Aki 2026: Day Two

Andy Aki 2026 , ,

Day Two in Tokyo.

So, yesterday, both Aonishiki and Shishi turned in good fights, though Ura managed to prevail over Shishi. Wakamotoharu looked strong and at his current level, he could clean up if that kind of performance continues. As for Onosato, it was great to see him win but I was rather disappointed to see that win coming by way of running away and jumping at the edge. Otherwise, the sanyaku, especially the Ozeki, fought well and appeared ready to compete for a title.

Asahifuji fought today with an oichomage for the first time because he visited Juryo to fight Tochitaikai. The oichomage is the prestigious ginko-leaf hair style worn primarily by sekitori so, this is likely to be an auspicious bout in the memories and video montages if Asahifuji’s career comes anywhere near the hype. That means Tochitaikai will be chuffed for years to come.

Tochitaikai hit Asahifuji with a furious volley of tsuppari, keeping him at arm’s length. Asahifuji continued to press forward, trying to get inside. This gave Tochitaikai an opportunity to pull Asahifuji’s extended right arm, shift slightly left and pull Asahifuji forward. Tochitaikai capitalized quickly and got a left-handed grip at the back of Asahifuji’s mawashi. He pressed hard and drove the pair out, crashing over the side – gunbai Tochitaikai. “You’re not wearing silk, yet. And I aim to keep mine.”

In Juryo, Endo picked up his first loss as he got slapped down by Tohakuryu. Kazekeno did the same thing to Tamawashi after a strong tachiai. Tamawashi leaned into his attack and after a brief display of strong resistance, Kazekeno took the opportunity to slip to the side and bring Tamawashi down. Let’s turn to the top division.

Your NHK videos for Day Two are here.

Makuuchi Action

Toshinofuji (1-1) defeated Kyokukaiyu (0-2). Toshinofuji got Kyokukaiyu in a headlock but did not find it particularly useful. He let go, got lower, and drove into Kyokukaiyu to take him back and out. Yorikiri.

Asasuiryu (2-0) defeated Shonannoumi (0-2). Shonannoumi’s first instinct, the slapdown, did not pay off as Asasuiryu quickly got his left hand inside and bulled forward, forcing Shonannoumi out quickly. Yorikiri.

Tokihayate (2-0) defeated Chiyoshoma (0-2). Chiyoshoma hit Tokihayate with a nodowa, then pivoted and pulled. Tokihayate charged ahead and forced him out. Oshidashi.

Asakoryu (2-0) defeated Abi (0-2). Asakoryu just overpowered Abi who could not get his trademark attack going, at all. Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu (2-0) defeated Tobizaru (0-2). Asahakuryu kept his head down like the dominant ram forcing Tobizaru into retreat. Oshidashi.

Oho (1-1) defeated Shodai (0-2). Oho got his right-hand inside and followed Shodai around the ring as he tried to tip Oho. Shodai never got enough leverage as Oho ushered him out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (2-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (1-1). Fifteen days is a long time and I made the mistake of reading too much into Wakamotoharu’s strong win yesterday. His undercarriage looked rather weak today and he was unable to stop Kinbozan’s forward progress. Oshidashi.

Takerufuji (2-0) defeated Shishi (0-2). Takerufuji bulldozed Shishi, a rather impressive feat. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi (1-1) defeated Ura (1-1). Hiradoumi launched into Ura, driving him back and out. Ura had little time to attempt any attack. Oshidashi.

Asanoyama (2-0) defeated Nishikifuji (0-2). Nishikifuji dished out a lot of abuse at Asanoyama but the former Ozeki kept moving forward, like the Terminator. He got his right hand up under Nishikifuji’s shoulder and hauled him over. Sukuinage.

Halftime

Fujiseiun (2-0) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-2). Ichiyamamoto charged forward but Fujiseiun pivoted and pulled Ichi off balance. Katasukashi.

Takanosho (2-0) defeated Oshoma (1-1). Takanosho battered Oshoma with tsuppari. Oshoma backed away looking for relief. He finally found the peace he was looking for on the other side of the tawara. Oshidashi.

