Sumo's big guns all opened with wins on Sunday, the first day of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Kakuryu, looking to win back-to-back championships for the first time in his career, earned an easy victory against popular komusubi Endo at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. Fellow yokozuna Hakuho also opened with a win, as did ozeki Goeido and both sekiwake wrestlers.
In the day's final bout, Endo, wrestling in one of the sport's elite ranks for the first time in his career, came in very low against the Mongolian yokozuna, who held his ground and eventually yanked the komusubi off balance and down to the sandy surface.