Search - sumo-special

 
 
SUMO
Sep 9, 2020

Sumo would benefit from picking up tips from other sports

There are ways to modernize and copy what is happening in sports worldwide without detracting from what it is that makes sumo special.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 14, 2022

JSA delights sumo diehards with announcement of October fan event

A number of rare opportunities will be available for attendees at Ryogoku Kokugikan event, the sport's first fan festival since 2005.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 24, 2019

Sumo superfan to skip basho finale, saying tight security for Trump is an unwelcome distraction

When U.S. President Donald Trump arrives with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take in live sumo wrestling on Sunday at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, security will be beefed up to its highest level — with bodyguards even on alert to protect the president from flying cushions tossed by excited fans, according...
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 18, 2019

Hakuho more than deserving of special elder status

When you think of sumo, what's the first word that comes to mind?
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 28, 2017

2017: a year for sumo nostalgia

On Jan. 22, 30-year-old ozeki (champion) Kisenosato (real name Yutaka Hagiwara) emerged victorious in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament with an outstanding record of 14 wins and only one loss. His promotion to history's 72nd yokozuna (grand champion) was confirmed by the Japan Sumo Association three...
Onosato receives the Emperor's Cup from Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sunday.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 29, 2024

Onosato's path to sumo greatness was plain for all to see

Sumo’s latest top division champion tore through the collegiate and amateur circuits at an almost unprecedented clip.
Wrestlers battle during the national women's championships in Osaka in 2018. Amateur sumo is a great way to experience the sport for tourists who are unable to get tickets to professional tournaments.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 8, 2024

No sumo tickets? No problem. Here are some other ways to take in the sport.

Japan’s ongoing tourism boom has resulted in a year-round influx of people interested in experiencing the country’s national sport.
Kotozakura (left) defeats Terunofuji at Dolphins Arena in Nagoya on July 28.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 21, 2024

NFL-style changes sumo could and should make

Many of the sport’s centuries-old systems and methodologies are an increasingly awkward fit in the modern world.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 13, 2023

Hokutofuji shines early as sumo's English streaming era begins

The Day 2 presentation by YouTube channel Sumo Prime Time was a welcome development for international fans.
Without the World Games, the Sumo World Championships remain amateur sumo's top-level international competition.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 18, 2023

Sumo's Olympic dream requires fresh approach

A new variant of the sport wouldn't replace the professional or amateur versions, but would instead create a new path to participation and fandom.
Despite Japan’s strict anti-scalping laws, tickets for premium seats to sumo tournaments are being offered at massive markups on resale sites.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 10, 2024

Scarcity of tickets leaves foreign sumo fans out in the cold

Almost as soon as general ticket sales began on Saturday for the upcoming May Grand Sumo Tournament, the entire meet was sold-out.
Otowayama stable wrestlers in front of their stable. It may come as a surprise to some, but the use of ring names between wrestlers in the same stable isn’t all that common.­
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 12, 2024

Burning questions (and their answers) new fans may have about sumo

The slow month of June is as good a time as any for our columnist to answer some of the fan questions that crop up with regularity.
An event that was part of a regional sumo tour in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, in April 2019.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 1, 2024

Summer sumo tour may be tough for wrestlers, but it's a boon for fans

Grueling tours can be quite taxing for top pros, but they offer fans in small cities a rare chance of seeing their heroes up close.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Nov 1, 2023

The risers — and fallers — in the latest sumo rankings

The sumo rankings ahead of the upcoming Kyushu Basho produced its share of winners and losers.
A full house at Dolphins Arena takes in a bout featuring Takarafuji during the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament in July.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 25, 2024

New Nagoya arena won't ease sumo's ticket crunch

A shiny new arena in Nagoya will seat 17,000 but capacity won't be nearly that high for sumo, meaning there's no relief on the horizon for ticket-hungry fans.
Japan’s national sport made its second foray into Western Europe, and first to the U.K., with a five-day tournament at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall in October 1991.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 11, 2024

