Haru Basho Storylines of Intrigue: Recap

Josh K Haru 2026

Before the latest basho, I posted some “storylines of intrigue.” Basically, this was a very unscientific and anecdotal list of things that I thought would be interesting to follow during the previous basho. That basho has finished, so let’s check back on a few of these things, and see if they were, in fact, intriguing plotlines (or if they failed to deliver).

  • Isegahama-beya scandal hangover: with a verdict on former Yokozuna Terunofuji’s behaviour relating to an alleged violent incident towards a member of his heya (Hakunofuji) being punted into April, there wasn’t much to draw from on this topic. There certainly wasn’t too much of a hangover in terms of the heya’s results, with the top five ranked ex-Miyagino rikishi all putting in average-to-good performances, and the other Isegahama-homegrown sekitori all registering winning records.
  • Aonishiki rope run: sadly, it was clear this was going to die within the first few days and it officially ended inside the first week, as the Ozeki exited nakabi with a 3-5 record. He was out of sorts for most of a tournament which he finishes in kadoban status, and it’s a real shame that there was little-to-no drama on the will-he-won’t-he storyline of Aonishiki’s first run at the sport’s top rank. He will doubtlessly get another crack at it, but when?
  • Asahifuji II: As predicted, the man with the auspicious shikona predictably smashed all opponents en-route to another zensho, even toppling a former sekitori in Kiryuko in the Jonidan playoff. At this rate, it would be a bit of a shock if he doesn’t join the 21 club after the next basho.
  • Fujishima-beya Makuuchi debutants: Speaking of 21 Club members, the more experienced of the heya’s two top division newbies, Fujiseiun, made an excellent debut. He continued his strong run of form by notching double digit wins and grabbed a fighting spirit prize. Fujiryoga looked genki in the first week but ran out of steam and will drop (narrowly) to the second division after a creditable 7-8, even if it was his first career make-koshi. I wouldn’t say I saw a lot of notable sumo from the pair, solid but unspectacular efforts.
  • Ura at home: The Kansai native has had a difficult start to 2026, and his poor form in his hometown basho continues despite the stellar local crowd support. Since returning to the top division in 2021, he’s now only posted 1 winning basho in 5 trips to the EDION Arena, a 31-44 record over that time.
  • Kirishima’s potential Ozeki return: Kirishima did indeed punch his ticket back to sumo’s second highest rank, and how. Grabbing his third yusho would ordinarily be considered clinching a promotion in some style, however the circumstances of how his tournament finished felt rather more like ending on a semicolon than an exclamation point. The returning Ozeki won the basho after another opponent (Hoshoryu) lost their bout, having lost his own bout following the other challenger’s (Kotoshoho) earlier loss, and then Kirishima lost another bout on senshuraku for good measure. It’s an amazing achievement and a deserved Yusho, as Kirishima dominated the tournament for the first 13 days, but at the same time, you want to see a title race full of quality rather than a group of challengers who can’t put pressure on the leader. But that was ultimately not the point of this storyline.
  • The new joi-jin and Atamifuji: So, how did Churanoumi and Fujinokawa do at their new career highs, and was Atamifuji finally able to make a big step forward in his san’yaku debut? Churanoumi looked overpowered and outclassed throughout the tournament as his 4-11 record would suggest, but Fujinokawa’s high-effort premium-octane all-action sumo saw him rewarded with a last ditch kachi-koshi, a pair of kinboshi and a special prize. As wacky funsters Tobizaru and Ura enter their mid-30s, and soon-to-be 30 year old Midorifuji exits the top division due to health reasons, fans of undersized sumo may have a new hero for the next decade in the 21 year old. Atamifuji, meanwhile, made it a san’yaku debut to remember with a throughly competent tournament, knocking out both Ozeki and landing himself a promotion to Sekiwake when the action returns to Tokyo in May.
  • The other lingering questions:
    • Will Mitakeumi be able to stave off the drop for another tournament? Yes (barely)
    • Can evergreen Takayasu manage to stay fit enough to put together yet another kachi-koshi and extend his run, already the sixth highest man in the division at the age of 36? No, but he should remain in san’yaku as lksumo has covered.
    • Will Enho rebound from the devastating final loss that put paid to his long-awaited Juryo re-promotion last time out and mount a strong enough campaign this time? Yes, and there was much rejoicing!
    • Was Shishi‘s development for real in the last tournament, or was his late-basho collapse indicative of his real current level? No, although he started strongly, but his collapse in week 2 against largely poor opposition was a disappointment.
    • Will Takasago’s green dragon Asasuiryu get promoted and join Asahakuryu and Asakoryu in assembling their heya’s Power Rangers in the top division – and will someone make their shimekomi please match their shikona? No, and that’s probably the reason why!

