Ito, says that questionnaires distributed to members of the Sumo Association have not led to anyone else confessing involvement, but that the 14 wrestlers under suspicion have been asked to surrender their mobile phones and bank account details for analysis. Ito stresses that the panel will thoroughly investigate without regard for the scheduling of tournaments, which could also put May's Natsu honbasho in Tokyo in doubt. - 8: Sports minister Takaki requests that wrestlers co-operate fully with investigators, after reports that some of the 14 who have been asked to hand over their mobile phones have claimed that they are either broken or have been replaced by new ones.
- 14: KodanshaKodansha, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
, publishers of the tabloid weekly Shukan GendaiShukan Gendaiis a Japanese weekly magazine published since 1959 by Kodansha. Published simultaneously with Weekly Post , it includes articles about political scandals, sports and celebrities; nude photos; movie information; book reviews; and other articles of interest to middle-aged salarymen...
, demand compensation from the Sumo Association for lost court cases in 2007 over articles that alleged match-fixing, in which they had to pay 8.25 million yen in damages. - 15: Police submit requests to the Tokyo District Prosecutors' Office for charges to be brought against two juryo wrestlers, Shironoryu and DaidoDaidō KenjiDaidō Kenji is a professional sumo wrestler or rikishi. He made his debut in 2005, reaching the top division four years later, debuting in the July, 2011 tournament...
, and seven other people, for allegedly taking part in an illegal baseball gambling ring. - 17: An independent panel of 11 sumo outsiders, formed last year to look at ways to improve the Sumo Association's governance, delivers its report. It does not mention the current match-fixing scandal, but recommends banning the trading of toshiyoriToshiyoriA toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
elder names, reducing the number of stables from the present 50 to around 30, issuing contracts with each stable for the education of its young wrestlers, and having outsiders make up about half the Association's 12 man executive board. It criticised the current practice of allowing stablemasters to serve as board members, saying, "It is inappropriate that the people who are being supervised are those doing the supervising." - 28: Instead of a traditional banzukeBanzukeThis article is about the banzuke document, for a list of wrestlers as ranked on an actual banzuke see List of active sumo wrestlersA , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament or honbasho. The term can also...
, the Sumo Association releases a simple document indicating the rankings of the wrestlers on their performances in the January tournament, to be used for calculating salary and other allowances. Only the positions of the sekitoriSekitoriA sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
are released to the media. Chiyohakuho and Kiyoseumi are both listed in the juryo division.
March
- 2: The Mainichi Daily News reports that Takenawa Oyakata (ex Kasuganishiki) has claimed that about 40 other wrestlers were involved in the match-fixing scam, and that he first became exposed to yaocho in January 2006 when a sanyaku wrestler asked him to throw a bout. He refused on that occasion, but later became involved when injuries sent him down to juryo.
- 4: The Metropolitan Police Department concludes its investigation into the illegal baseball affair by reporting 30 people to prosecutors, including 16 active wrestlers such as Toyonoshima and Miyabiyama, as well as the dismissed Kotomitsuki and Otake Oyakata.
- 4: Shigeru Ito's fact-finding panel has determined that at least 20 wrestlers and coaches are highly likely to have been involved in match-fixing. Most are believed to be lower makuuchi and higher juryo level wrestlers and do not included the very highest ranked. In addition to the names that surfaced last month, juryo Asofuji and Masatsukasa are suspected as being regularly involved in trading wins and losses.
- 5: There are just 36 new recruits reporting for their physical examinations, the lowest ever entry for the month of March. The tests, normally held in Osaka, take place in Tokyo due to the cancellation of the March basho.
- 18: Prosecutors in Tokyo announce that Kotomitsuki, Otake and 25 others involved in the baseball gambling scandal will be spared indictmentIndictmentAn indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
over gambling due to lack of implicating evidence. However, they are filing summary charges against nine others, including juryo ranked Shironoryu. - 23: The investigative panel finishes its inquiry into the match-fixing scandal, and is set to meet to decide on punishments and present its findings to the Sumo Association on April 1.