London calling: Sumo's U.K. trip brings back memories of 1991

Such was sumo’s popularity in the U.K. in the late '80s and early '90s that all five days at the 5,000-seat Royal Albert Hall sold out quickly.
Dolphins Arena in Nagoya. While the new IG Arena will almost certainly provide a more enjoyable experience for fans, the hope is that action on the raised ring will retain the heat that Dolphins Arena has long been famous for.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 10, 2024

A farewell to a Nagoya sumo arena known for heat — inside and outside the ring

The upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament will be the last to be held at Dolphins Arena, which has been the scene of numerous memorable moments over the years.
Takayasu during the one-day Annual Sumo Tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Feb 9, 2020
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Apr 9, 2025

Takayasu’s latest heartbreak makes sumo history

The former ozeki now has more second-place finishes without winning a championship than any other wrestler.
Takakeisho during a one-day tournament at Kokugikan in Tokyo in February 2020
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 25, 2024

As Onosato dominates the spotlight, former sumo stars exit the stage

Takakeisho, who announced his retirement last week, was must-watch TV for virtually all of his 6½ years in sumo's top division.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Mar 26, 2024

Takerufuji’s triumph is one for the ages

The Isegahama stable rookie arguably achieved one of most surprising sporting victories of all time.
Onosato will have his sights set on sumo's second-highest rank as the Autumn Basho gets underway Sunday.
SUMO
Sep 6, 2024

Onosato poised to shine at Autumn Basho with ozeki rank in sight

The fact that nine wins in Onosato's sekiwake debut in July was seen by some as disappointing tells you all you need to know about sumo’s hottest wrestler.
Onosato celebrates after winning the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 25, 2025

Ozeki Onosato on doorstep of yokozuna promotion after latest title

The Nishonoseki stable star was the class of the field once again in Kansai.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw takes part in a sumo demonstration in Tokyo on Friday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 19, 2025

Japan’s twin obsessions meet as MLB visits sumo’s heartland

Sumo is often referred to as Japan’s national sport but it’s baseball that is the country’s one true obsession. This week, those two sports are intersecting in Tokyo.
Kotonowaka surely has his eyes on eventually emulating his grandfather, former grand champion Kotozakura.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 30, 2023

New sumo ranks highlight rise of next generation

Ahead of the autumn tournament in Tokyo, it's the up-and-coming wrestlers who are making waves.
Hoshoryu (right) practices against Kotozakura at Ryogoku Kokugikan on May 2.
SUMO
May 9, 2025

Hoshoryu dominates rivals in practice, but real test awaits at May Basho

Sumo is a sport where practice results are unreliable if taken as a predictor of future success.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 21, 2024

Red-hot rookie Takerufuji off to historic start in Osaka tourney

In remaining unbeaten over the meet’s first 11 days, Takerufuji equaled all-time great Taiho’s record for the best-ever start for a debutant.
Onosato (left) and his stablemaster Nishonoseki celebrate after his victory at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September.
SUMO
Nov 8, 2024

New ozeki Onosato tops list of contenders aiming for glory in Kyushu

Onosato could become the first wrestler since Hakuho in 2006 to win a championship in his debut at sumo’s second-highest rank.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 2, 2023

Hakuoho hints at what's to come with breakout makuuchi debut

Last month's Nagoya Basho may have just been the coming out party for sumo’s newest superstar.
Terunofuji accepts the Emperor's Cup after winning the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
SUMO
Jul 28, 2024

Terunofuji rebounds from stumbles to claim milestone 10th Emperor’s Cup

Thanks to a series of stumbles by the previously imperious yokozuna, the destination of the title was not decided until a playoff in the tournament’s final bout.
Onosato shoves out Mitakeumi on Sunday in Tokyo to continue his perfect run at the Autumn Basho. At 192-centimeters-tall and 177 kilograms, Onosato may be neither the tallest nor the heaviest wrestler in the makuuchi division, but he is very close to the top in each of those two categories.
SUMO
Sep 18, 2024

Onosato’s meteoric rise is stunning — but not surprising

Well on his way to ozeki, for Onosato, further promotion to yokozuna has become a question of when, not if.

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