Natsu Banzuke Musings

lksumo Nagoya 2025

Congratulations to Kirishima on his third yusho and impending Ozeki re-promotion. Let’s take a look at how the Haru results might reshuffle the rankings for Natsu.

Counting Kirishima, we’ll have two Yokozuna and three Ozeki, one of whom, Aonishiki (a shocking 7-8), will need a winning record in May to hold his rank. Sanyaku will expand to 9, and M17w will disappear. Two sanyaku slots will be vacated by Kirishima going up and K1e Wakamotoharu (a disastrous 3-12) going down. K1w Atamifuji (9-6) looks set to follow his Komusubi debut with a Sekiwake debut. The other three spots should be filled by S1w Takayasu (7-8), whose last-day win over Atamifuji should be just enough to stay in the named ranks, M1e Wakatakakage (8-6-1), and M5w Kotoshoho (11-4), although there’s room for debate about how to order them. M2e Fujinokawa (8-7) and M4w Takanosho (9-6) just miss out and should occupy M1. With a 9-man sanyaku, the joi line only goes down to M4e, and I expect these ranks to be filled out by Yoshinofuji, Ichiyamamoto, Hiradoumi, Oho and Daieisho, although M10e Gonoyama (10-5) could also be in the conversation.

Key question marks for the rest of the maegashira ranks are how far Wakamotoharu and M2w Churanoumi (4-11) will drop, as well as how far the rikishi promoted from Juryo will rise. Speaking of which, there are only two clear promotion cases: J1e Ryuden (9-6) and J3w Wakanosho (11-4), who is set to make his top-division debut. It looks like J3e Daiseizan (8-7) will suffer his 5th straight narrow miss. So two rikishi will drop from Makuuchi. The first is absent Midorifuji, though we are more concerned about his health. The second will likely be M6w Onokatsu (1-6-8), whose one win (by hansoku, no less!) probably won’t be enough to save him. The only other candidate is newcomer M17e Fujiryoga (7-8), who will be lucky to hang on to the bottom of the banzuke by the skin of his teeth.

There’s more movement between Juryo and Makushita. Dropping out of the sekitori ranks are J12w Tsurugisho (0-15), whom I fully expect to call it quits, J13e Shimazuumi (2-9-4), J14w Kotokuzan (4-11), and newcomer J13w Fujitensei (5-10), the Ms60TD high-schooler who frequently looked overmatched at this level. Taking their places will be Ms2w Okaryu (6-1), Ms2e Hakuyozan (5-2), Ms1w Tochitaikai (4-3), and, saving the best for last, Ms4e Enho (5-2)! If this is correct, Enho will have reached his longstanding goal of 30 sekitori basho, qualifying him for elder status should he wish to remain in the sumo association after he hangs up his mawashi.

We’ll find out about the Juryo promotions in a couple of days, but the rest of the rankings won’t come out until April 27. In the meantime, let me know what you think in the comments.

Haru 2026: Senshuraku

Andy Haru 2026, Haru Basho

Senshuraku in Osaka. Minatogawa-oyakata announced the Sumo Association’s decisions on Sanshō, or special prizes on Twitter.

