Here is how our previous debutants did in Kyushu:
Kazeeidai was overranked after his 6-1 record at Sandanme propelled him to Makushita 38. He finished 2-5, and will likely be at a rank more around his current ability for Hatsu. Still, he defeated former top division’s Daishōmaru and prospect Yonezawaryū (by non-technique tsukihiza). He did have a tough schedule, facing former Makuuchi Akua and former Jūryō Tsushimanada, though.

Kyokumizuno similarly leaped up the banzuke from his 6-1 record at Sandanme 23 to be ranked Makushita 44 and pulled out a 4-3 record. He defeated former top division Daishōhō and some Makushita veterans for his kachi-koshi.

The new year starts with eight 3rd division debuts and one catch-up for me. There is a good mix of former collegiate wrestlers, high schoolers, and few young prospects entering Makushita at the age of 17 – already reaching this level with many more years of potential development ahead of them! Let’s hope for their bright futures. However, lets start with some age before beauty!

Mukaida (向田)

Stable: Naruto
Age: 27
Height (cm/feet-inches): 186 / 6’1”
Weight (kg/lbs): 141 / 309
Home prefecture: Hyōgō
High School: Yanagi Gakuen
University: —
Career Record and notes: 157-143-8 (.523)
Debut: Natsu 2018
Notes:

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Very unlikely

Mukaida has taken seven years to reach Makushita, despite almost reaching it in Kyushu 2021 (ranked Sandanme 2). While typically a lower Sandanme wrestler, he has improved over the 2025 to settle into the top half of the division and reach Sandanme 3 in Aki 2025.

Mukaida had no sports experience until high school. He started Judo at Yanagi High (now Sōkai High) and managed to get to the top 16 of the over 90kg category at the prefectural high school championships his junior year. After graduating, he secured a job on Awaji island but decided to pursue his dream of entering the sumo world. As a child he had been fascinated watching sumo on TV, so after a year of slogging it out in the private sector he entered the sumo world.

He joined Naruto stable, led by his idol – former Ōzeki Kotoōshū. He remarked that even after many years in retirement, he can hardly push his master out of the ring. His current shikona is his family name.

BUCKCHULUUN (ブフチョローン) – proper shikona TBD

Stable: Kasugano
Age: 24
Height (cm/feet-inches): 182 / 5’11”
Weight (kg/lbs): 126 / 277
Home country: Mongolia
High School: Nittaidai affiliated Kashiwa High
University: Nittai Daigaku (Nihon Sports Science University – NSSU)
Career Record and notes: 0-0
Debut: 2026 Hatsu – Makushita Tsukedashi

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Likely

Buckchuluun (Buck, for now) is the 2024 Student Yokozuna. He had to sit out the requisite time as a foreigner before securing his work visa and only took the new entrant exam in Kyushu. It has been a while, as he entered Kasugano as a trainee in February 2025. As a university Yokozuna and winner of the National Student Championships he qualified for special dispensation to enter at the bottom of Division 3. At his entrance exam he expressed his impatience to join “I feel like the moment has finally come. I want to work hard and aim for the top.” We do not yet know his shikona.

He first came to Japan at the age of 16 as a wrestler. Shortly after this, his father passed away. His father, a former Mongolian wrestler, had urged him to become a sumo wrestler. Thus, he is working to honor his late father’s words by growing stronger and taking the path of a sumo wrestler. After becoming a high school wrestling champion in freestyle wrestling – 92 kg (Inter-High, National Sports Festival, National High School Selection), he joined the Nittaidai sumo club with confidence. He is following in the path of fellow Mongolian, Ōshōma, by making the transition from high-school “regular” wrestler to sumo after joining the university.

During his time at the university, he was known for his powerful throwing techniques. As a freshman, he weighed in the 90kg range and debuted in the East Japan Student Rookie Tournament, losing in the second round. The next year, however, he made a name for himself – helping Nittaidai win the East Japan Student Championship and claim its 3rd consecutive team title. In the final match he (as a Sophomore). He faced Nihon University’s Kawakami (current Oitekaze-beya’s Ryūshō) and defeated him with an uchi-muso (inner thigh grab). Following that, he won two consecutive open weight titles at the National Student Weight-Class Championships.

