Aki 2026: Shin-Makushita

hochiyama Aki 2026, Aki Basho

Here is how our last tournament debutants did:

Asahifuji entered the tournament already as one of the biggest storylines. Having won back-to-back-to-back tournament victories and entering sumo as one of he strongest prospects ever, his legend preceded him. He arrived at makushita 11 East, and finished the regular tournament with six wins and one loss, the first loss of his career. His loss to former Jūryō Nabatame ended his 25-bout winning streak from his debut. Rather than fading away, he rebounded and ended up qualifying for the playoffs when Nabatame lost his last match. Participating in the seven-man playoff, Asahifuji took revenge against Nabatame and defeated Fudōhō and Wakamiyabi to clinch the division championship. This gave Asahifuji four consecutive tournament championships, one ofor each of the lower divisions. This strengthens the belief that he is on a fast track to sekitori status, likely after the Aki tournament.

Kaida acquitted himself well in his first tournament in division 3 (makushita). Wrestling from the bottom of the division (Makushita 58 East), he finished with a 4-3 record, extending the strong start to his professional career. He defeated former top division Daishōmaru on the second day. The rest of his opponents were generally career lower makushita/upper sandanme wrestlers. He will need to continue to improve as the caliber of his opponents will be stronger in Aki 2026.

Sachinofuji unfortunately did not have the opportunity to compete in Nagoya in his Makushita debut. He was absent from the entire tournament, reportedly due to back/neck problems that kept him in Tokyo. This would be a disappointment for him, particularly as this basho would have been an important test of how his technical, undersized style would translate against more polished opponents. I wish him a full and speedy recovery and hope that he will climb back to Makushita once he returns to competition.

Onto the Aki 2026 Makushita rookies:

Tenshōyama (天昇山)

Stable: Tamanoi

Age: 22

Height (cm/feet-inches): 197 / 6’5”

Weight (kg/lbs): 172 / 379

Home country: Batshireet Mongolia

High School: Meitoku Gijuku High

University: Tōyō University

Career Record and notes: 25-3-0 (.893)

Debut: Aki 2025

Notes: Sandanme Yūshō (Nagoya 2026).

Possibility of reaching sekitori: will say 100%.

Tenshōyama is another one of the most intriguing young prospects in professional sumo. Born in Batshireet, Khentii Province, in eastern Mongolia, the Tamanoi-beya wrestler has climbed rapidly through the lower divisions and reached a career-high rank of East Sandanme 3 in his fourth profession tournament in July 2026. Standing 197 cm, he is currently the tallest active rikishi in professional sumo. Out of his three career losses, two were to Asahifuji and one to former sekitori Kiryūkō.

Growing up in rural Mongolia, he played volleyball and practiced Bökh, the country’s traditional wrestling style. Already an imposing 192 cm and 100 kg as a teenager, he attracted the attention of recruiters from Japan. In 2019, at just 14 years old, he moved to Kōchi Prefecture to attend Meitoku Gijuku High School after being recruited by the school’s sumo program. The move reportedly came with the support of former sekiwake Asasekiryū, the Mongolian-born Takasago oyakata and a distinguished alumnus of the school. Although he possessed impressive natural size and athleticism, Tenshoyama did not begin formal sumo training until entering high school.

By his third year, he had advanced to the Top 32 at the National High School Championships. Following graduation, he entered Tōyō University, one of Japan’s premier collegiate sumo programs (some alumni are Mitakeumi, Wakatakakage, Tamanoshima (Hanaregoma Oyakata), and fellow Tamanoi stablemate Tōhakuryū). While he never became one of the headline stars of the university circuit, he steadily improved and broke through as a junior, capturing titles at both the Towada Tournament and the Kariya Tournament.

Rather than finish his university studies, he chose to pursue professional sumo. After competing in the All-Japan Sumo Championship in December 2024, he left the university and joined Tamanoi stable. At the September 2025 new recruit examination he measured 197 cm, immediately drawing attention as the tallest active wrestler in the sport. Upon entering professional sumo he was given the shikona Tenshōyama, meaning roughly “a mountain rising toward the heavens”.

