Sumo’s return to normality continues apace, and in the wake of Japan beginning to gradually reopen, the national sport seems set to experience an unprecedented surge in coverage internationally.

The restoration, after a two year break, of degeiko (training outside of one’s own stable) has been a major boon not only to those in desperate need of challenging practice partners, but also sumo fans abroad.

With all normal activities more-or-less shut down and a ban on social media usage still in place, the six-week period between tournaments has, since early 2020, been a frustrating dry spell for die-hard lovers of the sport that need a daily fix of sumo news.

Those fans without direct access to Japanese television — or the ability to read the language — missed out on the regular updates on sumo that daily training reports had previously provided.

While boilerplate replies by wrestlers after practice sessions or the tallying of training wins and losses hardly constitute insightful or meaningful content, they do ensure continuous engagement — something that is vital to both survival and growth in the modern sporting world.

The return of degeiko has also been accompanied by a loosening of media restrictions, allowing journalists to attend practice sessions and interview the participants.

Although individual results mean little, as wrestlers are at various stages of preparation and may be deliberately trying certain techniques or approaches at the face-off, the return of comprehensive keiko reporting allows a general overview of progress, and is more valuable for discerning who is injured or in poor condition based on a lack of participation or unwillingness to take on tougher opponents.

In addition to degeiko, wrestlers shown in nontraditional settings is also something that is about to make a comeback.

On Aug. 7, Tokyo Broadcasting System — a major TV network — will air a show called “Superhuman Battlefield,” in which 14 prominent rikishi, including yokozuna Terunofuji, will face off against muscular celebrities in various power-based contests.

Nishonoseki stablemaster (former yokozuna Kisenosato) will provide commentary as Wakatakakage, Oho, Ichinojo and others take on various actors, singers and comedians.

The program will include tasks such as celebrities attempting to push a rikishi out of a 1½-meter circle in 20 seconds, carrying rice straw bales along a balance beam and flipping 400-kilogram tires.

The show marks the full return of rikishi participating in televised light entertainment — which both provides a break from the harsh world of sumo for the men involved, and gives the public a chance to see them as real people rather than just stoic adherents of tradition.

The audience for shows like Superhuman Battlefield is much wider than that of any particular sport, so having rikishi take part ensures exposure among a far greater number of people than normally possible — something that helps both ticket sales and recruitment.

Whether at practice, on TV shows or at events like former ōzeki Konishiki’s 40th anniversary party, Japan Sumo Association members have been noticeably more visible over the past few weeks.

The loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, both within the sport and across the country in general, have played a large part in that increased exposure. But while the former has had the greatest immediate impact, the latter should result in sumo reaching more eyeballs internationally than ever before.

With two of the three biggest sporting events on the globe — the Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games — having taken place in Japan over the past three years, the sporting landscape in this country has received far more attention than would ever have been possible in pre-YouTube or live-streaming times.

That has created a thirst for more Japan-themed content among U.S. networks and streaming companies.

The success of the reality series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” has also shown that it’s possible to generate a high level of engagement even if most of the audience is unfamiliar with the subject matter.

Sumo has a unique mixture of drama and pageantry. Its long history and numerous gripping storylines both in and outside the ring — as well as its many visually stunning components — make it the perfect candidate for the kind of high-production-value, true-life serialized shows that are now the flagships of many networks.

Interest from abroad in creating content centered around sumo has been growing over the past few years, and the attendance of a sitting U.S. president at a tournament — as well as his presentation of a custom-made trophy in the ring — also put the sport on the radar of numerous influential producers and decision-makers in American media.

As most sumo fans will tell you, it doesn’t take much to get hooked on Japan’s national sport. Its easy-to-understand nature, lightning-quick action, short bout duration and utterly unique cultural aspects make it perfect for televised audiences and new viewers.

Negotiations between various U.S.-based production companies and officials in both professional and amateur sumo have been taking place over the past couple of years. Despite progress being made, the difficulties of getting crews into Japan while the pandemic was in full force proved an obstacle too great to overcome.

Now, however, with the sport on the verge of getting back to its pre-pandemic state, things have kicked into high gear.

Sumo will be the main feature on a famous award-winning show due to be aired next month, is due to be an element of a new series and (depending on how negotiations go) could see its own version of “Drive to Survive” or “The Last Dance” hit screens sometime in 2023.

As with all such productions, nothing is ever 100% until it reaches the air, but it’s an exciting time for those involved in sumo right now, and a bonanza of content looks to be the reward for fans that have endured the drought.