His Junior Year, he was 3rd at the Wakayama University/Corporate tournament, 3rd at the East Japan Studen Championship, he won the 115kg weight class at the National College Sumo Individual Weight-Class Championship taking on Kusano (current Yoshinofuji) in the open-weight class division – the first match was too close to call, and a rematch was called, where Buck defeated Kusano with a kake-nage, and 3rd at the National Student Championship.

His senior year, he was 3rd again at the Wakayama tournament, 3rd at the East Japan Championship, 2nd at the Kanazawa University Selection tournament and then – he won the open-weight title his senior year. Finally, he earned the title of University Yokozuna at the National Student Sumo Championship in 2024. His championship match was the first ever for the National Student Championship between two foreigners (he took on Delgerbat, a NSSU freshman).

He is the fifth foreign born student Yokozuna, the first since Chojil (current Ōnokatsu). He said he wants to follow in the paths of Ōshōma. Ōnosato, and Ōnokatsu who all came from NSSU and earned their Makushita Tsukedashi qualification.

Kaki (可貴)

Stable: Oitekaze
Age: 23
Height (cm/feet-inches): 190/ 6’2”
Weight (kg/lbs): 139/ 306
Home prefecture: Ishikawa
High School: Kanazawa Gakuin Associated High
University: Kanazawa Gakuin Daigaku
Career Record and notes: 20-1 (.952)
Debut: Natsu 2025
Notes: Jonokuchi Yusho (Nagoya 2025), Jonidan Yusho (Aki 2025), Sandanme Yusho (Kyushu 2025)

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Likely

Kaki, a Kanazawa Gakuin University graduate is from Oitekaze stable and likely an uchi-deshi of fellow-Ishikawa home-towner Kitajin Oyakata (former Endō). Endō specifically scouted Kaki to join Oitezake stable. Known for his deep stance and use of his 190 cm height, he has notable achievements such as a third place team finish at the National Junior High School Championships, and runner-up at the National High School Usa Tournament. After high school, Kaki enrolled at Kanazawa Gakuin University and was a member of the school’s sumo club, finishing runner-up in the under-135 kg category at the National Student Weight Class Championships and third in the Western Japan Student Championships. He became the third wrestler from Kanazawa Gakuin University, following current makushita wrestlers Enhō and former makushita Yoshiyasu. His shikona is currently his family name.

He has won three-straight lower division titles since becoming pro – exactly like his senior Enhō. He has been receiving excellent advice from recently retired Endō saying “I’m grateful to Kitajin stablemaster for watching my training, and I hope this victory is a small way to repay him” as Oitekaze Oyakata was hospitalized at the end of the tournament and was unable to provide last minute support before the championship match on Day 13. I recall him suffering an ankle injury in his last official Jonokuchi bout, but he came back to win a tomoe-sen against Kyoda (Futagoyama stable) and Yabugasaki (Yamahibiki stable).

Rakanji (羅漢児)

Stable: Nishonoseki
Age: 21
Height (cm/feet-inches): 178/ 5’9”
Weight (kg/lbs): 130/ 287
Home prefecture: Oita
High School: Nakatsu Higashi High School
University: – –
Career Record and notes: 84-70 (.545)
Debut: Haru 2022
Notes: Yumitori shiki performer

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Unlikely

Rakanji is already known among sumo fans even though he has only wrestled so far in Division 4 and below. This is because he performs the bow twirling ceremony at the end of each day. Traditionally, the one who performs the bow twirling ceremony (yumitori shiki) is from the same stable as the top ranked (and participating) Yokozuna. Being part of Nishonoseki stable, he typically is performing following a win by stable-mate Ōnosato. He only began performing this ceremony in August, and was already able to join the London tour and perform internationally a few weeks later. As performer of the yumitori shiki, he is already able to wear his hear in the ōichō style during the tournament and to wear a keishō mawashi (of the Nihon Sumo Kyokai). He is already asked for autographs, which he must decline as he is not a sekitori.

