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Japan captain Taku Lee with Ivy league players Alex Washington (left) and Nick Howard in Tokyo on Tuesday ahead of the Dream Japan Bowl.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 19, 2024
Japan football players dream big as they prepare to battle Ivy League's best
Japan will be hoping to avenge a frustrating loss in last year's game and showcase the nation's football talent for colleges and pro teams overseas.
While global sumo took its first steps toward becoming an organized sport under Hidetoshi Tanaka, it would be an exaggeration to say that everything was plain sailing internationally while the former president was in power.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 17, 2024
Scandal-hit giant of sumo Hidetoshi Tanaka leaves a complicated legacy
For Tanaka, a terse International Sumo Federation statement marked an ignominious end to the life of one of sumo’s most influential figures.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 12, 2024
Winds of change swirl at the top of sumo ahead of New Year meet
Kirishima has his sights set on promotion to yokozuna, while major questions surround injury-plagued Terunofuji.
Wakatakakage competes at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in November. In sumo, early-arriving fans get to see some of the drama unfold in the lower tiers of the sport.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Jan 10, 2024
For sumo fans, the drama doesn’t end with the top tier of wrestlers
Starting Sunday in Tokyo, myriad storylines are set to play out in sumo's lower ranks.
Frontiers players pose with their trophies after winning the Rice Bowl at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 3, 2024
Frontiers roll over Impulse once again for third straight Rice Bowl
As with other recent title showdowns, Panasonic had opportunities throughout the game, but near-misses and questionable decisions saw them come up short.
Wrestlers with the Shikoroyama stable after a training session in Tokyo late last month.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 3, 2024
Opportunities abound for sumo's governing body as centenary nears
Much progress has been made in Japan’s national sport in recent years, but there's still work to be done to better cater to foreign fans.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 28, 2023
Who will grab the spotlight at sumo's first tourney of 2024?
Ozeki Kirishima has his sights set on the ultimate promotion, while debutant Onosato is looking to impress in his highly anticipated debut.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 20, 2023
Stablemaster Shikoroyama's lasting sumo legacy
The stablemaster √ leaves behind a legacy as a popular star who fostered respect for the sport and its participants among the general public.
Fighters quaterback Shuta Hoshino scores a touchdown against the Orange during the Koshien Bowl on Sunday in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Dec 17, 2023
Kwansei Gakuin crushes Hosei University for sixth straight title
The win continued the Kansai region's dominant run in the national football title game.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 13, 2023
Sumo's big ticketing problem
Securing tickets for sumo's biggest matches can be a headache, particularly for sumo's many foreign fans, partially due to outdated information online.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 6, 2023
Wild 2023 the storm before the calm for Japan’s national sport
The sport finished on a high this year, setting up enticing possibilities for 2024 as several potential stars emerge.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 29, 2023
Kirishima takes Emperor’s Cup and yokozuna hopes from Takakeisho
As Takakeisho heads back to the starting line, Kirishima steps into the spotlight and will feature in most sumo-related content in the near term.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 22, 2023
Takakeisho falters as sumo’s wait for next superstar continues
The good news for Takakeisho is that slip-ups elsewhere mean he remains in the title race.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 15, 2023
Top wrestlers' hot starts set stage for dramatic Kyushu tourney
The opening three days of action at the Fukuoka International Center has seen the six highest-ranked wrestlers that are taking part go a combined 17-1.
SUMO
Nov 10, 2023
Young ozeki duo may be ready to step into spotlight at Kyushu Basho
Kirishima and Hoshoryu have generated much of the excitement in Japan’s national sport over the past 12 months.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 8, 2023
Tigers’ triumph resonates in a sumo world full of Kansai natives
As Hanshin fans celebrate a long-awaited championship, it's timely to look back at what sumo looked like when Hanshin last won it all in 1985.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Nov 1, 2023
The risers — and fallers — in the latest sumo rankings
The sumo rankings ahead of the upcoming Kyushu Basho produced its share of winners and losers.
SUMO
Oct 26, 2023
Takakeisho heads to Kyushu Basho with yokozuna promotion in sight
The 27-year-old has put himself in line for elevation to the sport’s highest rank following the upcoming Kyushu meet.
Without the World Games, the Sumo World Championships remain amateur sumo's top-level international competition.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 18, 2023
Sumo's Olympic dream requires fresh approach
A new variant of the sport wouldn't replace the professional or amateur versions, but would instead create a new path to participation and fandom.
U.S. wrestlers (from left) Christina Griffin, Madison Guinn, Etan Perez and Kellyann Ball celebrate after winning bronze in the women's team competition at the Sumo World Championships in the western Tokyo city of Tachikawa on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 11, 2023
American women make history at Sumo World Championships in Tokyo
The achievement by the U.S. team, two of whom are new to the sport, ended a 22-year wait for American women to reach the podium at the worlds.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.