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Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 31, 2017

More multiracial wrestlers making mark in raised ring

Sumo’s long and grueling summer regional tour came to an end last Sunday with the now yearly KITTE Basho held in the heart of Tokyo at the 38-story JP Tower. The following day, the new banzuke was released for the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament that gets underway on Sept. 10.
EDITORIALS
Jul 11, 2010

Tough call on sumo for NHK

The Japan Sumo Association, which has been rocked by the gambling scandal, was dealt more blows last week. On Tuesday, NHK decided not to provide live television coverage of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. On Wednesday, police raided Onomatsu and other sumo stables for evidence of suspected...
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Mar 2, 2010

Sumo body deserves mawashi wedgie for racist wrestler ruling

I've noticed how highly Japan regards sports. We love investing taxes in games and facilities, hosting international events and Olympics. Sports are even part of a government ministry, the one in charge of Japan's science, education and culture.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Oct 23, 2009

Sumo Association bypasses Europe again in its trip to Vegas

The Nihon Sumo Kyokai — the Japanese Sumo Association — recently announced it is once again considering an overseas jaunt. Destination this time? Sin City — Las Vegas, Nevada. Again!
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Sep 30, 2007

Asashoryu fiasco illustrates incompetence of sumo's leaders

Enough already.
SUMO
May 15, 2007

Sumo and an American woman's search for Hinkaku

The summer basho is underway and I, an American woman who has never been to Japan, am so excited.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 22, 2023

Sumo's changed landscape reflected in 2023 depth chart

If all 600 or so active rikishi, and those projected to join in the near future, were available to be chosen by stables, which men would make the top eight?
SPORTS / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 8, 2022

The return of degeiko training may herald more competitive sumo

That 2020 edict to ban degeiko was put in place to lower the risk of COVID-19 infection for wrestlers at a time when one rikishi had died, and the virus was raging.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 11, 2022

Kotonowaka impresses as top-rankers stumble early at Summer Basho

The early story of the unpredictable Summer Basho is Kotonowaka, who opened the tournament with three straight wins over ozeki opponents.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 16, 2022

'COVID factor' wreaks havoc on stormy Spring Basho

Unpredictability reigns at Edion Arena Osaka so far, with the impact of February's wave of infections possibly affecting performances.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 8, 2021

All Japan tournament an optimistic indicator of a return to normal

Sunday's action at Ryogoku Kokugikan featured not only talented wrestlers with promising futures, but an upbeat atmosphere that hinted at a promising 2022 for the sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 17, 2021

Lack of excitement threatens Kyushu Basho atmosphere

Despite the ongoing meet's seeming openness, there is a sense of inevitability about proceedings in Fukuoka that appears to be draining some of the energy out of the event.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 10, 2021

Despite sluggish attendance, Kyushu Basho boasts overwhelming charm

After a two-year absence, the return of professional sumo to Fukuoka offers a chance to reassess the grand tournament schedule's most unique host.
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.
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
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.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 17, 2021

Heart-pounding tachiai endures as key piece of sumo puzzle

The initial clash when two rikishi come together is a moment that has few (if any) parallels in the wider world of sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 15, 2020

JSA's decision to let fans attend July Basho catches everyone off guard

Few insiders had expected sumo's governing body to allow the public back in so soon.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 1, 2020

Heart by far most important factor toward achieving success in grueling world of sumo

In a sport where bouts are over in a matter of seconds, any kind of doubt or hesitation inevitably leads to a loss.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 26, 2020

Calling off Spring Basho would be right move for JSA

The Japan Sumo Association is essentially a reactive, rather than proactive, organization.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Feb 18, 2020

Sumo meet to be held as part of 2020 Games cultural program

A Kyodo article slams us with some sumo-related vocabulary and information on how the traditional Japanese sport will figure into Olympic festivities.
SUMO / Rikishi Files
Jan 19, 2020

Kokkai helped European rikishi arrive in sumo world

The first rikishi whose place of origin was listed as somewhere outside Japan was Hiraga, who joined professional sumo in 1934.
SUMO
May 9, 2019

Kakuryu emerges as clear favorite to capture title

Gambling on sumo, like most sports in Japan, is illegal.
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
Sep 8, 2018

Expect the unexpected in wide-open Autumn Basho

The Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament gets underway on Sunday at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 11, 2018

Time for sumo to ditch ban on women in ring

Less than a month after International Women's Day, sumo found itself embroiled in a gender-discrimination controversy when a female nurse administering CPR was ordered to leave the ring by an official.

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