- 28: It is reported that the panel has recognised the involvement of three more wrestlers in the scandal in addition to those who have already confessed, and that around 20 people are to be either dismissed or hit with lengthy suspensions.
- 31: Three members of the Sumo Association's executive board, Kitanoumi, KokonoeChiyonofuji Mitsugu, born June 1, 1955, as in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a former champion sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna of the sport. He is now the head coach of Kokonoe stable....
and MichinokuKirishima KazuhiroKirishima Kazuhiro is a former sumo wrestler from Makizono, Kagoshima, Japan, who held the second highest rank of ōzeki from 1990 to 1992 and won one top division tournament championship...
, will reportedly resign from their posts after the investigative panel ruled that their wrestlers were guilty of match-fixing.
April
- 1: The Sumo Association "advises" nineteen wrestlers to retire because of match-fixing: makuuchi-ranked Tokusegawa, Kasugao, KoryuKōryū TadaharuKōryū Tadaharu is a Mongolian former sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator. His highest rank was maegashira 11. He was forced to retire from sumo in 2011 after being found guilty of match-fixing.-Early years and entry into sumo:...
, HakubaHakuba TakeshiHakuba Takeshi is a former sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Joining the professional sport in 2000, he entered the top division for the first time in 2008, returning in 2010. His highest rank was komusubi...
, Shimotori, Kotokasuga and Mokonami, juryo Masatsukasa, Asofuji, Sakaizawa, Wakatenro, Kiyoseumi, Toyozakura and Kyokunankai, former makuuchi Yamamotoyama and JumonjiJumonjiis a Japanese word meaning "cross", or more literally "the character 十" .It is the surname of:*Bishin Jumonji, photographer*Jūmonji Tomokazu, sumo wrestler*Takanobu Jumonji, cyclist...
, and former juryo Hoshihikari, Kirinowaka and Shirononami. Tanigawa Oyakata, (the former Kaiho), is also asked to resign but is quoted as saying, "This is absolutely ridiculous. I told the Japan Sumo Association board that the panel’s investigation was full of holes. I will take legal action." Many of the other wrestlers also declare their anger at being forced to retire, with Yamamotoyama saying,"They decided without listening to my excuse," and Wakatenro protesting, "There's no way I can accept this because I'm being forced out simply because my name came up in some testimonies and text messages." They have until April 5 to hand in their retirement papers, or face the even more harsh punishment of outright dismissal. Two year bans are given to those who admitted wrongdoing: Chiyohakuho, Takenawa Oyakata (ex Kasuganishiki) and sandanme ranked Enatsukasa (who acted as the go-between). However, all three have indicated they are leaving sumo completely. Enatsukasa issued an apology to sumo fans, saying "I've caused a lot of problems for the wrestlers who genuinely put in the work, and it hurts." Seventeen sumo elders are demoted, with executive members Kitanoumi, KokonoeChiyonofuji Mitsugu, born June 1, 1955, as in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a former champion sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna of the sport. He is now the head coach of Kokonoe stable....
and MichinokuKirishima KazuhiroKirishima Kazuhiro is a former sumo wrestler from Makizono, Kagoshima, Japan, who held the second highest rank of ōzeki from 1990 to 1992 and won one top division tournament championship...
resigning from their posts and chairman Hanaregoma taking a 30 per cent pay cut for two months. Hanaregoma told a press conference, "We had to punish many people, all of whom are our colleagues. It was a very tough decision to make." About ten other wrestlers are still under investigation, meaning it is unlikely that the Natsu tournament in May will go ahead. - 4: Mokonami, Kasugao and Kotokasuga hand in their retirement papers.
- 5: With the deadline to retire set to expire at 4pm, the rest of the 23 guilty men follow suit, with the exception of Tanigawa Oyakata, who tearfully tells a press conference, "In the fourteen years I have done sumo, I have never done any yaocho. If I hand in my papers now, it will be an admission of guilt." Tanigawa says he has not yet decided whether he will sue the Sumo Association. Chairman Hanaregoma responds, "it is unfortunate but he has his own feeling on this matter."