Tenshōyama made his professional debut alongside fellow Mongolian prospect Asahifuji. Their rivalry began immediately. He lost to Asahifuji in maezumo and suffered his only defeat of the January 2026 Jonokuchi tournament against the same opponent, finishing with an impressive 6-1 record. It was the first match of the tournament, and one of the best “opening matches” I have ever seen – more fitting of a bout after the sanyaku soroi-bumi on the final day than a a jonokuchi match. A 6-1 performance in Jonidan quickly established him as one of the most promising young wrestlers in the lower divisions.

He won the Sandanme championship in Nagoya, defeating 4 former sekitori along the way (Asagyokusei, Mienofuji, Mita, and Tochimusashi). Two of his opponents were ranked in Makushita and were undefeated at the time of their match-up. These results indicate that his is still ranked below his ceiling.

For a wrestler of his size, Tenshōyama is versatile. He is comfortable fighting both yotsu-zumo and oshi-zumo. Coaches and observers have noted that he was able to compete effectively against Tamanoi stable’s sekitori from the outset, suggesting that his ceiling is much higher than his current rank. Away from the dohyo, Tenshōyama reportedly enjoys sleeping and watching anime, while his favorite foods are meat and fruit. He jokingly credits his extraordinary height to getting twelve hours of sleep a day as a child. Whether or not that is the secret, the giant Mongolian has all the ingredients of a future sekitori: elite size, proven amateur credentials, growing technical skills, and a willingness to challenge himself by leaving university early for the professional ranks.

Imamura (𫝆村)

Stable: Nishonoseki

Age: 20

Height (cm/feet-inches): 181 / 5’11”

Weight (kg/lbs): 131 /  288

Home prefecture: Hyōgo

High School: Hōtoku Gakuen High

University: —

Career Record and notes: 56-42-0 (.571)

Debut: 2024 Haru

Notes:  None

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Unlikely

The Hyōgo native arrived at Nishonoseki-beya in 2024 carrying not only a respectable amateur résumé, but also a longstanding admiration for his oyakata. As a boy, Imamura (currently using his family name as his shikona) watched former Yokozuna Kisenosato’s championship-winning performance at the 2017 Haru Basho from outside Osaka’s prefectural gymnasium after being unable to secure a ticket. Only a few year later, he would meet Kisenosato and shake hands as a new recruit to Nishonoseki stable.

Born in Itami City, he began sumo in the sixth grade after joining a local sumo club under the influence of his sumo-loving father. He later attended Hōtoku Gakuen High School, a school with one of western Japan’s most respected athletic programs. There, he developed an aggressive forward-moving style based on driving through opponents from a low position and achieved steadily improving results culminating in a quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 National High School Selection Tournament and a place in the last sixteen at the National Sports Festival later that year.

Those accomplishments attracted Nishonoseki Oyakata’s attention. The Oyakata reported noted that Imamura possessed exactly the qualities he values most: pressure, determination, and commitment to moving forward. Upon recruiting Imamura, the former Yokozuna remarked that he could feel the youngster’s desire to attack and believed his style was well suited to professional sumo.

Imamura entered ozumo in March 2024 with a straightforward goal: reach the salaried ranks within five years. His early results suggest that ambition was not misplaced. After a brief stay in Jonokuchi and Jonidan, he quickly climbed into Sandanme and established himself there. By July 2026 he had already reached a career-high rank of Sandanme. His July 2026 tournament produced an impressive 6-1 record and renewed momentum after a pair of losing records earlier in the year. Imamura will get a large jump from the Nagoya rank of Sandanme 48 West, and will clearly encounter stiffer competition in Makushita. He had, until the Nagoya tournament, been holding his own in mid-Sandanme against similar competition. We will have to see if the 6-1 record was a real breakthrough or a blip in his career. His sumo is built around pressure and forward movement. Oshidashi is by far his most common winning technique. While he lacks the eye-catching size of stablemate Ōnosato or the amateur pedigree of some university recruits, his attacking mindset should continue to serve him well as he pursues his goal of becoming a sekitori within five years and bringing honor back to his hometown.