Kirishima won the Outstanding Performance prize, unconditionally. All of the other prizes are conditional on wins during today’s action. Atamifuji, Kotoshoho, and Fujiseiun were selected for Fighting Spirit prize nominations while Fujinokawa will be awarded the Technique prize if he wins today.

JME coverage started with the Jonokuchi division playoff. Aron defeated Kojikara and Shosei to win the Jonokuchi division title. Pretty good sumo. Congratulations to all three men. Now, the Jonidan yusho brought the heat: Asahifuji versus Kiryuko. Asahifuji quickly grabbed Kiryuko’s mawashi with a left hand uwate. Kiryuko grabbed the front of Asahifuji’s belt but spent too long waiting for an attack so Asahifuji took the initiative and pulled Kiryuko down with a nice uwatenage.

Third, Nabatame fought Hogasho for the Sandanme title. Nabatame’s tsuppari overpowered Hogasho quickly. Oshidashi. Finally, the Juryo yusho playoff. Neither Wakanosho nor Dewanoryu won their senshuraku bouts so that meant a playoff will decide the 11-4 title winner. Dewanoryu took exception to Wakanosho’s games at the tachiai, grabbed Wakanosho with a bear hug and drove him from the dohyo.

Lower Division Yusho Winners:

  • Juryo: Dewanoryu
  • Makushita: Wakanofuji (decided Day 13)
  • Sandanme: Nabatame
  • Jonidan: Asahifuji
  • Jonokuchi: Aron

Kirishima has already won the top division title. We will see the yusho presentation after top division action. But to open the action, we did get to see the Makuuchi Dohyo-iri and Hoshoryu’s Dohyo-iri, which I don’t believe we’ve been able to see so far this tournament.

Your NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Oshoumi (5-10) defeated Tobizaru (6-9). Migi-yotsu. Oshoumi drove Tobizaru to the edge and lifted him off the dohyo and dropped him into Takadagawa-oyakata’s lap. Tsuridashi.

Fujiseiun (10-5) defeated Shishi (6-9). Shishi hit Fujiseiun with tsuppari but Fujiseiun stood his ground, shoving Shishi. Fujiseiun suddenly slipped left and Shishi lumbered forward. Fujiseiun attacked Shishi from behind and drove him over the bales, winning the bout AND his first Fighting Spirit prize. Okuridashi.

Kinbozan (9-6) defeated Roga (5-10). Kinbozan drove Roga back and out with strong tsuppari. Tsukidashi.

Tamawashi (5-10) defeated Kotoeiho (9-6). Tamawashi attacked Kotoeiho’s face with tsuppari driving him out and tying Harumafuji for 8th place with 712 top division wins. Oshidashi.

Fujiryoga (7-8) defeated Tokihayate (5-10). Fujiryoga blasted Tokihayate with tsuppari forcing him back to the edge. Tokihayate slipped right, trying to land a migi-uwate grip. Fujiryoga then grabbed Tokihayate and shoved him with his left hand, forcing him off-balance and teetering over the edge. Fujiryoga finished Tokihayate off with a shove from behind. Okuridashi.

Chiyoshoma (10-5) defeated Ura (5-10). Ura went low and tried to force Chiyoshoma back but Chiyoshoma slapped Ura down. Ura will tumble into the bottom third of the banzuke for Natsu where he could be quite dangerous. Hatakikomi.

Hakunofuji (5-6-4) defeated Asahakuryu (10-5). While Asahakuryu fumbled around for a grip, Hakunofuji drove forward and forced him over the edge. There are heavy elipses here as the drama at Isegahama will be settled in the coming days. I’ll bring you the news when I have it. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (9-6) defeated Mitakeumi (8-7). Mitakeumi pulled and Ichiyamamoto was only too happy to shove Mitakeumi in the face and out. Oshdashi.

Kotoshoho (11-4) defeated Asakoryu (9-6). Kotoshoho charged forward way early. Matta. If I’d been tuned in, I would have been prepared for what was next. Henka! Kotoshoho shifted right at the tachiai and slapped Asakoryu down, claiming his fighting spirit prize and the jun-yusho with a heavy dose of irony. I like it. Tsukiotoshi.