- 5: Details emerge of the Sumo Association's executive board meeting on Friday. Some board members felt that suspension from upcoming tournaments would be sufficient punishment, and that "it's not right to punish all wrestlers simply by believing the testimony of just one or two wrestlers who admit to bout-rigging," but in the end the vote was 9 to 3 in favour of accepting the investigative panel's proposals. The panel reached its conclusions not just on the basis on the text messages but also on the testimony of Takenawa Oyakata, the responses of the wrestlers under suspicion and video analysis of sumo matches. Originally makuuchi Sokokurai and juryo Hoshikaze were also on the guilty list, but their names were removed pending further investigation, and Shotenro was found not guilty.
- 6: Tanigawa is fired from the Sumo Association, having refused to voluntarily resign.
- 6: The Sumo Association announces that there will be a tournament held in May, but it will be a "test meet" instead of a fully-fledged honbasho. The event is being held purely to decide on the wrestler's rankings for the Nagoya tournament in July. It will take place at the Kokugikan as scheduled, but admission will be free and there will be no Emperor's Cup or prize money. However, the bouts will count on the wrestlers' career records.
- 7: An eight member committee set up last month to look at ways of preventing yaocho proposes bringing back the kosho or public injury system, abolished in 2003, which allowed wrestlers who were injured during a honbasho to sit out the next tournament without an effect on their rank.
- 11: The Sumo Association decides that Sokokurai and Hoshikaze are guilty of match fixing, and forces them both into retirement. However, both are declaring their innocence and refusing to submit their papers, saying they may take legal action. Their stablemasters, Arashio and Oguruma, are both demoted.
- 13: The deadline for Hoshikaze and Sokokurai to retire passes with both refusing to do so - the first active wrestlers in the scandal to not submit their papers. The investigative panel determined that Sokokurai took part in a fixed match with Kasuganishiki in May 2010, based on testimony by the now-Takenawa and others, while Hoshikaze was at first cleared by Takenawa's testimony but then implicated by Chiyohakuho, who testified that his bout with Hoshikaze in the most recent January 2011 tournament was rigged.
- 14: Sokokurai and Hoshikaze are both fired by the Sumo Association, and make it clear that they will take legal action - an option which none of the other 23 wrestlers punished in the match-fixing scandal have chosen. Sokokurai comments, "I have never taken part in a fixed match in the eight years that I've been in sumo. I will prove this in court", while Hoshikaze says, "I want to clearly prove in court that I didn't do it." Hoshikaze's lawyer says his client was never given an opportunity to argue his case once he was found guilty.
- 18: Onoe OyakataHamanoshima KeishiHamanoshima Keishi is a former sumo wrestler from Uto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. A former amateur champion at Nihon University, he made his professional debut in January 1992, joining Mihogaseki stable...
, already demoted two rungs in the Sumo Association's elder hierarchy because three of his wrestlers were found guilty of match-fixing, falls asleep at the wheel while waiting at a red light and is found by police to be over the legal alcohol limit. He holds a press conference at which he says he deeply regrets what he did. - 20: NHKNHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
confirms that it will not be broadcasting the May test meet live, nor will it show highlights. - 25: On the day that the banzuke for the May honbasho would have been announced, yokozuna Hakuho says he has mixed feelings about the upcoming test meet, which will have no prizes: "I, more than anyone else, have the experience and feel the weight of winning the Emperor's Cup and claiming titles. This is very emotional."
- 28: The Sumo Association says it will broadcast the May test meet live on the internet, and it will also be cutting by almost half the usual amount of electricity it uses at the Kokugikan, to meet power saving measures following the March 11 earthquake2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiThe 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. - 29: Wrestlers work out before the Yokozuna Deliberation Council and around 1700 spectators at the Kokugikan, the first public performance of sumo since January.