Kazemitsuki (風光希)

Stable: Oshiogawa

Age: 19

Height (cm/feet-inches): 176 / 5’9”

Weight (kg/lbs): 134 / 295

Home prefecture: Iwate

High School: Tairadate High School

University:  —

Career Record and notes: 26-9-0 (.743)

Debut: 2025 Aki

Notes: None Possibility of reaching sekitori: 50-50

Kazemitsuki (with a shikona combining the Oshiogawa-beya prefix of Kaze with his first name, Mitsuki) may not have arrived in professional sumo with the fanfare of a collegiate champion or high school yokozuna, but few newcomers have climbed the banzuke as quickly. Born in Iwate Prefecture, Kazemitsuki has put together an impressive start to his professional career, rising from Jonokuchi to Makushita in just over a year.

Kazemitsuki developed his sumo in one of Iwate’s traditional strongholds for the sport. He attended Tairadate High School, which has produced some division 3 wrestlers (Tokinohira, Akiyoshi). After graduating from high school, he spent roughly six months working for a local company while continuing his training and pursuing his goal of entering ozumo. Oshiogawa stable eventually scouted him in 2025 after monitoring his progress. Upon joining, his stated ambition was straightforward: become a sekitori.

The transition to professional sumo could hardly have gone better. He posted a 6-1 record in Jonokuchi, followed by another 6-1 in Jonidan. He continued his momentum with a 5-2 record in Sandanme in March 2026 and another winning record in May and July, establishing himself as one of the more successful recent Japanese recruits in the lower divisions. The last two tournaments, he has put together those winning records against the typical upper Sandanme/lower Makushita level wrestlers, indicating he has not yet hit his ceiling. He was chosen as the last opponent for Tochimusashi in Nagoya, so the match makers felt he could impact the division’s championship race (a win would have eliminated Tochimusashi from a possible playoff against Tenshōyama).

Physically, Kazemitsuki is almost the opposite of the towering prospect, Tenshōyama. Standing 176 cm and weighing approximately 134 kg, he relies more on balance, power, and technique than overwhelming size. His sumo is well-rounded, with regular wins on the belt and by pushing.  His most frequently used kimarite is yorikiri, reflecting a willingness to engage directly and finish opponents at close quarters.

Kazemitsuki’s rapid progress suggests he may have been somewhat overlooked as a recruit, after all, he had to try his hand in the “real world” before joining a stable. Reaching makushita, he now finds himself moving one step closer to the salaried ranks he set as his goal upon joining.

Sumo News Update: July 2026

Andy Aki Basho, Juryo (十両), promotion, Retirement , , ,

Welcome back! Hopefully you have all sobered up from your senshuraku parties by now. Jungyo will kick off this upcoming weekend in Gifu city, an hour drive north of the venue in Nagoya. But before we focus on the tour this weekend, let’s cover a few items from earlier this week.

Juryo Promotions and Retirements

On Tuesday, the Sumo Association announced the three wrestlers who earned promotion to Juryo. Two will make their sekitori debuts (shin-juryo): Tanji (Arashio) and Tokifudo (Tokitsukaze). Nabatame (Futagoyama) will return after over a year.

Daishomaru’s retirement was the biggest announcement coming out of Nagoya. Subsequently, four more retirements have been announced: Tatsuosho, Asashorei, Nishikio and Asahirai.

Ticket Price Increases

Today, the Sumo Association announced wide-ranging price increases for tickets to tournaments in Tokyo and Osaka. Nagoya and Kyushu ticket prices are unchanged. The new pricing plan is here. For those of you who live in areas where public transit has “peak” or rush-hour pricing, you won’t be shocked that the Sumo Association has additional price rises for Day 14 and Senshuraku. And in Tokyo, they’re offering a new SS-tier seating arrangement, starting at 22,500-yen/person and going up to 24,000 on weekends and holidays and 25,000 during the final weekend.

Even if this price increase is not done in an official way, those of you who actually go to the tournaments are probably already paying higher prices on the secondary markets. For many of us foreigners, those secondary markets and resellers have been the only way in, anyway. Now, the official price is going up and the resellers will likely have to pass on the cost to their customers.