Nishikifuji (9-6) defeated Abi (4-6-5). Abi pivoted and pulled Nishikifuji by the neck to the edge. But he couldn’t finish him off. Nishikifuji wrapped him up and drove him back and over the edge. This was a much more competitive bout than I was anticipating. Good job on Abi but the result emphasizes how banged up he is. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Gonoyama (10-5) defeated Takanosho (9-6). Gonoyama charged forward, Superman-style, while Takanosho tried to slap him down. Kandayu had a second of indecision and pointed his gunbai to Takanosho. Mono-ii. Judges decided Takanosho’s foot landed out first and reversed Kandayu’s call. Oshidashi.

Shodai (8-7) defeated Daieisho (7-8). Shodai slapped down Daieisho. Tsukiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (7-8) defeated Churanoumi (4-11). Hiradoumi launched out at Churanoumi. Churanoumi shifted left and slapped Hiradoumi down as he backed out. Gunbai Hiradoumi. No mono-ii. Oshidashi.

Fujinokawa (8-7) defeated Oho (7-8). NHK cameras scanned the stadium, drawing attention to the fans with Fujinokawa hand towels, drawing one conclusion: Fujinokawa brings all the gyaru to the yard. Oho drove Fujinokawa to the edge but Fujinokawa used his left arm, hooked under Oho’s shoulder, to throw Oho over the tawara. Fujinokawa earned his kachi-koshi and Fighting Spirit prize. Sukuinage.

Yoshinofuji (7-8) defeated Asanoyama (8-7). Migi-yotsu. Yoshinofuji dragged Asanoyama to the edge and nearly threw him with an uwatenage. Somehow Asanoyama managed to teeter at the edge with his right foot in the air but right himself. Yoshinofuji collected his thoughts for a moment and pulled up on Asanoyama’s belt, driving him back and out for a good ole, yorikiri. A sense that a torch is passing from one generation to the next here.

Sanyaku

Oshoma (6-9) defeated Wakamotoharu (3-12). Wakamotoharu slapped the crap out of Oshoma, angering the youngster. As Wakamotoharu charged forward with more tsuppari, Oshoma slipped left and grabbed Wakamotoharu’s belt then flipped Wakamotoharu off the dohyo. Uwatenage.

Takayasu (7-8) defeated Atamifuji (9-6). Migi-yotsu. Takayasu treated Atamifuji like a big-rig steering wheel and took him for a quick drive around the dohyo. With a hard left turn of the big wheel, Takayasu wrecked Atamifuji, dragging him to the ground. No Special Prize for Atamifuji and Takayasu claims the arrows. Uwatehineri.

Kotozakura (10-5) defeated Kirishima (12-3). Kotozakura overpowered Kirishima and drove him back and out with the old hug-and chug. Flashbacks to The Yeet Heard Round the World. Ozeki? Yes. Certainly. But it would have been nice to cap off the run with a win. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (11-4) defeated Aonishiki (7-8). Hoshoryu used his right arm, hooked in Aonishiki’s left shoulder, to pull him to the edge and attempt a sukuinage. He could not finish Aonishiki with the throw, alone. So Hoshoryu used his right leg, wrapped around Aonishiki’s left, for additional leverage and dropped Aonishiki over the edge. Aonishiki kadoban. Kakenage.

Wrap-up

This was a rather anti-climactic end to the yusho race. Kirishima won the title but lost his final two bouts. Today’s bout against Kotozakura was not good at all. Kotozakura just used his size advantage to beat Kirishima rather easily. Despite the loss, Kirishima also claimed the Outstanding Performance prize.

Aonishiki’s make-koshi record was a completely unexpected result from this basho. If you’re going to end a dominant streak of tournaments and double-digit wins, do it in style with a make-koshi. Our Ozeki are certainly used to being kadoban so maybe this is just Aonishiki’s initiation to the custom.

