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.