For most goods, when the demand suddenly increases the demand curve shifts outward. Prices go up but suppliers are encouraged to produce more. This moderates some of the price rise. In the FIFA world, the stadiums get bigger and the World Cup tournament expands to include more teams and more games. More fans are served. From what we’ve heard of Nagoya, the new seating arrangement for the new IG Arena does have a modest increase in the number of seats but not as much as would be possible. The Kyokai wants to maintain quality of viewing the action.

So, unfortunately for the sumo world the supply is relatively fixed. We cannot get more than 6 tournaments a year and these venues are not going to be expanded soon. We can get new products to try to satisfy that hankering for sumo action, like new Jungyo events (even in London and Paris) but we won’t get any new tournaments. Let’s face it, they’ve already expanded the calendar with the Kyushu tournament added back in 1958, I think. I’m too lazy to check SumoDB at the moment. Suffice to say it was a long time ago that they went to a six-basho calendar. If that changes I will eat Shonosuke’s fancy hat.

Yusho Prize Increases

The good news of the sumo boom is that the Sumo Association also announced substantial increases to the yusho purse and special prizes awarded at honbasho. Those increases will also start at Hatsu Basho 2027. The Top Division (Makuuchi) title purse will go up from 10,000,000 yen to 20,000,000 (*updated) — or roughly $124,618. Special Prizes increased from 2 Million to 3 Million. Yusho values below:

DivisionCurrentFuture
Makuuchi10 Million20 Million
Juryo2 Million3 Million
Makushita500,000700,000
Sandanme300,000500,000
Jonidan200,000300,000
Jonokuchi100,000200,000

The calendar is pretty full over the next month. August 31st the Aki banzuke will be released. I hope to give a few more updates about Jungyo before then.

Some Highly Subjective Grades for Nagoya 2026

Josh K Nagoya 2026

Well, hello again. Having been motivated by a fairly spectacular basho, I figured I’d run the red ink over the performances of the 41 makuuchi rikishi who took part. This could have been an exhaustive exercise, but I decided to keep it brief. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to sound off in the comments.

M16W Asakoryu 9-6 – Rebounded well after a shaky start had him staring down demotion. Too early to say if he’s settled into the higher level, but he’ll be joined by his little brother in the next basho. Understood the assignment. B

M16E Daiseizan 6-9 – Didn’t show much in his debut basho, and will get another crack at promotion from upper tiers of Juryo next time out. 6-9 would be respectable if he had been 1-2 ranks higher, but a demotion is a demotion. C-

M15W Kazuma 5-10 – Looked like an absolute destroyer in previous tournaments, but announced himself in the top division in the wrong way. Will hope his demotion isn’t too harsh. D

M15E Onokatsu 4-11 – Clearly not over the injury that knocked him from his comfortable position in makuuchi two tournaments ago. Gave it his diminished best. C-

M14W Shishi 10-5 – Much like the last time he was in a yusho race, tailed off badly towards the end, losing his last 3 and 4 of 6 after being drawn against higher ranked opponents. B-

M14E Kinbozan 9-6 – Got the job done. B

M13W Takerufuji 10-5 – Also lost his last 3, but against tougher opponents in sum than Shishi, including a desperate Yokozuna and the eventual champion. B+

M13E Nishikifuji 10-5 – This is why you really have to contextualise these scores for strength of schedule and the pattern of the basho. Nishikifuji had a similar final result but without facing the week 2 opposition of his stablemate Takerufuji. Probably his best all around performance in recent memory and definitely his best result in the top division for over 3 years. B

M12W Abi 7-8 – I think Kintamayama made a comment to the effect that you’d expect Abi to dominate at this rank. Threw away a promising position for kachikoshi with only 2 wins in the final 7 days. C

M12E Asahakuryu 7-8 – Picked up a couple impressive wins, albeit with the pressure off. C+

M11W Mitakeumi 2-13 – The only framing of a record like this that isn’t a disaster is that you have to show respect for competing all 15 days, some losses being with quite some intent. Hard to watch the former champion at times. D-

M11E Wakanosho 5-2-8 – Looked good early on before injury forced him to withdraw. Should remain in the division for another go, if he’s healthy for September. INC

M10W Chiyoshoma 5-10 – The great enigma won his two toughest matches by rank, but otherwise had a pretty forgettable basho. Turned 35 during the basho and probably just about looked it. Would have wanted to be closer to kachikoshi. C-