His motto is “different strokes for different folks” coming from a 4-kanji combo literally meaning 10-people, 10 colors. His shikona comes from a historic zen temple in Nakatsu City (Oita). Rakan means one who has attained enlightenment. Since he is still a trainee, the suffix “ji”, meaning child, was added.
He appears to be a solid case for a “poached” uchi-deshi, something that I think happened during the time Nakamura Oyakata was a part of Nishonoseki stable. Nakamura Oyakata is from Oita, fought at the same sumo club and attended the same high school – so he is his senpai. He was the first from this high school since Yoshikaze in 18 years (another was just recruited and was in mae-zumo last tournament).

Apparently, Rakanji even used Yoshikaze as the subject matter for a speech that won a national-level high school competition. So, it is curious that he did not join Nakamura stable when it branched out. Let’s not also forget that Yoshikaze is a NSSU graduate that has (had?) a lot of strong connections to the university, bringing in fellow alumni Tomokaze and Miyanokaze. He also likely played a strong role in recruiting Ōnosato, Shirokuma, and Kayō to Nishonoseki – but somehow only managed to “keep” Kayō. My suspicion is that neither Rakanji nor Ōnosato would be in Nishonoseki without Nakamura Oyakata – yet they did not join him when he was able to branch out for some reason. Just another piece of bad luck for Nakamura Oyakata?

Sōma (相馬)

Stable: Futagoyama
Age: 21
Height (cm/feet-inches): 179/ 5’10”
Weight (kg/lbs): 146/ 321
Home prefecture: Tochigi
High School: Kurobane High School
University: – –
Career Record and notes: 66-46 (.589)
Debut: Haru 2023
Notes: Three-brother combo

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Unlikely

Sōma is one of three bothers in Futagoyama stable.  The first to join in 2018 is Kotakiyama, the chanko-cho of the stable.  The younger brother, Shunta, joined Futagoyama stable last spring.  Currently, the only brother using the family name as his shikona, Sōma may have the biggest prospects.  He began with sumo in elementary school. He was part of Tochigi Prefecture’s first-ever national junior high school team championship in 2019 and helped Kurobane high school reach the Top 8 at the Interhigh before becoming a pro. He is one of the Tochigi-Futagoyama pipeline, along with fellow Kurobane High graduate Mita and fellow former sekitori, Nabatame. Futagoyama had been repeatedly pleading for Sōma to join the sumo world.

Following on the outstanding performance to lead Tochigi’s junior high team to the championship, he joined Kurbane High school. He helped them to enter the top 8 for the first time in over a decade in the 2022 Interhigh.  He also finished consecutively in third place at the Kanto High School Individual Competition’s open weight division.

All this time, he trained under coach Naoki Mita – who is the father of Mita – Sōma’s stablemate at Futagoyama and one who has channeled the Sōma trio, his own son, and Keiga to Futagoyama. 

One final family connection to sumo – the Great Grandfather of the three brothers was also apparently a former sumo wrestler called Kotakiyama. Apparently, they were able to use their Great Grandfather’s keisho mawashi for their introduction to the sumo world.

Kiyonohana (清の花)

Stable: Dewanoumi
Age: 20
Height (cm/feet-inches): 178/ 5’9”
Weight (kg/lbs): 104/ 229
Home prefecture: Fukushima
High School: – –
University: – –
Career Record and notes: 105-88-3 (.544)
Debut: Haru 2021
Notes: Another three-brother combo

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Very Unlikely

Taking a moment out of the newbies to catch up on one of my missed basho (I did not submit this report for Hatsu 2025, when Kiyonohana made his division 3 debut). He is returning now to division 3, so this is a time to catch up with him. Kiyonohana is another 1/3 of a set of brothers at his stable, Dewanoumi. He joins Kiyota and Kiyonoyama. Kiyota is 22, and joined in 2019. The youngest is 17-year-old Kiyonoyama.