May
- 4: Former komusubi Futen'ō, who has fallen to the makushita division, announces his retirement from active competition at the age of 30. He will stay in sumo as a coach under the elderToshiyoriA toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
name Inagawa Oyakata. - 8: The first day of the test meet attracts around 10,000 spectators. Hakuho opens his account with a win over Toyonoshima, and comments, "It has been a dark situation for a long time now. But I've gotten through with the first day of competition. I am happy I could wrestle well." Chairman Hanaregoma offers his "heartfelt condolences" to the victims of the March 11 tsunami in his opening speech, and also apologises to sumo fans for what he calls "the problem with intentional spiritless sumo."
- 22: The final day of the technical examination tournament sees Hakuho take his nineteenth championship after his only challenger, Tochinoshin, loses to Harumafuji. Hakuho subsequently loses his match to ozeki KaioKaio HiroyukiKaiō Hiroyuki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan.He made his debut in 1988, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1993. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for eleven years from 2000 to 2011, and is the longest-serving ozeki of all time in terms of...
but his 13-2 record is enough for his seventh consecutive title, equalling the record held by Asashoryu. Tochinoshin finishes on 12-3 and is runner-up alongside Kakuryu. Tochinoshin shares the Fighting Spirit prize with KaiseiKaisei IchirōKaisei Ichirō is a professional sumo wrestler from São Paulo, Brazil. Making his debut in September 2006, he reached the top makuuchi division in May 2011. His highest rank has been maegashira 5.-Career:Born Ricardo Sugano in São Paulo, he did judo while growing up...
(who scores 10-5 in his makuuchi debut) while Kakuryu shares the Technique prize with Goeido. The juryo yusho is won by Sagatsukasa. Among the many rikishi retiring at this tournament are former sekiwake Hokutoriki, former juryo Daishoyama and the 44-year-old Tochitenko, the last wrestler to have fought in the old Kuramae KokugikanKuramae Kokugikanwas a building situated in the Kuramae district of Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1950. The Association needed a permanent venue to hold sumo tournaments as the previous, bomb-damaged, Kokugikan had been taken over by occupying Allied forces after World War II...
which closed in 1984. - 25: The Sumo Association announces that a postwar record of 13 rikishi are to be promoted to the juryo division, to fill the gaps left by the many wrestlers forced to retire over match-fixing. Among the newcomers are BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n Aoiyama, the CzechCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Takanoyama and MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
n Arawashi. Among the returnees are former komusubi Kakizoe and former maegashira Hamanishiki. Kakizoe and Arawashi both earned promotion despite posting losing 3-4 records; the first time in the modern era that this has occurred.
June
- 11: Takashima stable, run by the former sekiwake Koboyama, shuts down and its one remaining wrestler retires.
- 27: The banzuke for the Nagoya tournament is released. The makuuchi division has been reduced to 40 wrestlers from 42, and juryo to 26 from 28. There are four newcomers to the top division - 21-year-old TakayasuTakayasuTakayasu is a Japanese surname.Takayasu Akira is the ring name of a Japanese-Filipino sumo wrestler.Takayasu's arteritis is a disorder of the aorta....
, former collegiate wrestlers Takarafuji and DaidoDaidō KenjiDaidō Kenji is a professional sumo wrestler or rikishi. He made his debut in 2005, reaching the top division four years later, debuting in the July, 2011 tournament...
and Tamanoi stableTamanoi stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It was set up in 1990 by former sekiwake Tochiazuma Tomoyori, who branched off from Kasugano stable. He coached his son, who also wrestled under the name Tochiazuma, to ozeki rank. He reached retirement age in...
's Fujiazuma. Sagatsukasa also returns to the top division for the first time in 7 basho. Kakuryu joins Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku at sekiwake, making it the first time since 2005 that there are three men at sumo's third highest rank. Takamisakari and Kimurayama both find themselves at higher ranks despite only scoring 7-8 last time out. There are also no wrestlers losing sekitori status - the first time this has occurred since 1933.
July
- 14: At the Nagoya basho, Kaio wins his 1046th career match, breaking the record held by Chiyonofuji. He is congratulated by the former yokozuna after his bout.