M10E Asanoyama 9-6 – Tough to know what exactly we’ve got with the former Ozeki. Looked to be in the yusho race before losing 4 of the last 5, a couple that he probably should have won. Next basho will be at his highest rank for almost 3 years, so that will tell us more about where he’s at. B-

M9W Tobizaru 5-10 – The 34 year old looks to be on a downward trend and didn’t have much of the high octane sumo we’ve come to associate with him over the years. C-

M9E Fujiryoga 10-5 – A pair of 10 win tournaments, and he looks to have started to settle into the level, winning against a few gifted opponents. Missed out on a special prize on the last day, but can feel good about this basho in terms of performance and results. B+

M8W Roga 9-6 – Reeled off six straight wins in the final week to clinch kachikoshi. Wasn’t really tested, most of his matches felt like making up the numbers. Wins largely came against weaker/injured opponents while the losses came against opponents you’d say are mostly a step up, so perhaps this is his level. B-

M8E Wakamotoharu 6-9 – If I had to guess his record just from watching his performances, I wouldn’t have thought he won as many as 6. Has been on a brutal run this year, and won’t have totally arrested the slide. Perhaps not having his brother to prepare with has hurt him in this tournament. D+

M7W Takayasu 11-4 – Picked up one of the five special prizes handed out after racking up 11 wins and hanging in the yusho race until late. Never truly felt like the yusho challenge was going to happen for him, but good to see him looking mobile and strong at 36. A-

M7E Kotoeiho 11-4 – Led the basho after 10 days before running into trouble, having adjusted to the higher level of competition at his highest ever rank. Despite being knocked out of the race, finished strong with wins against two impressive opponents to clinch a special prize. A

M6W Fujiseiun 7-8 – Showed decent application if mostly unmemorable. C+

M6E Shodai 5-10 – Continued to baffle with which version of the former Ozeki should show up on any given day. Usually he’s a pretty good watch, but was more bad than good this time. C-

M5W Oshoma 7-8 – A bit of grim reading, if you see where most of his wins came from. I tend to think Fujiseiun’s record was a slightly better achievement. C

M5E Ura 5-10 – Turned 34 before the basho, attempted gamely to conjure some magic but was a diminished and less powerful version of the rikishi we’ve seen in recent years. C-

M4W Ichiyamamoto 6-9 – Managed a sanyaku upset of Kotoshoho but otherwise looked mostly overmatched at this rank. C-

M4E Daieisho 10-5 – racked up 3 upsets against sanyaku opponents and at times looked indistinguishable from his peak. Wasn’t ever in the yusho conversation, but put himself in the discussion for a likely/possible promotion to sanyaku in the next tournament, which would have been the aim before the tournament. B+

M3W Hakunofuji 9-6 – Struggles a bit with consistency but seems to be developing into a powerful all-around talent who is able to hold his own around top rankers, fitness permitting. There’s a case to be made that this is actually his most impressive result in any basho, given the rank and opposition. Notched his fifth kinboshi, and possibly is headed for sanyaku for the first time. B+

M3E Hiradoumi 4-11 – Had a pretty brutal fixture list in the first seven days and was always playing from behind – while not a carbon copy of past and present stablemates Sadanoumi, Myogiryu and Goeido, all of them rely on a speedy tachiai and establishing an inside position and he was just never able to reliably execute that in this tournament. C-

M2W Churanoumi 7-8 – Felt he gave a good account of himself at his career high rank having looked very overmatched on previous trips to these heights, knocking out both Ozeki and both Komusubi. B-

M2E Gonoyama 7-8 – Had a terribly difficult start with no rank and filers until Day 8, but still managed to recover and score his first career kinboshi, in addition to matching his best performance at his career high rank. B

M1W Takanosho 6-9 – A streaky performance, he looked buried after starting 0-4 against the top rankers but recovered well to notch a creditable score. Did not look close to his previous best, but there’s not a big gap between this result and that of the two previous guys. C+

