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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.
SUMO
Nov 7, 2019

Emperor's Cup race looks wide open at Kyushu Basho

Although he retired a quarter century ago and made just 18 appearances for Nagoya Grampus Eight, Gary Lineker remains one of the names most closely associated with Japanese soccer among foreign fans.
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.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Dec 29, 2010

Fan friendly sumo — a step in the right direction for the NSK

As 2010 draws to a close, the world of sumo is changing, little by little. Step by step.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 1, 2003

Tips on teaching yourself sumo at home

The sumo world is being turned upside down, so to speak, with the recently retired yokozunas (grand champions) and the proliferation of foreigners reaching high ranks in the sport. The first foreign-born yokozuna was Akebono (born in Hawaii), followed by Musashimaru (born in Hawaii) and Asashoryu, from...
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 25, 2022

Terunofuji making most of what may be limited time as yokozuna

The 30-year-old's expected brief span as grand champion won't detract from what he has achieved to date, and purely in terms of silverware he has already outclassed many of his predecessors.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 27, 2022

Balanced Summer Basho banzuke offers few reasons for complaint

With the current top-division hierarchy well established, fans in search of the unexpected may have to look down to the third-division makushita.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 29, 2018

Unsung yobidashi keep sumo running smoothly

Who spends the most time in a sumo ring?
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 31, 2019

Rikishi pulling their weight in buildup to RWC in Japan, but rugby's gain could be sumo's loss

The 2019 Rugby World Cup is less than two months away.
EDITORIALS
Jun 19, 2010

Sumo group must clean house

The Japan Sumo Association is now being battered about by a gambling scandal following the discovery in May that two sumo stablemasters helped gangsters obtain tickets for special ringside seats at sumo tournaments. The tickets scandal resulted in demotion of stablemasters Kise and Kiyomigata and the...
Japan Times
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Feb 20, 2009

Sumo, a sport of humble respect and grand entrances

Sumo is a physical sport to many, but it is very much a spiritual rite to others. The bouts commence and end with a bow, in much the same way as judo or kendo bouts start with a similar acknowledgment of the opponent. Mutual respect is forever the name of the de facto national game.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 4, 2003

Refunded cash for working at home and a sumo day out

Greetings Greetings from 10,000 meters -- I am beginning this week's column from somewhere high over the Pacific Ocean on United Flight 897 bound for Tokyo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 7, 2023

Sumo's 'flat circle' keeps turning as upstarts replace iconic veterans

As Tochinoshin, Ichinojo, and Ishiura exit the stage, new talents are rising to take their places.
SUMO
Jul 7, 2023

Terunofuji looking to take another step toward rarefied status at Nagoya Basho

One of the most highly anticipated grand sumo tournaments of recent times gets underway at the Dolphins Arena in Nagoya on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 24, 2022

Degeiko training endures despite rise in COVID-19 infections

The Japan Sumo Association's decision to allow joint training between stables is both a benefit for wrestlers and a positive sign of a return to pre-pandemic norms.
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
Aug 14, 2019

Sumo wrestlers beat heat and make new fans at summer camps

For many, the words "training camp" and "summer" are synonymous with American football and particularly the NFL.

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’