- 19: After losing his seventh bout of the tournament to fellow ozeki Kotooshu, Kaio announces his retirement after 23 years in sumo. As well as holding the record for careers wins he also won a record 879 top division matches and competed in 107 top division tournaments, 65 of them as an ozeki. He will stay in sumo as a coach at his stable under the elder name Asakayama Oyakata.
- 23: Ozeki Harumafuji defeats compatriot Hakuho to clinch his second top division championship, standing at 14-0 while Hakuho falls to 12-2. This ends his hopes of winning a record eight consecutive yusho.
- 24: On the final day of the tournament, Harumafuji loses to Kisenosato to finish on 14-1. Hakuho also loses (to Baruto) to fall to 12-3, but it is still enough to take the runner-up position. Kotoshogiku finishes on 11-4, which is not enough to get the ozeki promotion which he was hoping for, but he receives the Outstanding Performance prize for his defeat of Hakuho on Day 10. Homasho also finishes on 11-4 and receives the Fighting Spirit award. The juryo championship goes to Myogiryu after a playoff with Masunoyama. The total attendance at the tournament was just 74,000, down 18% on last year, and the final day was the only one to attract a sell-out crowd.
- 26: Nine promotions to juryo for September are announced, including Kimikaze, who formerly competed as Naoe and is the first graduate of Waseda UniversityWaseda University, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
make juryo since 1933, Mongolian Kyokushuho, Kokonoe stable's Chiyozakura, former maegashira SatoyamaSatoyama KosakuSatoyama Kōsaku is a professional sumo wrestler from Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank has been maegashira 12...
, and Hokutokuni, a former juryo rikishi who fell off the banzuke completely through injury before returning in just five tournaments.
August
- 29: The banzukeBanzukeThis article is about the banzuke document, for a list of wrestlers as ranked on an actual banzuke see List of active sumo wrestlersA , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament or honbasho. The term can also...
for the September bashoHonbashoA is an official professional sumo tournament. There are six held each year, a system established in 1958. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
is released. The retirement of KaiōKaio HiroyukiKaiō Hiroyuki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan.He made his debut in 1988, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1993. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for eleven years from 2000 to 2011, and is the longest-serving ozeki of all time in terms of...
leaves no Japanese born wrestlers at ozeki or yokozunaMakuuchior is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
for the first time since January 1993. There are three makuuchiMakuuchior is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
newcomers: Masunoyama, the first wrestler from Chiganoura stable to reach makuuchi since it opened in 2004, Czech Takanoyama, whose 58 tournament rise to the top division is the second slowest for a foreigner, and Yoshiazuma, who took 93 tournaments to make makuuchi and is the second oldest top division debutant since WWII at 34 years and three months.
September
- 25: The Aki basho is won by Hakuho, who avoids a possible three way playoff between himself, Kotoshogiku and Kisenosato by beating Harumafuji to finish one win ahead of the sekiwake pair on 13-2 (Harumafuji's bid for yokozuna promotion ends with a mediocre 8-7 record). Kotoshogiku is assured of ozeki promotion and gets prizes for Outstanding Performance and Technique. Kisenosato shares the Outstanding Performance prize, and gets his first ever jun-yusho or runner-up performance. He will be looking for ozeki promotion himself in November. Kakuryu, by contrast, is back to square one after scoring only 9-6. The Fighting Spirit prize goes to Gagamaru for his fine 11-4 record which included a win over ozeki Baruto. Myogiryu wins his second juryo championship in a row, this time without the need for a playoff.
- 26: Isenoumi Oyakata, the former sekiwake Fujinokawa, turns 65 and retires. He is replaced as head coach of Isenoumi stableIsenoumi stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers. Part of the Tokitsukaze group of stables, it is one of the oldest active stables in sumo, dating back to the mid-eighteenth century. The legendary Tanikaze, one of the first Yokozuna, and his protégé Raiden, arguably the greatest rikishi ever, were both members of...
by former maegashira Kitakachidoki. - 28:Kotoshogiku's promotion to ozeki is officially confirmed, the first by a Japanese wrestler since his ex-stablemate Kotomitsuki in 2007.
