Onosato was officially promoted to Yokozuna today. Kotoshogiku paid a visit to his former rival’s heya to represent the Kyokai and deliver the news, along with Dewanoumi-oyakata. Hat tip to Herouth for noticing that Kotoeko’s retirement ceremony this weekend will likely be our first glimpse of his dohyo-iri.
Juryo Promotions
The banzuke committee also announced promotions to Juryo, yusho winner Otsuji and Kotokuzan. While the other promotions and demotions have not been announced, you can review Leonid’s analysis of the likely banzuke movements here.
Some sad news to report as a list of retirements was shared. Along with Satonofuji, several of his heyamates retired, including Raiho, Hayatefuji, and Ono. Sawaisamu also called it a career. Others who joined them in the next chapter of their lives are Ryusei, Masuminato, and Kaitoma.
本日5月28日、令和7年七月場所の番付編成会議を開き、以下の通り決定しました。
— 日本相撲協会公式 (@sumokyokai) May 28, 2025
＜再十両＞
大辻（高田川）
荒篤山（荒汐）#sumo #相撲 #七月場所 #名古屋場所 pic.twitter.com/YF28qlAkuU
Lastly, there is a scandal brewing that necessitated an update of the scandal-meter. A gyoji has reportedly embezzeled hundreds of thousands of dollars from charitable donations and using the money for gambling. I’m sure more information will come out soon as this sounds like a criminal matter, rather than a civil one. I will bring more details when I have them.
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He would only have three days to practice the dohyo-iri? Yikes. I guess everybody’s busy braiding the rope now. Anyone know which style he will do?
Unryu
Yeah, looks like it. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ea63787db036fd80e59be41c4102edf87989c632
I imagine Kisenosato would teach Ōnosato the Unryū style himself, right?
Yeah, it seems too soon.
but at the end of the day, even if he totally screws up the dohyo-iri ceremony, it is not that the sumo spirits will complaint, I mean, nothing will happen, maybe a “do it better next time” from a stern looking oyakata
Best earned rope ever? Here follow four queries who say yes!
1) Onosato in Makuuchi:
https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=9&n_basho=9&show_total=on&sum_range=7&form1_year=2024&form1_month=1&form1_m=on&form2_m=on&form3_m=on&form4_m=on&form5_m=on&form6_m=on&form7_m=on&form8_m=on&form9_m=on&sort_by=sum_total
I have to say I’m pretty happy with the state of sumo when I look at the outcomes for the people at the top of the list; even Kirishima is bouncing back nicely from his injury. (And who’s that tied for sixth? My boy Oho! Even if you never exceed a Wakamotoharu-equivalent level of achievement I’ll keep rooting for you.)
Oho is one of my ❤️ favorites. Hoping for bigger results for him in this new double Yokozuna era.
2) Best 9 basho after Makuuchi debut since 1957 (6 basho a year era)
https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=9&n_basho=9&sum_wins=68&sum_range=9&show_sum=on&form1_year=%3E1956&form1_m=on&form1_debutd=on&form2_m=on&form3_m=on&form4_m=on&form5_m=on&form6_m=on&form7_m=on&form8_m=on&form9_m=on&sort_by=sum_wins
Lots of big yokozuna names in that list; lots of ozeki too. Kinda surprised not to see Chiyonofuji or Takahanada (but Wakahanada is there); I guess some people get strong without that fast a start (there is hope for you yet Oho!)
I searched for them in the full list and they are missing, because they both fell to Juryo, Takahanada after a 4-11 debut and Chiyonofuji even after his 8th basho.
Wow – I don’t remember Kotooshu being quite so meteoric – that’s an interesting list!
3) Onosato in Sumo
https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=13&n_basho=1&show_total=on&sum_wins=65&sum_range=13&form1_year=2023&form1_month=5&sort_by=sum_total
4) Best 13 basho after Makushita debut since 1957
https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=13&n_basho=1&show_total=on&sum_wins=65&sum_range=13&form1_year=2023&form1_month=5&sort_by=sum_total
(Onosato and a few others started from Ms10 which gave them an advantage in this query)
Is this one the correct query?
No, it isn’t, Andy Eagle-Eye. Thank U very much, because I think the correct one is the most impressive one of them all. Here it is now, I hope at least…
https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=13&show_total=on&sum_wins=80&sum_range=13&show_sum=on&form1_year=%3E1956&form1_ms=on&form1_debutd=on&sort_by=sum_total
Is that Shodai tied with Ichinojo there?!?!
Yes, and on page 2 there are Ura and Enho (!), both with more than 90 wins.
When talking about best earned rope, I think what matters most is how did the rikishi perform just before his promotion to Yokozuna, not how he did in the beginning of his career.
