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September 16, 2025
 

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John Gunning
SUMO
Jan 22, 2019
Sumo 101: Keshō-mawashi
One of the first orders of business for a rikishi promoted to sumo's second-highest division (jūryō) is getting a keshō-mawashi (ceremonial apron-style belt).
SUMO
Jan 21, 2019
Sumo 101: Pre- and post-bout rituals
From once they are called to mount the dohyo, makuuchi division wrestlers have four minutes to prepare for their bout.
SUMO
Jan 20, 2019
Sumo 101: Akeni
Sekitori (wrestlers in the top two divisions) have a lot of accouterments.
Japan Times
SUMO
Jan 19, 2019
Sumo 101: Championship portraits
One of the most striking features of Ryogoku Kokugikan is the ring of giant portraits hanging from the rafters.
SUMO
Jan 18, 2019
Sumo 101: A wrestler's typical tournament day
The six annual honbasho (tournaments) are the fulcrum around which the sumo world turns.
SUMO
Jan 17, 2019
Sumo 101: Retirement ceremonies
Now that Kisenosato has retired, one of the first orders of business for him will be arranging a retirement ceremony.
SUMO
Jan 16, 2019
Sumo 101: Stable locations and layout
The majority of sumo stables are concentrated in a couple of locations not far from Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Japan Times
SUMO
Jan 16, 2019
Despite injuries, Kisenosato embodied rikishi ideals
Kisenosato's retirement, while both inevitable and expected, casts a pall over the ongoing tournament.
SUMO
Jan 15, 2019
Sumo 101: Banzuke
All professional sumo wrestlers are listed on a 58x44 cm sheet of paper that is released about two weeks before the start of each tournament.
SUMO
Jan 14, 2019
Sumo 101: Sanyaku
Sanyaku is the collective noun for the three ranks below yokozuna.
SUMO
Jan 13, 2019
Sumo 101: Becoming a rikishi
How does a person go about becoming a professional sumo wrestler and what is the initial process like once you sign up?
SUMO
Jan 10, 2019
Hakuho and rivals seeking to taste success in opening tournament of new season
After one of the best years in the ring the past couple of decades, sumo heads into the final January tournament of the Heisei Era poised on the edge of its own era change.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 10, 2019
In-arena experience provides thrills for fans
Why do people attend sumo tournaments?
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 2, 2019
Scandals allowing sumo to ID, rid sport of bad elements
It's that time once again to make predictions, and state hopes and wishes for the year ahead in sumo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 26, 2018
Sumo's young guns ready to make big impact in 2019
Last December, when looking ahead to 2018, I wrote that this would be the year when a new generation of sumo talent would rise to glory.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 19, 2018
Passion and technology behind English sumo coverage
Sumo fans around the globe are spoiled for choice these days when it comes to following their favorite sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 12, 2018
Ticket sales brisk despite Takanoiwa scandal
Once again, sumo finds itself embroiled in a violence scandal.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 5, 2018
Change in stable can revive wrestlers' careers
Takakeisho, winner of this year's Kyushu tournament, was pictured alongside his stablemaster on Nov. 26 holding up a large red sea bream and drinking sake from an outsized trophy at a celebratory event.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 28, 2018
Takakeisho's victory may herald rise of new generation
Takakeisho's victory in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament made him the third wrestler to lift a maiden Emperor's Cup in 2018.
SUMO
Nov 25, 2018
Sumo 101: Illegal moves
Prior to their first live experience, many people are under the impression that sumo is a plodding sport in which two overweight men slowly try to force each other backward in a straight line.
SDF spots China’s biggest aircraft carrier for first time
The Fujian aircraft carrier is seen in Shanghai in May 2024 as it leaves for its first sea trial.
Why more hotels in Japan are offering room-only service
Nipponia Hotel Ise Kawasaki Merchant Town in Ise, Mie Prefecture
Is America ready for Japanese-style 7-Elevens?
Convenience stores are a fixture of Japanese life and 7-Eleven, a chain that began in the U.S. in 1927, opened its first store in Japan in 1974 — and then became wholly Japanese-owned in 2005 through parent company Seven & I Holdings.
Final weeks of World Expo in Osaka likely to see large crowds
With one month left to go, crowds are expected to swell at the World Expo in Osaka during its final weeks.
Japan's elderly population down at around 36.2 million
The estimated number of people age 65 or older in Japan stands at 36.19 million as of Monday, accounting for record 29.4% of the country's total population, according to the internal affairs ministry.
Strikes on Qatar and Poland shake U.S. sway among friend and foe
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Museum of the Bible in Washington on Sept. 8. Israeli strikes in Qatar and Russian drone incursions into Poland have challenged the U.S. leaders claims of global respect.
Japan's major art events converge this fall
Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills
Between traditional examples of fine art and sleek, modern exhibitions that blend with nature, Hakone offers a unique escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl.
Niinami’s ouster quick but not unusual as corporations protect reputation
Takeshi Niinami resigns as chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings.
As Manila modernizes its military, new opportunities emerge for Tokyo
A Brahmos missile system is displayed during a rehearsal for a military parade in New Delhi in January. The Philippines will soon receive its second batch of the supersonic cruise missiles from India.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’
By Alex K.T. Martin

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