Roga (1-1) defeated Fujiryoga (0-2). Roga got a strong left hand inside grip, and tried to power Fujiryoga backward. Fujiryoga did not yield much ground in this yotsu battle. Roga let go with his left hand and pulled it up under Fujiryoga’s shoulder to help him heave Fujiryoga over with that mighty right-hand. Uwatenage.

Sanyaku

Gonoyama (1-1) defeated Daieisho (0-2). Gonoyama weathered Daieisho’s tsuppari, backing to the edge. As they approached, Daieisho pulled and attempted a slapdown but Gonoyama kept his balance and charged forward. Daieisho turned and drove back into Gonoyama. This time, as they approached the edge, Gonoyama grabbed Daieisho’s arm and pulled him forward while pivoting to escape out the left side. As Daieisho crashed forward, Gonoyama shoved him from the side to finish him off. Hikkake.

Atamifuji (2-0) defeated Churanoumi (1-1). Churanoumi tried to cycle, clockwise along the edge but Atamifuji’s footwork did not fail him. Atamifuji looked every bit the Ozeki as he powered Churanoumi out. Will he keep this up for another two weeks? Oshidashi.

Kotoeiho (1-1) defeated Fujinokawa (1-1). Fujinokawa shot out like a missile, both arms hugging Kotoeiho. Kotoeiho had no choice but to wrap Fujinokawa up with both arms outside. He twisted and dragged Fujinokawa to the tawara and then deposited him in the front row. Ever the gentleman, Kotoeiho checked in on Fujinokawa to make sure his opponent survived the drop intact. Yoritaoshi.

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Hakunofuji (0-2). Kirishima fought hard to keep Hakunofuji’s left hand off his belt while trying to use his own left arm to pull Hakunofuji over. Though he never got the sukuinage, Kirishima eventually got Hakunofuji moving backward, picking up speed and momentum as the two headed toward the straw bales. Hakunofuji tried to put on the brakes but Kirishima bowled him over. Yoritaoshi.

Aonishiki (2-0) defeated Takayasu (0-2). Takayasu blasted Aonishiki with a torrent of slaps and thrusts but Aonishiki still managed to get inside. First, it looked like he’d get a right-hand grip but when he locked on with the left, Takayasu was done. Aonishiki quickly pressured Papayasu out. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (2-0) defeated Yoshinofuji (0-2). Kotozakura didn’t make much use of his size, opting to back toward the bales while shifting left to get a belt grip. While his momentum carried him back, he pulled Yoshinofuji forward and down to the ground. Uwatenage.

Onosato (2-0) defeated Kotoshoho (0-2). Today, Onosato charged ahead and got the job done, quickly forcing Kotoshoho back and over the edge. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Another Takasago sweep. As y’all noted, the morning dragons have been double-dosing the protein coffee and Asanoyama looks ready to make his own charge back to sanyaku.

Speaking of sanyaku, we’ve got another hot day of action tomorrow. Onosato will take on Kotoeiho while Aonishiki will fight Kotoshoho. Kirishima will battle Takayasu, who has so far looked outside his depth with his accumulated experience (aka. Injuries). Kotozakura will fight Daieisho and Atamifuji will fight Takanosho. Fujinokawa will face Gonoyama and Hakunofuji will hope to pick up his first sanyaku victory at the expense of Fujiryoga.  

Aki 2026: Coverage Notice

Andy Aki 2026

Coverage will be delayed for the next couple of days. I’m travelling to New York City for a conference, and I’ll be making a presentation tomorrow. It should be fun. Coverage should resume as normal on Thursday. But for Day 2, 3, and 4, coverage will be delayed and likely abbreviated.

Day Two NHK videos are here.

I hope to get a more complete Day Two post out later today. But I wanted to get the link up now. You will find all NHK videos for the past few tournaments here.

Aki 2026: Shonichi

Andy Aki 2026

Day One in Tokyo.

Eisei lost his first bout in a very close one against Joshoyu. Joshoyu pressured Eisei to the edge with a morozashi but Eisei cut Joshoyu’s left hand grip and nearly pulled off a spectacular throw. However, Joshoyu recovered and drove Eisei back through the ring and out.