Like an Ozeki has injuries and illnesses, loses his rank, drops down, down, down, down, …, all the way to Jonidan, and then starts a comeback. Along the way back up he has the rank Ms10w, which is quite a coincidence, since Onosato started as Ms10TD, so essentially the same rank.
Make a comparison how quickly each rikishi became Yokozuna from Ms10 and then tell which was more impressive.
U‘ve made a point there, that was a fantastic run by Terunofuji from Ms10 to Yokozuna in 10 basho. He fared much better than Onosato as Ozeki, probably because he had made that experience before.
I‘m sure there are a few other reasons to say other rikishi earned the rope even more and I‘m fine with that. The only thing I‘m insisting in is that Onosato‘s promotion was without any doubt very much deserved.
Onosato won two consecutive championships as Ozeki, so the promotion is deserved. I just would not call it “best earned rope ever”, which was your original question. I leave the label “best” out of it.
Really great queries. However…
Onosato is 25. Having entered pro sumo at the relatively late age of 23, Onosato is actually way behind compared with all of the greatest with the sole exception of Chiyonofuji. By the age of 25, Hakuho already had 13 Yushos including 5 zensho yushos, Assashoryu had 14 and 4, Takanohana 17 and 3, Kitanoumi 12 and 3, and Taihō had 16 and 3.
So while it seems inevitable, barring injuries, that Onosato should start ramping up yushos fast, one is left to wonder how many he would have had by now had he joined pro sumo as a teenager, not to mention what would a fight between a young Onosato and an elder Hakuho or a healthy Teranofuji look like.
Great comment.
That‘s exactly what I found out when I tried to „calculate“ the tournaments he might win after a 4 out of 9 start. If he even increased that rate to 50% (Hakuho had 44%), it would take him more than 13 years to reach the magical 45 of the 69th Yokozuna.
Not impossible, but a very high mountain to climb.
Forgot to mention the age factor. If he won half of the basho, he would have to keep up that rate until he was 38. Hakuho was 36 when he retired…
I have to admit I did the same calculation. But, my bet is it won’t be relevant – I’m going with him retiring earlier not later than Hakuho. I don’t think he has a body built for sumo longevity – his stable-master might be a closer outcome. That said, his style of sumo isn’t too destructive – he may end up with some sort of knee, but probably not Tochinoshin knee or Ura knee.
I wouldn’t bet against U, though I do hope he will stay much longer than unlucky Kisenosato.
Well done Onosato, and thanks for keeping us up to date Andy.
Interesting that Enho hasn’t announced a retirement yet based on his emotional reaction after his last match. We’ll have to see if that announcement arrives or if he’ll mount the dohyo again in the next basho.
He might be holding out for resolution of the Miyagino-beya issue. I think if Hakuho is allowed to go out on his own again, that might have a significant impact on his decision to stick with it for a while.
Mmmmmm, yes. That does make sense. I don’t see Hakuho being given a long leash, though.
At the moment he’s not even allowed out of the doghouse. And that can’t be good for the guys he’s recruited.
I’ve just heard that Hakuho is quitting the Sumo Association – is that right??
There are rumors but reportedly he told supporters at the senshuraku party that he is not quitting. I’m not reporting anything until after the board meeting on 6/2.
Enho needs one more professional level yusho, otherwise he can’t retire and remain with the sumo association
Who was the lady flanking him along with his oyakata, at the media appearance?
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250528/p2g/00m/0sp/006000c
that should be Nishonoseki stables okami-san alias Kisenosatos wife
With regard to Juryo promotions, I expected 3, though I wrote that Kyokukaiyu going up at the expense of Miyanokaze wasn’t a certainty. Looks like they didn’t make that exchange.
If I got it right, 6-9 at J13e vs 5-2 at Ms5e has happened six times before.
Only once the Maegashira wasn’t promoted, but that was back in Hatsu 1962, when there were 18 Juryo ranks and only one demotable result plus two retirements.
Unfortunately, four of the other five results are not very helpful either, because then Juryo had only 13 ranks like for example Kyushu 1982. One would expect the J13e to go down under those circumstances.
So what remains is only one case, Nagoya 2005. That was a wild banzuke, with six promotions from Makushita including Baruto‘s from Ms6w with a 5-2 who was preferred over the J6w with a 3-9!
They both computed to Ms2e by simply moving up/down in rank according to W-L. In recent years, it seemed like the promotion hopefuls got the nod in case of a tie, so this breaks that pattern.
Onosato will do his very own embossing on Yokozuna-hood, I‘m convinced.
Query shows also, that Hoshoryu doesn’t seem that bad a choice as a Yokozuna in the recent times of Sumo.
Are there any fixed rules to which of the two will be asked to do some dohyo-iri? Would it mostly be related to their ichimon?