October
- 18: Kasugano Oyakata, the former sekiwake Tochinowaka KiyotakaTochinowaka KiyotakaTochinowaka Kiyotaka is a former sumo wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1985, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1987. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was a runner-up in one tournament and earned six special prizes and four kinboshi...
and head of Kasugano stableKasugano stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi group of stables. As of November 2007 it had 24 wrestlers. It is currently one of the most successful stables, with five sekitori wrestlers, including the Georgian Tochinoshin and the Korean born Tochinowaka, who uses the current head coach's...
is severely reprimanded by the Sumo Association for beating Tochinoshin and two of his other wrestlers with a golf club after they repeatedly broke stable rules on curfews and wearing Western style clothes instead of kimonoKimonoThe is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
in public. Kasugano admitted responsibility and said, "I honestly think I went too far and I regret it." Instead he decides to ban Tochinoshin from keiko (training). - 27: The Sumo Association launch an investigation into allegations made by the tabloid Shukan Shincho that Naruto Oyakata, the 58th Yokozuna Takanosato and head of Naruto stableNaruto stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables.The stable was established on 1 February 1989 by former yokozuna Takanosato Toshihide. The stable's first sekitori was Rikio in 1994. Three more, Wakanosato, Takanowaka and Kisenosato, have reached sekiwake rank...
, beat a former junior member of his stable with a block of wood and injected Takanoyama with insulinInsulinInsulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
so that the barely 100kg wrestler would increase his appetite and put on weight. Both Naruto and Takanoyama are summoned to the Ryogoku Kokugikan for questioning by Sumo Association chairman HanaregomaKaiketsu MasateruKaiketsu Masateru is a former sumo wrestler, who reached the second highest rank of ōzeki on two separate occasions. He also won two top division tournament championships...
. - 31: The banzuke for the forthcoming Kyushu tournament is released. There are five rikishi making their makuuchi debuts, the most since the September 1950 tournament. They are Myogiryu, who only a year earlier was at the bottom of makushita after a four basho injury layoff, Shohozan (previously Matsutani), Sadanofuji, the Bulgarian Aoiyama and Tsurugidake, who finally reaches the top division at the age of 32 years 8 months. Myogiryu, Shohozan and Tsurugidake are all former collegiate competitors, with Myogiryu an Tsurugidake belonging to the same club, Nihon Taiiku University. There are three new juryo wrestlers, Tokushoryu, Asahisho and Ikioi, plus returnee Oiwato, previously known as Kanbayashi. Also, Homasho finally makes his sanyaku debut at the age of 30 years, 6 months, making him the fourth oldest to so so since the six tournaments a year schedule began in 1958.
November
- 7: Naruto Oyakata dies of respiratory failure in a hospital in Fukuoka at the age of 59.
- 8: The Sumo Association announce that Nishiiwa Oyakata (ex-Takanotsuru) will take over Naruto stable and that the investigation into the late Naruto's alleged actions will be dropped.
- 27: On the final day of the Kyushu tournament, Kisenosato is defeated by new ozeki Kototshogiku to finish on 10-5. However, the Sumo Association had already indicated earlier in the day that his record was good enough for ozeki promotion. He is also awarded his first Technique Prize. Yokozuna Hakuho, who wrapped up his 21st yusho on Day 13, loses his final bout to Baruto to finish on 14-1. Runner-up is rank-and-filer Wakakoyu on 12-3, who wins his first Fighting Spirit prize. He shares the award with Bulgarian Aoiyama, who scores 11-4 in his makuuchi debut. Myogiryu also has a good start to his top division career, finishing on 10-5. The juryo championship goes to Ikioi in his debut in the division. Retiring are former sekiwake Tamanoshima, who becomes Nishiiwa Oyakata, and former juryo Daishoumi.
Deaths
- 18 April: Former maegashira Wakanaruto (also former Sendagawa Oyakata), aged 72, of heart failure.
- 7 November: 59th Yokozuna Takanosato (also Naruto Oyakata), aged 59, of respiratory failure.