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November 13, 2025
 

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Onosato (right) has eased to a 3-0 start in the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Mar 12, 2025

Sumo in March comes in like a lion

It’s been a rocky start to spring for sumo both in Japan and abroad.
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.
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.
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.
Kellyann Ball competes at the Venus Sumo Festival in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on Saturday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 24, 2025

Rising U.S. women's sumo team hopes to spread the word about Japan’s national sport

American sumo star Kellyann Ball was impressed by a major Japanese tournament for women held this past weekend. Now she's working on creating a similar future in the United States.
Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku (front center) delivers a speech on the first day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center on Sunday. Centuries of belief and tradition still underpin the all-male association's stance of excluding women.
SUMO
Nov 11, 2025

As Japan’s female leader rises, can she cross sumo’s sacred line?

Professional sumo’s ring remains off-limits to women and girls — not by law, but by centuries of belief and tradition.
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.
Oscar Dolan (center), the founder of the New York Sumo Club, officiates at a match between Josh Ortiz (left) and Daniel Akandu during the Empire Cup competition at Japan Village in New York on May 17.
SUMO
Jun 3, 2025

At this New York City sumo club, ‘Everybody gets thrown’

The New York Sumo Club has about 100 wrestlers, with around 20 regulars.
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.
Despite Japan’s strict anti-scalping laws, tickets for premium seats to sumo tournaments are being offered at massive markups on resale sites.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 10, 2024

Scarcity of tickets leaves foreign sumo fans out in the cold

Almost as soon as general ticket sales began on Saturday for the upcoming May Grand Sumo Tournament, the entire meet was sold-out.
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.
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.
Egyptian wrestler Osunaarashi has some fun with children during a special Japan Sumo Association event in 2017.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 16, 2025

JSA’s 100th anniversary event is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for sumo fans

People in attendance for the celebration will get a chance to see the rare "sandangamae" performance and demonstrations of ancient sumo.
Preparations advance on Monday for the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 15, 2025

Sumo is about to hit London and the West with a force previously unseen

The British capital is playing host to the Japan Sumo Association’s first European exhibition in over three decades.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 13, 2023

Hokutofuji shines early as sumo's English streaming era begins

The Day 2 presentation by YouTube channel Sumo Prime Time was a welcome development for international fans.
Australian Giselle Shaw, 18, competes at the All-Japan Women's Sumo Championships in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 16, 2024

Foreign wrestlers add international flair to All Japan Women’s Sumo Championships

From an experienced world champion down to a teen looking to make her mark, the tournament in Kyoto Prefecture showcased a wide range of talent.
Hakuyo at Kokugikan in Tokyo the day before his first tournament in professional sumo in May 2014.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 10, 2025

What drives sumo journeymen to endure one of the world's most grueling sports

Professional sumo is one of the harshest environments in sports. Yet many toil away in the sport's lower-tier divisions for years or even decades.
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.
Rui "The Hurricane" Junior (right) takes down Mohamed Kamal during the World Championship Sumo tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 13.
SUMO
Apr 19, 2024

World Championship Sumo adds WWE-style pizazz to Japan's traditional sport

A boisterous, nearly full crowd got an in-person look at sumo wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Onosato pushes out Hoshoryu during the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo last month.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 30, 2024

Onosato hogs spotlight, but there are big changes in latest sumo ranks

With his name writ large as ozeki on the latest banzuke, sumo’s hottest ticket took another step toward what looks like a procession to yokozuna.
Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, on Jan. 26, the final day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 5, 2025

Can sumo avoid becoming another soulless corporate sport?

Whether sumo also falls into the trap of creating greater separation between supporters and athletes remains to be seen.
With the recent sumo jaunt to London being essentially a goodwill exercise, <i>rikishi</i> were far more outgoing and relaxed than normal.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 22, 2025

London exhibition perhaps sumo's most successful trip abroad

Over the course of the tournament, sumo received wall-to-wall coverage in mainstream British media.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 16, 2023

Future of sumo could feature bigger rings — and better care

Though notoriously slow to change, the next 50-100 years could see a number of major developments that alter how sumo is contested and enjoyed.
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.
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.
Corey Morrison (back center) and Siggy Sauer (front, center) at Asakayama stable. While pathways into ōzumo have become more streamlined in recent years, stables are still remarkably willing to let amateurs show up and train with the superstars of the sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 21, 2024

Texan newcomer helps dispel the myth that sumo is a closed world

While pathways into sumo have become more streamlined in recent years, stables are still remarkably willing to let amateurs show up and train superstars.
On the amateur circuit, domestic tournaments such as the Dream Girls Cup, which took place in Tokyo last month, have generated significant publicity for youth sumo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 6, 2024

Sumo's popularity is booming. The recruitment of new pros is not.

Sumo is not immune to the labor shortages plaguing the rest of aging Japan.
Kirishima (behind) gets thrown down against Ura on Tuesday. The newly promoted ozeki's 0-3 start in Osaka has been one of the big disappointments of the tournament so far.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 13, 2024

Scandal and poor starts have sumo in a rut in Osaka

While the meet has had a rocky first few days, one of the sport's most promising young wrestlers is proving to be a beacon of light on the horizon.
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.
From France to Mali, a deportee's struggle far from home
Moussa Sacko, a Malian deported from France — where he had lived since he was a young child — stands on a street in Bamako, Mali, in December. Compared with his home in France, Bamako feels like a different planet, Sacko said.
Tokyo ranked world’s richest city by GDP, with Osaka-Kobe also rated highly
Tokyo has a gross domestic product of $2.55 trillion, just ahead of New York’s $2.49 trillion and Greater Los Angeles’ $1.62 trillion, according to CEOWorld’s global wealth index.
Tokyo looks to keep ‘monster parents’ at bay with new protocols
New guidelines are addressing struggles by teachers to deal with the burden of parents who make irrational complaints that go beyond what is considered socially acceptable, often referred to as "monster parents," which is overwhelming their workload.
China delivers warning to U.S. and Japan with third aircraft carrier
The Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, carries out sea trials at an unknown location in May last year.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years
Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Takaichi doesn’t mince words on Taiwan, but dramatic policy shift unlikely
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions during a House of Representatives Budget Committee session in parliament on Tuesday.
Florist Nicolai Bergmann flourishes outside the box
Florist Nicolai Bergmann shops for fresh flowers at the Ota flower market in Tokyo on Friday.
China delivers warning to U.S. and Japan with third aircraft carrier
The Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, carries out sea trials at an unknown location in May last year.
Jenson Button brings end to an illustrious racing career intertwined with Japan
Jenson Button races for Honda during the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2008.
Cleanliness gets competitive at Tokyo’s Spogomi world cup
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 qualifying countries scoured the streets of Shibuya for all manners of trash as part of the Spogomi litter-picking competition.

Podcast

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

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Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years
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