M1E Fujinokawa 8-7 – Looks set for sanyaku after raising his record to 4-0 against the Yokozuna with another pair of kinboshi, which netted him a special prize. Might have replaced Ryuden as the matta king, as almost every match starts with some kind of timing issue. Otherwise seems to have adjusted well to the level without projecting necessarily as someone who will go higher than Sekiwake. Didn’t face another rank and filer until Day 10 and only faced 2 opponents ranked lower than M3, so did well to get kachikoshi. A-

KW Oho 2-13 – Looked completely overmatched for almost the entire tournament. Only the fifth time since the turn of the century that a Komusubi has finished a basho with no more than 2 wins while competing every day – the first was his dad. D-

KE Yoshinofuji 6-9 – Hung in there for most of the tournament but was always in too deep of a hole to look like grabbing a winning record, despite beating both Yokozuna and the schedule advantage provided by not having to face Atamifuji or Hakunofuji. But as sanyaku debuts go, it could have been a lot worse. C+

S2W Aonishiki 12-3 Yusho – So hobbled was the sekiwake by the injury which struck him from his ozeki rank that it looked in the first week that he’d do well to reach the 10 win mark to reclaim it. To not only stay in the yusho race, but then win two bouts in short order on the senshuraku playoff, was a remarkable achievement. Has now competed in 8 top division basho (excluding the kyujo tournament) and won 3. An unqualified success. A+

S2E Wakatakakage 0-0-15 – Sat out due to serious injury. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

S1W Kotoshoho 6-9 – Having started 3-0, will be bitterly disappointed to have potentially lost his sanyaku rank. Looked strong out of the gate in those early wins, but became too easy to beat in a basho where the fixtures lined up somewhat kindly for him to hold serve. C-

S1E Atamifuji 12-3 – Two early losses looked to scratch him from the running, but appeared and acted unbeatable down the final stretch, winning his last seven and 10 of 11 before going down to Aonishiki in the second playoff bout. Is now on the cusp of Ozeki promotion. A

OW Kotozakura 8-7 – Looked like he might be in trouble early on, but recovered in the second week (with a bit of fixture luck, getting to face the likes of M14 Shishi) to erase his kadoban status and preserve his position. Seemed to be very far from his best and less mobile than in previous tournaments. Still, he achieved the minimum aim. B-

OE Kirishima 12-3 – Had this yusho in his grasp at various points, and performed almost flawlessly against the top rankers: it was losses to Hiradoumi and Churanoumi that likely cost him the title – and the rope. Still, it was a second straight playoff defeat, and third straight 12 win record for the man who has comfortably been the best and most consistent competitor in 2026. Will be on a rope run again in September. A

YW Onosato 9-6 – On the plus side, he completed his first basho since January, and secured a winning record despite it looking like we might see the rare Yokozuna makekoshi. Still, this was uneasy stuff from the brightest talent to enter sumo in recent years. This basho could have been really bad for him, instead it will probably be forgotten. Showed signs of his best in a couple dominant wins, hopefully he can fully recover before September. C

YE Hoshoryu 7-7-1 – Maybe he was wise to pull out and spare us a senshuraku showdown between two potentially 7-7 Yokozuna. Still, questions will linger. He started well enough but dropped 4 of 5 before his withdrawal, and hasn’t won a tournament since his Yokozuna promotion (only being competitive in one this year), having withdrawn in 4 of 9 tournaments. It’s frustrating because few are more technically gifted when he’s on song. When the pair of Yokozuna were promoted, the association probably expected a bit better than we’d seen from the previous generation of Yokozuna over the past several years. C-

Nagoya 2026: Senshuraku

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho , , , , , ,

JME coverage started at 2:30 this morning with the final three bouts of the Makushita yusho playoff. For those of you who couldn’t catch it live, remember JME will replay the action through the day on their dedicated sumo page.

Usually, JME coverage begins with the first bout of Makuuchi, though we occasionally see a Yokozuna dohyo-iri if the action is running a little behind. On senshuraku, JME coverage starts a half-hour early. It’s great to see these Playoffs live.

Asahifuji defeated Wakamiyabi in the Final with a henka, followed by solid migi-yotsu belt work to force Wakamiyabi out. Congratulations Asahifuji!

Next up came the four-way Juryo playoff. As Asashosakari had pointed out in the comments, I had missed the Asasuiryu vs Hatsuyama bout. Asasuiryu won it and earned his spot in the playoff. Shonannoumi lost to Tokihayate, setting the playoff into motion. Toshinofuji and Arashifuji also won their bouts to earn their spots.