Joshoyu stayed low and Eisei seemed gassed after that throw attempt. Eisei 0-1 to start his career, Joshoyu now the likely favorite for the first division yusho.

Asahifuji was unfazed by Himukamaru’s shift at the tachiai and picked up his first win of the tournament. Asahifuji will clearly be the favorite for the Makushita yusho, though he only needs kachi-koshi to earn promotion to Juryo. He’s off to a great start.

In Juryo, Nishikigi lost to the Makushita visitor, Nishinoryu. Meisei also lost to Kayo. We can feel the seasons changing. That said, some of the other members of the Old Guard picked up wins. Kagayaki beat Tanji, the newcomer. Enho beat Hatsuyama and Ryuden showed off Tomokaze. Sadanoumi defeated Mitakeumi in the geezer show-down. Unfortunately, Grampa Tom O’Washi lost to Kazuma.

Day One NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Dewanoryu defeated Shonannoumi. Dewanoryu seized Shonannoumi’s belt with his right-hand overarm grip, then pulled and cycled counter-clockwise along the bales, trying to slap Shonannoumi down. Shonannoumi advanced, preventing the slapdown. Dewanoryu regrouped at the center of the ring and charged forward instead, forcing Shonannoumi out. My cousin’s voice, distant echoes through space and time. “Move Forward!!!” Yorikiri.

Tokihayate defeated Toshinofuji. Tokihayate tried a similar attack as Dewanoryu. When the pull didn’t bring Toshinofuji down Tokihayate twisted the other way, used his opposite arm to lever Toshinofuji over. Sukuinage.

Asasuiryu defeated Chiyoshoma. Chiyoshoma reached for Asasuiryu’s belt with his right-hand uwate but Asasuiryu shifted slightly to his left, putting slack into Chiyoshoma’s hold. Asasuiryu then drove forward and forced Chiyoshoma out. Yorikiri.

Asakoryu defeated Tobizaru. Asakoryu grabbed the back of Tobizaru’s belt with his left hand and swung him down. The Ishizaki brothers are off to a great start. Shitatenage.

Asahakuryu defeated Abi. Abi plowed ahead with his tsuppari but Asahakuryu slipped left at the edge and shoved Abi down. Tsukiotoshi.

Wakamotoharu defeated Shodai. Wakamotoharu looked healthy and ready for the first time this year. He blitzed Shodai with a right hand to the jaw, then grabbed Shodai’s belt with his left hand inside grip and forced him back and over the edge. We might see great things from him this basho. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan defeated Oho. Kinbozan moved forward. Oho didn’t. Kinbozan used his left hand inside grip to charge forward and force Oho out. Yorikiri.

Ura defeated Shishi. Ura’s plan for this bout was to focus on Shishi’s left arm and slap him down. Shishi kept his balance, though. The pair separated and then re-engaged. This time, Ura pulled Shishi forward and shifted right. He got behind Shishi and didn’t hold back as he blasted the Ukrainian off the dohyo. Ura’s strength alone was not sufficient to bring Shishi down; the addition of misdirection was key. Okuritaoshi.

Takerufuji defeated Hiradoumi. Takerufuji pulled off a similar misdirection. Hiradoumi charged into Takerufuji at the edge. But Takerufuji shifted right aling the bales and shoved Hiradoumi forward. Tsukiotoshi.

Fujiseiun defeated Nishikifuji. Both men got left-hand inside grips. Fujiseiun tried to cut Nishikifuji’s hold by pulling at Nishikifuji’s arm but it wasn’t working. Instead he tried to add a right hand uwate but Nishikifuji’s belt was too far away. Next, Fujiseiun pulled hard with his left, swinging Nishikifuji around. That action cut Nishikifuji’s hold. Fujiseiun continued his attack by charging forward and forcing Nishikifuji out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Asanoyama defeated Ichiyamamoto. Asanoyama charged ahead and bellied Ichiyamamoto over the edge. It’s a Day One sweep for the Takasago boys. Yorikiri.

Oshoma defeated Roga. Oshoma hooked his right hand in Roga’s left, pulling him forward. This gave Oshoma a favorable angle of attack for a little tsuppar. Oshoma then pulled Roga down. Hikiotoshi.

