Sumo News is not over! There are a number of sumo-related events going on in-between tournaments. Kokugikan hosted the retirement ceremony of former Yokozuna, Terunofuji on Saturday, January 31.
The event was streamed live on Abema. I had a conflict with a previously scheduled engagement, so I missed it but it looks like Terunofuji put on a great show. There was shokkiri performed by Asaazuma and Suigafuji with Shikimori Kinosuke as the gyoji. Shokkiri is a sumo comedy routine that’s generally included in all of these exhibition events, like with jungyo. They explain the rules of sumo by basically breaking all of them.
There was a bracket-style tournament featuring eight of the lower-ranked Isegahama wrestlers. The bracket is in the Twitter post below. Let me know if any of these are not working and I’ll see if I can source them from elsewhere. Some of the Twitter embeds get blocked but others are visible to people without accounts. From the top left we have Mienofuji (Tenshoho/Mukainakano), Satorufuji, Hananofuji (Kiho/Kawazoe) and Suzunofuji. On the right side we have Asahifuji, Churafuji (Chura/Chikuba), Yumenofuji, and Arashifuji (Matsui).
The yusho was claimed by Asahifuji, fresh off his Jonokuchi division title. He is the much-hyped rookie who was given the shikona of the former Yokozuna (and former Isegahama-oyakata). The Japanese press seems to like calling him the strongest recruit ever. He has been living with and training with the heya for the last four years since he couldn’t officially join with Terunofuji on the books as the resident foreign wrestler. He is also Mongolian and we will keep an eye on his career, that’s for sure.
There were also exhibition bouts with sekitori, capped off with a bout between Hoshoryu and Onosato. Hoshoryu picked up Onosato (be careful with that knee!) and dropped him into Oshima-oyakata’s lap. Oshima-oyakata (former Kyokutenho) seemed to be a common target for falling rikishi but took it with a laugh. Seems like Kirishima was a target, too. One gem in particular from these bouts was the introduction of Takanosho as hailing from Minatogawa-beya, which you can hopefully hear in the tweet embedded below. See our previous news brief about Takakeisho becoming master.
Terunofuji performed his final dohyo-iri with Hoshoryu as sword-bearer and Onosato as dew-sweeper. As Josh pointed out in the comments, ex-Satonofuji was on hand to help get that rope ready. He’s not the only blast-from-the-past who attended the event.
Terunofuji’s 3-year-old son joined them on the dohyo wearing his own tsuna (Yokozuna rope belt) and kesho mawashi, held by Onosato. Check back in 20 years. That kid might have his own legit belt.
Now, the main event was obviously the haircut. A stream of supporters, celebrities, and sumo elite (including Hakuho) took their turns cutting Terunofuji’s topknot. Shunba, Terunofuji’s former tsukebito took his turn, as did Takarafuji, and the current crop of Isegahama sekitori. Here, though, we have Miyagino-oyakata taking the final snips.
When all was said and done, we got to see the obligatory picture of okamisan adjusting Terunofuji’s — excuse me — Isegahama-oyakata’s tie.
Then, they all partied like it was 1899.
That’s it for this weekend but join us next weekend for news about the NHK Charity Sumo event and the One Day Tournament. This one day tournament used to be known as the FUJI TV tournament but since last year’s Fuji TV scandal, it looks like Fuji TV is not aligned with it anymore. Nevertheless, if you’re in Japan and think you missed all of the sumo action after the end of Hatsu, take heart. You may still have an opportunity to attend these events or other sumo-related tours and events.
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I don’t see anything different in the branding and staging of the one-day tournament…? Same name, same Fuji TV broadcast slots as before last year’s temporarily curtailed edition.
I’ll look back at previous years. I seemed to remember it being noted more explicitly that it was the FujiTV tournament on the calendar and in materials in the past while this year there wasn’t much mentioned about them.
Great ceremony for a unique man. That rock‘n roll hairstyle looks fine on him :)
I did not get the abema stream, it was loading for eternities. But had enough coverage around the celebration. Thank you!
Oh, I am glad it was a good show and turn out for him. Laughing at Hosh dumping Onosato in someone’s lap, and pleased that both the current Yokozuna supported him. I wish him well in his new role as Isegehama-oyakata. He looks completely different in Western style clothing and a regular haircut!
Thanks for sharing Andy!
would have liked a photo of Hakuho snipping hair of Terunofuji
Thanks Andy. I can’t help but see a proboscis monkey when I look at the headline photo 🙂
https://worldrainforests.com/kids/elementary/animals/proboscis_monkey.html
Wooo! It’s 1899 and it’s a party!! I enjoyed the joke and that’s why I’m commenting. Also, Teru was the first Yokozuna I saw promoted as a fan, and his rising again from injury was one of the stories ( along with Tokushoryu’s yusho story) that hooked me on sumo. A Dai-Yokozuna no less!
The Guardian has interviewed Aonishiki.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/05/ukrainian-sumo-star-aonishiki-arata-japan-top-competition
‘“It’s not good to be too fixated on [promotion] … But I wake up every day wanting to get stronger, to climb another rank higher,” he told international media, including the Guardian, after a morning training session at the Ajigawa stable in the capital’s eastern suburbs this week.
“Wanting to become stronger and to attain a higher rank is my motivation. The simple fact is that you can’t progress without a struggle.”’