All three are the sons of former Makushita wrestler Kiyonoumi (not the current Kiyonoumi). Like the Ōnami brothers are heroes in their local community, the three Kiyota brothers wish to become well known in Fukushima and to encourage the local community. His shikona comes from his name (Kiyota) with a typical Dewanoumi ending of “nohana”, like the Oyakata former Oginohana.

Kiyonohana joined at the age of 15, so he does not have any high school sumo experience. He likes ramen, baseball, and café-au-lait. He wants to visit China. He was very skinny when he joined and could not do proper splits (matawari). He has gradually been building his weight and working on his uwatenage. For just being now over 100kg, he has steadily climbed the ranks to reach division 3 in his teens. He has managed three 6-1 records over his career and, despite a large jump in rank from Sandanme 42 to Makushita 55 in Hatsu 2025, he still managed a 3-4 record. He spent the past year in division 4, and may be at a point where he can become a lower division 3 regular.

Seiyū (誠雄)

Stable: Hidenoyama
Age: 20
Height (cm/feet-inches): 173/ 5’8”
Weight (kg/lbs): 128 / 282
Home prefecture: Fukuoka
High School: Omuta High School
University: – –
Career Record and notes: 46-24 (.657)
Debut: Haru 2024
Notes: None

Possibility of reaching sekitori: 50/50

The first Makushita wrestler out of the newly formed Hidenoyama stable is Seiyū. He initially joined Sadogatake stable, but as an uchideshi of former Kotoshōgiku, he branched out when Hidenoyama stable started. His initial ring-name, Kotokōguchi (the Sadogatake koto prefix plus the family name) was changed to his first name “Seiyū” when the new stable was formed.

He has connections to Kotoshōgiku, being that they are both from Yanagawa City, Fukuoka. He had experience as a sumo wrestler as a child. During his time at Higashi-Miyanaga Elementary School—also the Oyakata’s alma mater—he excelled in sumo tournaments. He was scouted out of Omuta High School, where he was Vice-Captain of the judo club. In his senior year, he helped his team place third in the team competition at the Kinshuki High School Judo Tournament.

Despite being primarily a judoka at high school, he has returned to his sumo roots. Although his coach hoped he would continue judo at university, after Seiyū expressed his determination, the coach gave him a warm send-off. Seiyū says, “when you think of Yanagawa, you think of sumo. I had wanted to become a wrestler since childhood, but I was advised, ‘Start with judo first,’ so I pursued judo for a while. Later, when my stablemaster decided to open a new stable, I joined.”

Koguchi admired the way Hidenoyama did sumo head-on, and that he did keiko without compromise. Although fairly small in stature at 173cm and 128kg, Hidenoyama believes Seiyū has a solid foundation in judol, and wants him to use it.

Yumenofuji (夢之富士)

Stable: Isegahama
Age: 17
Height (cm/feet-inches): 183/ 6’0”
Weight (kg/lbs): 151 / 333
Home prefecture: Ehime
High School: – –
University: – –
Career Record and notes: 60-45-7 (.571)
Debut: Haru 2024
Notes: None

Possibility of reaching sekitori: I think so.

The first of the two young 17-year-olds making their Makushita debut is Yumenofuji. Taking his shikona from his first name (Yumejiro) and the “nofuji” suffix of Isegahama stable, the young lad from Ehime is poised to become a force at an already powerful stable. Not too humble, upon joining he said his dream (yume) is to become Yokozuna. He started sumo in 4th grade. In middle school, he finished 5th in a national tournament where he was noticed by an Isegahama stable supporter who referred him to join. He had originally planned to go to Nomura high school but elected the sumo world instead.