Takanosho defeated Fujiryoga. Fujiryoga pulled and tried to heave Takanosho over by pulling on his right shoulder. Unfortunately, this helped Takanosho get in behind Fujiryoga and shove him out. Okuridashi.

Sanyaku

Churanoumi defeated Hakunofuji. Hakunofuji charged ahead at the tachiai but Churanoumi shifted left and shoved Hakunofuji’s right side, forcing Hakunofuji to the edge. Hakunofuji turned to adjust but Churanoumi powered forward and forced Hakunofuji over the edge. Yorikiri.

Fujinokawa defeated Yoshinofuji. Fujinokawa used his right hand to try a sukuinage. That nearly toppled Yoshinofuji and drove him to the edge. Yoshinofuji tried his own throw but Fujinokawa pressed ahead and forced him out. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji defeated Gonoyama. Gonoyama tried to hold Atamifuji at bay with a right hand nodowa. Gonoyama then tried to get inside on Atamifuji’s belt. He might have done better to keep Atamifuji away, instead. Atamifuji latched on, himself, and dragged Gonoyama over to the edge before using strong gaburi hip-thrusts to finish him off. Yorikiri.

Aonishiki defeated Kotoeiho. Aonishiki’s left-hand inside grip was unstoppable today. He quickly latched on, then tipped Kotoeiho over. Kotoeiho hopped on his left leg as he tried to counter. Aonishiki kept up the pressure and forced him over the bales. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura defeated Takayasu. Kotonanahachi started the bout with a pull, “Here we go again.” When it failed, he struck out at Takayasu with a nodowa. The two men traded thrusts before Kotozakura showed up, seized Takayasu’s belt and drove forward. If anyone needs the “MOVE FORWARD” lesson, it’s Kotozakura. And Oho. But mostly Kotozakura. Look at that. It worked! Yorikiri.

Kirishima defeated Kotoshoho. After a flurry of slaps and thrusts, Kirishima grabbed Kotoshoho’s belt with his left hand and dragged him forward to the ground. Uwatenage.

Onosato defeated Daieisho. Giri-giri Onosato. Onosato pulled once and Daieisho hopped forward. Onosato pulled again and this time Daieisho fell. Onosato had committed to it this time as he leapt from the ring. Onosato’s living on the edge. Hatakikomi.

Wrap-up

One item that I forgot to mention in my preview, this will be Tategyoji Kimura Shonosuke’s final tournament. He officiated the musubi-no-ichiban today. He will turn 65 on October 30, reaching retirement age.

Honestly, I’m still thinking about Asasuiryu’s little shift against Chiyoshoma. With that large step forward and that slight off-center angle, Chiyoshoma’s right hand grip was rendered ineffective and Asasuiryu charged forward.

It’s very nice of Onosato to set himself up to draw criticism from Hoshoryu. Isn’t it? Let’s just say the NHK broadcast booth was rather displeased today.

Anyway, loads of great action today. I’m thrilled to see sumo back. I’m also thrilled to see Wakamotoharu back at 100%, apparently. I hope he keeps it up!

Turning to tomorrow’s sanyaku bouts, Daieisho will fight Gonoyama to start things off. Then Atamifuji will fight Churanoumi. Kotoeiho will take on Fujinokawa, Kirishima will battle Hakunofuji, Aonishiki will try to get hold of Takayasu, and Kotozakura will fight Yoshinofuji. Onosato will close things out against Kotoshoho. Upsets are likely. See you tomorrow!

Aki 2026: Preview

Andy Aki 2026

Welcome back!

In just a few hours, professional sumo action will be back as Aki Basho gets underway. The dohyo matsuri was streamed last night on YouTube and the dohyo is now ready. I want to thank Honda-san and Osawa-san of the Ekoin Temple, again, for their insight and expertise. I learned a lot from them about the dohyo matsuri, in particular. Here, we see the items which are interred during the ceremony. Salt, rice, kayanomi, chestnuts, kombu, surume and sake which serve as offerings.

