Search - sumo-special

 
 
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 14, 2021

Sumo tegata hold intimate and unique place among sports memorabilia

For fans, there is an intimacy that comes with having the imprint of every line in a man's hand alongside his personal calligraphy on your wall.
SUMO
May 9, 2019

Kakuryu emerges as clear favorite to capture title

Gambling on sumo, like most sports in Japan, is illegal.
EDITORIALS
May 30, 2010

Sumo perks to the wrong guys

The image of the Japan Sumo Association has been tarnished again, this time by the discovery that senior members of an organized crime group obtained tickets for special ringside seats at sumo tournaments apparently with the help of two sumo stablemasters. It has also surfaced that ozeki Kotomitsuki...
SUMO
Jan 10, 2019

Hakuho and rivals seeking to taste success in opening tournament of new season

After one of the best years in the ring the past couple of decades, sumo heads into the final January tournament of the Heisei Era poised on the edge of its own era change.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 6, 2017

Let's discuss Kisenosato, Japan's new yokozuna

Kisenosato is the only Japanese-born wrestler of the four current yokozuna — a designation that will carry enormous expectations.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Dec 23, 2009

One step at a time — sumo needs to change

As 2009 draws to a close, the sport of sumo can look back on a year largely free from scandal. Pleasing perhaps for many of the conservative elements in and around the sport, but 2010, could well prove the year in which relative young bloods in the ruling stablemaster elite take steps towards advancing...
JAPAN
Feb 6, 2010

Sumo failed to keep champ in check

Yokozuna Asashoryu, who announced his retirement Thursday, is one of the strongest sumo wrestlers of modern times.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 26, 2008

The 'tough love' of sumo and the military can turn ugly

Euphemism is a required art for anyone who communicates with the public, be they politicians or PR flacks. The idea is to change or otherwise soften concepts that may be considered too blunt. Matters regarding sex, bodily functions and death are often euphemized so as not to offend delicate sensibilities,...
SUMO
Jan 21, 2003

Injured Takanohana retires from sumo

Yokozuna Takanohana brought an illustrious but injury-plagued sumo career to an end Monday after his comeback bid ended in failure at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 28, 2022

'Ironman' Tamawashi gets his due with second Emperor's Cup

The 37-year-old's victory was the feel-good story of the the Autumn Basho, but the sport's immediate future remains in flux as young wrestlers struggle to perform consistently.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 3, 2022

Former yokozuna Hakuho faces new challenges as Miyagino stablemaster

Sumo's greatest-ever grand champion is now in charge of his own beya, but whether he will be able to rise through the complicated hierarchy of the Japan Sumo Association is an open question.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 18, 2018

Family legacy weighs heavily on young sumo prospects

Jigjidiin Monkhbat, the father of yokozuna Hakuho, passed away recently. A legendary figure in Mongolian wrestling, the six-time Naadam festival champion was also a silver medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Feb 28, 2014

Another nail in the coffin of amateur sumo

Sumo currently exists in two forms around the world. Most famous, of course, is the Tokyo-based professional sport led by yokozuna Hakuho, et al. However, the amateur version, often termed “amasumo” in abbreviated form, is of interest to many in nations that lack direct access to Japanese broadcasts....
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 16, 2010

Steeped in tradition, Shinto, sumo is also scandal-stained

The national sport of sumo traces its origins to an early Shinto ritual to pray for a bountiful harvest, and the professional tournaments of today date to the 17th century during the Edo Period.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 22, 2021

Uneventful Autumn Basho hints at sumo's slowing momentum

A growing lack of excitement toward the ongoing grand tournament is something sumo officials will want to take note of as they continue to guide the sport through the coronavirus pandemic.
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
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
Nov 25, 2020

Takakeisho's rise, Terunofuji's rebound? Thrills await fans in 2021

Professional sumo closed out the thrill ride that was 2020 with one final flourish.
SUMO
Sep 5, 2019

Emperor's Cup up for grabs at Autumn Basho

Since the beginning of 2018, sumo fans have been spoiled for entertainment with one dramatic event after another hitting the sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 27, 2022

Ichinojo's deserved first title rescues virus-struck Nagoya Basho

The Minato stable man's debut championship brought not only relief but genuine joy, as he is one of the most affable and likeable figures in Japan's national sport.
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
May 20, 2020

Who should be engraved on sumo's Mount Rushmore?

If Hakuho and Futabayama are locks, then who should occupy the remaining two slots is far less clear.
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.
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.

Longform

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