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September 16, 2025
 

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John Gunning
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 8, 2021
Tsukedashi shortcut helps amateur standouts climb pro sumo ranks
The system rewards strong performances in top amateur tournaments, allowing wrestlers to get a head start on the salaried rank of sekitori.
Japan Times
SUMO
Aug 18, 2021
Sumo makes its way to Cambridge as former U.S. wrestler studies sport's ancient role
Colton Runyan, 31, has gone from taking on Tobizaru and Daiamami in the ring to tackling ancient and abstruse Japanese texts in Cambridge's vast and sprawling library system.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 12, 2021
Olympics were a missed opportunity for sumo
Hakuho would have been an ideal candidate to represent Japan's national sport at the Games, but neither he nor anyone else was given that chance.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 21, 2021
Hakuho and Terunofuji bout evokes memories of past sporting greats
Shots of the pair in action captured a moment truly significant to Japan's national sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 14, 2021
Potential titanic Hakuho-Terunofuji clash hearkens back to sumo rivalries of the past
From Umegatani and Hitachiyama in the 1900s to Asashoryu and Hakuho a century later, virtually every era in modern sumo history has been defined by its marquee pairing.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 7, 2021
Sumo's greatest comeback story could end in white rope for Terunofuji
The ozeki will find himself in one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sport if he manages to get the championship — or equivalent — needed to earn yokozuna promotion.
SUMO
Jul 1, 2021
Nagoya Basho could have significant impact on sport
Sumo lovers in central Japan will see their sport return with a bang, as the upcoming tournament is primed to be one of the most significant in recent memory.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 23, 2021
Wrestlers preparing for tough conditions at early Nagoya Basho
With sweltering temperatures and strict restrictions on activities, sumo's first grand tournament outside Tokyo in over a year will challenge rikishi more than usual.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 17, 2021
Asanoyama's suspension to impact upper reaches of banzuke rankings
The ozeki will sit out six grand tournaments after repeatedly violating the Japan Sumo Association's COVID-19 protocols.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 9, 2021
Asanoyama's likely suspension shows change in JSA's decision-making
The ozeki's violation of COVID-19 protocols would easily have earned a forced retirement in the past.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 2, 2021
Dual yokozuna promotion could join list of recent rare events in sumo
The possibility remains that ozeki Terunofuji and Takakeisho could both be offered the white rope depending on how results pan out at next month's Nagoya Basho.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 26, 2021
Thrilling Summer Basho showed sumo's potential to entertain
Terunofuji continued his remarkable comeback with his fourth title, but that was far from the only storyline that mesmerized fans over 15 days at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 19, 2021
Busting myths: Sumo grapples with persistent urban legends
From exaggerated depictions in popular media to unverified internet rumors, many aspects of the sport and its traditions remain far from understood by the public at large.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 13, 2021
Foreign sumo fans finding ways to make voices heard
When sumo goes through a crisis the voices calling loudest for needed change and the protection of rikishi are often those from abroad.
SUMO
May 7, 2021
Comeback king Terunofuji poised to reach even greater heights
With Hakuho out and Kakuryu retired, Terunofuji will go into every fight over the next basho or two as the favorite and has a genuine shot at a future promotion to yokozuna.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 28, 2021
Sumo's living history traced through its banzuke
The ranking sheets, which have been produced since the 18th century, serve not only as keepsakes but as snapshots of the sport's changes over time.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 21, 2021
Controversial report could deny Hakuho deserved elder stock
Should the Japan Sumo Association adopt the recommendations of the external advisors, the all-time great yokozuna would be prevented from using his ring name after retiring.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 14, 2021
Takakeisho rises to top of sumo's depth chart
With age and momentum on his side, the burly ozeki has what it takes to add to his two Emperor's Cup titles over the next several years.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 7, 2021
Late Kototsurugi's illustrations captured sumo's essence
The former rikishi's caricaturish style, a longtime fixture of sumo merchandise and media, is widely considered a definitive representation of the sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 31, 2021
Terunofuji redefines legacy with historic return to ozeki rank
The Mongolian, who just two years ago was fighting in sumo's second-lowest division, is now being hyped as the next potential yokozuna after his Spring Basho triumph.
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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