The sport is booming. Sponsorships and kensho bounties are way up from last year. Tickets have become very difficult to get, with even BST sold out for months in advance. Fans are looking for options and I am very curious about Konishiki’s VIP tours as an option. He hosts pop-up BBQ outside Kokugikan during the tournament, as well. If you live in the US, you will get a chance to see him on the Sumo + Sushi tour this Fall.

New fans might be rather unfamiliar with Konishiki and his career. “Who is this guy with the multi-colored hair?” Learn more about him in his own words, from his Naro project. There’s a wealth of information about sumo in these videos but it’s also chock full of stories of his career. Frankly, I wish I had watched these before going to Sumo + Sushi because I would have had ideas about questions to ask. It sounds like the life of an Ozeki is crazy.

Aside from sumo’s rising popularity, there are several storylines to discuss from Day One:

Hoshoryu tops Kyujo list

Let’s begin at the top of the banzuke. The press has not been kind to Hoshoryu over the past few weeks. As you will recall, the Yokozuna struggled to pick up seven wins in Nagoya and went kyujo on the last day…avoiding a possible makekoshi by avoiding the building altogether. Instead, Hoshoryu underwent surgery for his knee injury and he will miss this tournament to focus on rehab. His certainly back against the wall and even Tatsunami-oyakata has added to the pressure and expectation that if Hoshoryu fights, he needs to bring home the Emperor’s Cup. Onosato will represent the rank alone this month and you can be sure expectations will be suitably high for his performance.

Hoshoryu is not the only sekitori who will miss the tournament. Wakatakakage and Wakanosho will sit out, too. And both will fall into Juryo for Kyushu. Because of his kyujo status, Wakatakakage was unable to join Aonishiki at the presentation of their yusho portraits. The portraits will hang in the rafters at Kokugikan from this tournament.

Ozeki

Aonishiki regained his Ozeki status with his dramatic win in Nagoya. Atamifuji is eager to join him and is officially on an Ozeki run. Another fantastic result could see Atamifuji joining Kirishima, Kotohachinana, and Aonishiki. I ran a quick poll on Twitter and most respondents thought Atamifuji would not make it this time but would earn promotion in 2027. We shall see.

Eisei’s First Action

Eisei is a young English wrestler from Hull (officially North Humberside). He did well in his maezumo debut at Nagoya, quickly picking up the wins he needed in that debut to earn his place here. This will be his first full tournament and he will have some stiff competition, particularly his Day One opponent. Joshoyu is a Takakeisho recruit from the Tottori Johoku High School, a sumo powerhouse. Here, we see Joshoyu fight Hokuto in maezumo. Hokuto will also be fighting in Jonokuchi but has off tonight. I have a feeling these guys will be elevator rikishi who will feature in Justin’s write-ups in 2027.

And very soon, along with Hikarumusashi, Americans will also have another wrestler to cheer. Sunamusashi is scheduled to debut in maezumo this tournament. I swear, the lower division action is getting pretty fierce. The text on that video above roughly translates to, “You sure this is a maezumo bout?” I mean, damn. Gambatte, guys!

Day One Preview

Speaking of Elevator Rikishi, Asahifuji will fight tonight against Himukamaru. Himukamaru cracked into Juryo last November but fell back into Makushita and has been struggling to get back to full time this year.

Moving up into Juryo, Nishikigi is on notice and will fight Nishinoryu from Makushita. Nishikigi is staring demotion in the face. Meisei will fight Kayo, Kagayaki will take on Tanji. Enho has a winnable fight against Hatsuyama and Ryuden should have the upper hand against Tomokaze. Sadanoumi will fight Mitakeumi and Tamawashi will fight Kazuma.

As we turn to the top division, Wakamotoharu will fight Shodai and this pivotal battle will set the tone for the entire tournament. Oho has fallen to Maegashira 10 but will face Kinbozan. Ura versus Shishi is an interesting Day One pairing.

 In sanyaku, Hakunofuji will fight Churanoumi, Yoshinofuji will fight Fujinokawa and Atamifuji will take on Gonoyama. Then, as Isegahama steps aside, Sadogatake takes the mound. Kotoeiho will fight Aonishiki, Kotozakura will fight Takayasu, and Kotoshoho will fight Kirishima. Onosato will close things out against Daieisho and someone will walk away with a lot of cash.