The boys drew lots for the semi-final and Shonannoumi beat Asasuiryu, shifting to the side and then spinning Asasuiryu out. Toshinofuji hit Arashifuji with a solid tachiai. Arashifuji pulled but Toshinofuji stuck with him and ushered him out. Shonannoumi defeated Toshinofuji to claim the Juryo yusho. Toshinofuji’s loose mawashi still provided enough leverage for Shonannoumi when he grabbed Toshinofuji’s belt with both hands outside and spun Toshinofuji out over the edge.

Next up was the Yusho presentation ceremony for all of the lower divisions. Here, we saw that Tenshoyama had beaten Tochimusashi for the Sandanme title. Like most of the other playoffs, Abema TV posted video of the final fight on their Twitter feed (above). Day 13 action had already determined Hakugetsuro won Jonidan and Kakizoe won Jonokuchi. They picked up their certificates and the Makuuchi dohyo-iri promptly followed.

The special prize announcements went relatively as predicted. Aonishiki received the Technique prize and Atamifuji won the Fighting Spirit prize unconditionally. They shouldn’t need the added motivation for their yusho battle. However, the rest of the special prizes are dependent on victory. If Fujinokawa beats Fujiseiun, he will pick up his kachi-koshi and the Outstanding Performance Prize. Kotoeiho, Takayasu, Fujiryoga, Takerufuji, and Shishi are eligible for Fighting Spirit Prizes on the condition that they win their bouts.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Kazuma (5-10) defeated Sadanoumi (5-10). Kazuma rather easily dispatched Sadanoumi. He lead with his head, so Sadanoumi pulled. Kazuma chased with excellent footwork and ushered Sadanoumi out. Oshidashi.

Kinbozan (9-6) defeated Mitakeumi (2-13). Mitakeumi missed grabbing Kinbozan’s belt with his left hand. Kinbozan had no problem forcing him back and out. Yorikiri.

Nishikifuji (10-5) defeated Chiyoshoma (5-10). Nishikifuji tried to get a hidari-yotsu belt grip but Chiyoshoma’s tsuppari and pull kept him from getting a solid grip. However, Nishikifuji moved forward and still shoved Chiyoshoma out. Oshidashi.

Asakoryu (9-6) defeated Fujiryoga (10-5). Fujiryoga charged forward to attack Asakoryu but Asakoryu shifted left along the tawara, got in behind the over-eager Fujiryoga, and pushed him out from behind. One could feel Fujiryoga’s disappointment as the camera followed him up the hanamichi. Okuridashi.

Roga (9-6) defeated Shishi (10-5). Excellent hidari-yotsu battle here. Shishi tried to topple Roga with a shitatenage but Roga kept his balance and used his uwate grip to push Shishi forward to the edge. Shishi attempted to re-engage but Roga crushed him over the bales. Yoritaoshi.

Asahakuryu (7-8) defeated Wakamotoharu (6-9). Asahakuryu out-WMH’d Wakamotoharu. Wakamotoharu drove forward behind tsuppari. Asahakuryu shifted left along the bales and drove forward into Wakamotoharu, forcing him out. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (11-4) defeated Asanoyama (9-6). After a lengthy migi-yotsu battle, Takayasu persevered and claimed his Fighting Spirit prize. Takayasu pulled hard with his uwatenage. Asanoyama did not go down but Takayasu followed up with tsuppari and shoved Asanoyama over the bales. Oshidashi.

Kotoeiho (11-4) defeated Takerufuji (10-5). Takerufuji pulled but Kotoeiho kept that right arm hooked under Takerufuji’s left shoulder and ran him out of the dohyo, throwing him three rows deep into the crowd below. Oshidashi.

Shodai (5-10) defeated Daiseizan (6-9). Shodai showed no signs of the injury I thought he had. He hit Daiseizan hard, got a morozashi as he hooked both arms up under Daiseizan’s shoulders, turned and forced Daiseizan out. Jerry Ziesmer’s voice: “Terminate. With extreme prejudice.” Yorikiri.

