New Year Grand Sumo Tournament winner Daieisho said Monday he's been inundated with "around 400" messages from friends and well-wishers congratulating him on his maiden top-division championship.

The No. 1 maegashira clinched the title with a 13-2 record on Sunday, the final day of the meet at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, to become the first makuuchi division champion from Saitama Prefecture, as well as the first from the Oitekaze stable.

In an online news conference, Daieisho, whose real name is Hayato Takanishi, said the flood of email and text messages brought home the significance of his achievement.