There will be quite a bit of news this week, so while tournament coverage is over, I hope to bring updates on a number of stories this week. We’ll have Juryo promotions, obviously, but also an Ozeki promotion and a determination regarding the Isegahama scandal. I will be on the road later this week but I should be able to write brief summaries of the events. And next week, Jungyo starts with a packed schedule of 27 dates carrying us through April in the lead up to the May tournament. See you soon.

Haru 2026: Day Fourteen

Andy Haru 2026, Haru Basho , ,

Day Fourteen in Osaka. The kyujo banner waves again. We swing by the infirmary and Wakatakakage has checked in. He will be kyujo today and Daieisho will receive the walkover win.

Down in Juryo, Dewanoryu lost to Ryuden, who is looking to come back to Makuuchi. Daiseizan hopes to make a case for promotion by visiting Makuuchi in a possible exchange bout with struggling Oshoumi. Enho lost to Nishikigi. Nishikigi likely saved his skin but did the result close the door on Enho?

It will be a tight call between Takakento and Enho but I would hope Enho would pick up that fourth opening. Tsurugisho, Shimazuumi and Kotokuzan have indisputable demotable records. We’ve seen weird things happen with 6-9 records so things may hinge on the results tomorrow.

In the yusho race, Wakanosho defeated Toshinofuji, improving to 11-3. So Dewanoryu and Wakanosho sit tied at 11-3 with Kazuma behind them at 10-4. The three men have already fought each other so it will be interesting to see who they’re paired against on senshuraku.

Your NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Asakoryu (9-5) defeated Kinbozan (8-6). Oshidashi.

Kotoeiho (9-5) defeated Shishi (6-8). Kotoeiho pivoted and quickly drove Shishi out. Shishi missed when he tried to grab Kotoeiho’s belt. Yorikiri.

Oshoumi (4-10) defeated Daiseizan (Juryo 7-7). Henka! Oshoumi jumps to the side and shoves Daiseizan down to the clay. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” With the win, Oshoumi is likely safe from demotion but a win tomorrow can’t hurt. Tsukiotoshi.

Asahakuryu (10-4) defeated Gonoyama (9-5). Asahakuryu quickly grabbed Gonoyama’s belt with a left-handed uwate. He pivoted and pulled, dragging Gonoyama while slapping him down with his right hand. Uwatedashinage.

Roga (5-9) defeated Fujiryoga (6-8). Roga grabbed Fujiryoga’s belt with his left hand. Fujiryoga slipped his right hand inside but he was already perilously positioned along the bales. Roga rotated and dragged Fujiryoga down. Uwatenage.

Chiyoshoma (9-5) defeated Tokihayate (5-9). Chiyoshoma forced Tokihayate to the edge with his nodowa and tsuppari. Tokihayate quickly jumped left to turn the tables and force Chiyoshoma to the edge but Chiyoshoma just grabbed Tokihayate’s belt, drove him to the edge, and tripped him over the bales. Kirikaeshi.

Tobizaru (6-8) defeated Tamawashi (4-10). For a while, Tamawashi kept Tobizaru at bay with tsuppari. But Tobizaru eventually worked his way inside. This got him close enough to execute his trip. Kicking Tamawashi’s right foot forced Tamawashi off-balance and Tobizaru shoved him down as Tamawashi stumbled forward. Tsukiotoshi.

Mitakeumi (8-6) defeated Ura (5-9). Mitakeumi used the leverage from his right arm under Ura’s shoulder to twist Ura down. Sukuinage.

Nishikifuji (8-6) defeated Shodai (7-7). Nishikifuji made Shodai uncomfortable with a nodowa and got the big lug moving backwards. One more shove to the clavicle finished him off. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (5-9) defeated Fujiseiun (9-5). Oshoma stood Fujiseiun up with tsuppari and a nodowa, then pulled and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Halftime

If folks wonder what happens at halftime, the shimpan leave and a new team of judges comes in. The yobidashi come up and care for the dohyo, sprinkling water from a pail onto the surface and then brushing the surface, freshening it up. They sweep the free granules of clay from the shikirisen, making the white lines pristine. In the Konishiki videos, Konishiki points out that after a while, the dohyo gets hard and compacted like concrete. This softens it up a tad and distributes the loose clay evenly along the surface.