Oshoma (7-8) defeated Onokatsu (4-11). Oshoma’s tsuppari was too powerful for Onokatsu. He shoved Onokatsu back to the bales and then grabbed him to keep him from falling off. (Always a popular gesture.) Oshidashi.

Halftime

Abi (7-8) defeated Ura (5-10). Textbook Abi-zumo. Abi layed into Ura with tsuppari. He tried one pull which forced Ura to stumble forward. Abi followed up with thrusts, driving Ura out. Tsukidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (6-9) defeated Tobizaru (5-10). Textbook Abi-zumo. Rinse and repeat here, though Ichiyamamoto’s initial thrusts were more nodowa than tsuppari. So, I guess that makes it Ichiyama-zumo rather than Abi-zumo. Similar strategy, same effect today. Tsukidashi.

Gonoyama defeated Hiradoumi. Gonoyama blitzed Hiradoumi and trust him out with strong tsuppari. It was kind of like Gonoyama did his best Hiradoumi impression at the tachiai. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi defeated Takanosho. Takanosho hit Churanoumi with his nodowa. Churanoumi tried to get that left hand inside, regardless. Takanosho slapped Churanoumi to keep him away. Churanoumi spun back, grabbed Takanosho’s right arm and pulled him forward. Hikkake.

Fujinokawa (8-7) defeated Fujiseiun (7-8). Fujiseiun did not have a chance. Fujinokawa came in hot and drilled Fujiseiun in the chin with his tachiai. Fujinokawa wrapped up Fujiseiun and forced him back over the bales. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Hakunofuji (9-6) defeated Oho (2-13). Hakunofuji got a morozashi quickly and drove Oho to the edge. Oho resisted and tried an uwatenage but Hakunofuji stablized himself with his hold of Oho’s belt. He then shoved Oho down. Yoritaoshi.

Daieisho (10-5) defeated Yoshinofuji (6-9). Textbook Daieisho-zumo. He brawled with Yoshinofuji, meeting thrust with thrust. Finally, he shifted left and thrust Yoshinofuji down. Both Komusubi will vacate their offices. Tsukiotoshi.

Kore-yori Sanyaku

Arrows — Atamifuji (12-3) defeated Aonishiki (12-3). Atamifuji pushed out with his right hand to block Aonishiki’s left hand. Aonishiki pulled but Atamifuji was ready and shoved Aonishiki off the dohyo. We will have another play-off! Oshidashi.

Bow String — Kirishima (12-3) defeated Kotohachinana (??-??). Kirishima got a left hand uwate and pulled Koto87 forward to the edge and forced him out. Kirishima has a spot in the playoff. Yorikiri.

Bow — Onosato defeated Kotoshoho. Migi-yotsu. Onosato grabbed Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho reversed along the edge, trying to topple the Yokozuna with a sukuinage, but Onosato shoved him down. Oshitaoshi.

Playoff (決定巴戦)

First man to two consecutive wins, wins the title. The three men drew lots. First up, Atamifuji versus Kirishima.

Atamifuji defeated Kirishima. Atamifuji enveloped Kirishima and forced him back to the edge quickly, trying to get a kimedashi, double outside grip. At the bales, Kirishima resisted and Atamifuji shoved him over the bales. Next up, Aonishiki.

Aonishiki defeated Atamifuji. This time, Aonishiki landed his left hand grip. He used it to force Atamifuji back to the edge and out. That means Kirishima is back!

Aonishiki defeated Kirishima. Aonishiki again got his left hand grip. As Kirishima tried to figure out what to do, Aonishiki wrapped his left foot around Kirishima’s right and shoved forward. On replay, as they cycled around, you can see Aonishiki was waiting for Kirishima’s leg to drift to far forward. Aonishiki Yusho!

There seemed to be some confusion as to whether Aonishiki was supposed to go down and get his hair redone, again, before the presentation ceremony. But, well, that’s it for sumo action in Nagoya, July 2026. NHK News starts 20 minutes late with the lead story that Aonishiki claimed his third title. Congratulations, Aonishiki!

That’s not it for sumo coverage from Nagoya, though. We will hear about Juryo promotions early this week and I’ll bring that news to you. I’ll also aim for weekly Jungyo updates.