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Onosato will have his sights set on sumo's second-highest rank as the Autumn Basho gets underway Sunday.

SUMO

Sep 6, 2024

Onosato poised to shine at Autumn Basho with ozeki rank in sight

The fact that nine wins in Onosato's sekiwake debut in July was seen by some as disappointing tells you all you need to know about sumo’s hottest wrestler.

A sumo referee performs the dohyō matsuri, or ring purification ceremony, in January 2017 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Sep 5, 2024

No talking, no eating, no standing: Inside sumo's ring purification ceremony

Spectators are required to stay seated for its duration, and refrain from using flash when taking photos.

Big Blue head coach Mike Phair (front, right) participates in the X League 2024 Season Kickoff news conference.

MORE SPORTS / Football

Aug 30, 2024

Japan ties guide veteran NFL coach Mike Phair to Big Blue in X League

The Arizona native had long been thinking about rekindling his involvement with Japanese football.

Nicholas Tarasenko trains at Minato stable in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, on Tuesday. Tarasenko’s potential in sumo was made obvious when he won U18 gold in the 90-kg weight class at the 2023 Baruto Cup in Estonia despite being four years under the age limit and having only had a total of one hour of sumo training before the meet.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Aug 28, 2024

This English schoolboy has big dreams of becoming yokozuna — and more

Nicholas Tarasenko may only be 15 years old, but he is already making big plans for his burgeoning sumo career.

Kotozakura (left) defeats Terunofuji at Dolphins Arena in Nagoya on July 28.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Aug 21, 2024

NFL-style changes sumo could and should make

Many of the sport’s centuries-old systems and methodologies are an increasingly awkward fit in the modern world.

Yuzuki Komiya (left) competes in the first national high school sumo tournament for girls in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on Saturday.

SUMO

Aug 14, 2024

Women's sumo takes big step forward with first high school championships

Athletes from all over the country took part in the historic meet, with many expressing hope that the tournament would lead to greater exposure for women’s sumo.

Wrestlers battle during the national women's championships in Osaka in 2018. Amateur sumo is a great way to experience the sport for tourists who are unable to get tickets to professional tournaments.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Aug 8, 2024

No sumo tickets? No problem. Here are some other ways to take in the sport.

Japan’s ongoing tourism boom has resulted in a year-round influx of people interested in experiencing the country’s national sport.

An event that was part of a regional sumo tour in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, in April 2019.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Aug 1, 2024

Summer sumo tour may be tough for wrestlers, but it's a boon for fans

Grueling tours can be quite taxing for top pros, but they offer fans in small cities a rare chance of seeing their heroes up close.

Terunofuji accepts the Emperor's Cup after winning the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.

SUMO

Jul 28, 2024

Terunofuji rebounds from stumbles to claim milestone 10th Emperor’s Cup

Thanks to a series of stumbles by the previously imperious yokozuna, the destination of the title was not decided until a playoff in the tournament’s final bout.

Terunofuji (left) throws down Kirishima on Tuesday to build on his perfect record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Jul 24, 2024

Terunofuji, as he tends to do, returns to stamp his authority on sumo pretenders

The veteran was in vintage form through the first 10 days, simply overwhelming opponents and appearing impervious to all manner of attacks.

Summer Basho winner Onosato is trying to join Terunofuji as the only wrestlers to win consecutive titles since 2018.

SUMO

Jul 12, 2024

Onosato poised to continue rapid rise at Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament

The 24-year-old former amateur yokozuna has been on fire since turning pro 14 months ago and already stands on the verge of promotion to sumo’s second-highest rank.

Dolphins Arena in Nagoya. While the new IG Arena will almost certainly provide a more enjoyable experience for fans, the hope is that action on the raised ring will retain the heat that Dolphins Arena has long been famous for.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Jul 10, 2024

A farewell to a Nagoya sumo arena known for heat — inside and outside the ring

The upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament will be the last to be held at Dolphins Arena, which has been the scene of numerous memorable moments over the years.

Onosato (left) participates in a training session last month in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Jul 3, 2024

Nagoya ranking list marks the end of one sumo era and the start of another

This month marks the final sumo tournament for Nagoya's Dolphins Arena, and the rankings list could look very different when the new venue opens next year.

Oshoma watches the All Japan Championships at the Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2022.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Jun 26, 2024

Rising star Oshoma blends traditional background with unique approach

Despite his late arrival in sumo’s higher ranks, it would be wrong to dismiss Oshoma's impressive 10-win top-tier debut.

After his Emperor's Cup triumph in Tokyo last month, Onosato (right) is the clear favorite to be the next wrestler to earn promotion to ozeki.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Jun 19, 2024

Onosato heads slim field of sumo wrestlers with ozeki potential

The wrestler's meteoric rise makes him the clear-cut favorite to become the sport's next "ozeki."

Otowayama stable wrestlers in front of their stable. It may come as a surprise to some, but the use of ring names between wrestlers in the same stable isn’t all that common.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Jun 12, 2024

Burning questions (and their answers) new fans may have about sumo

The slow month of June is as good a time as any for our columnist to answer some of the fan questions that crop up with regularity.

Christina Griffin-Jones was a big part of a historically strong U.S. women's team at the 2023 Sumo World Championships.

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO

Jun 5, 2024

American sumo organization becomes battleground in fight for equality

At the heart of the fight is growing opposition to a longtime federation trustee who has not been shy about expressing his homophobic views.

Onosato receives the Emperor's Cup from Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sunday.

SUMO / Inside Sumo

May 29, 2024

Onosato's path to sumo greatness was plain for all to see

Sumo’s latest top division champion tore through the collegiate and amateur circuits at an almost unprecedented clip.

Aonishiki at the Sumo World Championships 2023 on Oct. 8. The Ukrainian wrestler remains on track to reach the sport’s salaried divisions by the end of the year.

SUMO / Inside Sumo

May 22, 2024

Is Ukraine's Aonishiki set to be the next European sumo superstar?

28 wins in 30 bouts suggests the former evacuee is on the fast track to glory.

Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.

SUMO

May 15, 2024

Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?

It would be premature to dismiss Onosato’s win as the product of circumstance, or downplay its significance.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.

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By Tomoko Otake

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