Abi (4-5-5) defeated Asanoyama (8-6). Abi henka! Abi leapt to the left and grabbed Asanoyama’s belt with his left hand. He then rotated and pulled Asanoyama forward and off the dohyo. Uwatenage.

Fujinokawa (7-7) defeated Hiradoumi (6-8). Hiradoumi blitzed Fujinokawa with a fast tachiai but Fujinokawa twisted back and used his left hand under Hiradoumi’s armpit to heave Hiradoumi over and slam him to the ground at the edge. Sukuinage.

Hakunofuji (4-6-4) defeated Churanoumi (4-10). Hakunofuji charged ahead and got inside. Churanoumi quit about 3 feet from the bales and Hakunofuji ushered him out.

Daieisho (7-7) default win over Wakatakakage (8-6). NHK zoomed in on some fans who’d brought their homemade Wakatakakage signs, rubbing salt into the wounds that they won’t see their man in the arena today. NHK just knows what buttons to press. Their management must be S.

Oho (7-7) defeated Yoshinofuji (6-8). Oho grabbed Yoshinofuji by the head and forced him to the edge. Yoshinofuji freed himself with a shove to Oho’s right hand but when Yoshinofuji re-engaged, Oho pulled AND PIVOTED, thrusting Yoshinofuji down to the clay. Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Wakamotoharu (3-11) defeated Takanosho (9-5). Takanosho drove Wakamotoharu back to the edge with his nodowa and tsuppari. At the edge, Wakamotoharu shifted left and pulled Takanosho down while balancing on the bales with his best Daniel “crane pose.” Gunbai Wakamotoharu. No mono-ii. Hikiotoshi.

Atamifuji (9-5) defeated Kotoshoho (10-4). Kotoshoho’s initial slapdown attempt failed so he locked on to Atamifuji’s belt. Atamifuji seemed to heavy for him to move, so Atamifuji pressed forward and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (8-6) defeated Takayasu (6-8). Ichiyamamoto pulled and shifted left to get access to Takayasu’s belt. He pulled him forward for the win. Uwatenage.

Aonishiki (7-7) defeated Kirishima (12-2). Aonishiki does not want to go kadoban. Hoshoryu needs to win to prevent Kirishima claiming the title. Kirishima had the right-hand uwate grip he wanted but when he pulled backward, Aonishiki pulled him down to a knee. Shitatenage.

Kotozakura (9-5) defeated Hoshoryu (10-4). Hoshoryu and Kotozakura locked up at the tachiai. We started with a migi-yotsu battle. What now? Kotozakura demonstrated the initiative by pulling up on Hoshoryu and forcing him toward the edge but couldn’t get him over. Hoshoryu released with his right hand and pulled back to try an uwatenage. Kotozakura managed to get a morozashi, double inside grip. Hoshoryu panicked and reared back but Kotozakura worked his left leg behind Hoshoryu’s right, forced Hoshoryu off-balance and back onto his butt. Kirishima yusho! Sotogake.

Wrap-up

The yusho has been decided, even if tomorrow’s bout lineup has not. It’s appropriate to use the passive voice, rather than the active voice, since the title was claimed by Kirishima despite a loss today. One is left with the feeling that the cup fell to its winner’s lap rather than being seized through a victory.

Kirishima will likely fight Kotozakura tomorrow with Hoshoryu fighting Aonishiki. Add Onosato into the mix and I hope we get these five guys leading the field for quite a while. There are a lot of good rivalries here.

It looks like we’ll have two open Sekiwake slots with Takayasu earning demotion today and Kirishima’s likely promotion. Atamifuji will be a lock for one slot. The other will likely go to Wakatakakage as the next promotable results lie with Takanosho and Kotoshoho. Both men lost today but maybe a senshuraku win will help one leapfrog Wakatakakage?

Well, there’s another day of action, apparently. See you back here tomorrow.