He already has picked up a large following on social media (for those who scour the lower divisions for talent). In his debut tournament, he blew away his opponent with two thrusts. Sumo fans commented that he had “so much presence!” and asked that he “go easy on” his fellow division 6 opponents. His size and aura already seemed out of place in the lower divisions and may be more of a fit in Makushita.

Yumenofuji has been on a tear to get to Makushita. After muddling around in jonidan for a year and a half (despite his aura), he was injured and fell back to jonokuchi. Since, he has been on a 6 bashō winning streak – moving from Jonokuch 11 to Sandanme 7. His best record was a 6-1 performance at Sandanme 61 in September. The kachi-koshi record of 4-3 from Sandanme 7 will bring him into lower Makushita to start 2026.

Uzumasa (太秦)

Stable: Isenoumi
Age: 17
Height (cm/feet-inches): 183/ 6’0”
Weight (kg/lbs): 128 / 282
Home prefecture: Kyōtō
High School: – –
University: – –
Career Record and notes: 44-26 (.629)
Debut: Haru 2024
Notes: None

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Yes!

The second of the 17-year-old phenoms to make Makushita is Uzumasa. A Kyōtō native, possibly scouted by former Maegashira (and Uzumasa’s idol) Ōikari, he uses the shikona “Uzumasa” from the name of his middle school. Uzumasa also is a place name in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City where there was a clan temple of the Hata family. The Hata family was given the title of “Uzumasa” because were so rich they could pile silk ‘in high heaps.’ Later in history, this many film companies flocked to the area, and Uzumasa came to be called ‘Japan’s Hollywood.

This Uzumasa is the third of four brothers. He started sumo in the second grade of elementary school and reached the best 32 at the national middle school championships before joining the sumo world. He aims to become like Kabutoyama-oyakata.

While Yumenofuji already had a career setback (injury that sent him back to division 6), Uzumasa has only had two tournaments with losing records and appears to be gaining power and skill with each passing bashō. His 6-1 record from Sandanme 18 will see him firmly into mid-Makushita.

Our debutants last tournament did generally as expected. Ryūshō manged a 5-2 record, Fujiizumi was absent (and hopefully will be back sooner than the last time he skipped due to injury), and Furuta seems to have hit his ceiling. Fujiizumi and Furuta will be ranked back in Sandanme next time.
I will detail the projected shin-makushita (Kobayashi, Tenrōsei, Ryūji, Kōki, and Harunishiki) and catch up on a recently missed newbie (Anhibiki) in this edition.

Kobayashi (小林)

Stable: Kasugano
Age: 21
Height (cm/feet-inches): 178 / 5’10”
Weight (kg/lbs): 139 / 305
Home prefecture: Saitama
High School: Saitama Sakae
University: —
Career Record and notes: 56-23-26 (.709)
Debut: Hatsu 2023
Notes: Sandanme Yūshō in Nagoya 2025

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Likely.

Kobayashi won the Sandanme division last time, capping his return from a recent knee injury (posterior cruciate ligament) that took him back to Jonokuchi. He considers himself a rival of fellow Saitama Sakae high school graduates Gōnoumi, Gōnowaka (last tournament’s Jonidan champion), Fujinoshin, Kotokenryū, Kazeeidai, and last tournament’s shin-nyumaku Fujinokawa. His Sandanme championship will put him likely only behind Fujinokawa and Kotokenryū in the rankings. He indicated his goal is to become sekitori ahead of wrestlers his same age who first went to university, around the age of 21 or 22 – so he has to make his move this year.
Kobayashi has followed in the footsteps of Tochitaikai, Tochikamiyama, and Tochimusashi by joining Kasugano stable – referred to Kasugano by a supporter of the high school sumo club. His connection to Kasugano goes back further, as he used to train at Iruma sumo club (beginning sumo in 5th grade). Iruma sumo club’s coach was in the same Meiji University sumo club as Kasugano Oyakata (ex-Tochinowaka). When recruited, he indicated that “I chose this stable because they’ve looked after me since I was young. The decisive factor was their commitment to rigorous training.”

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)Kobayashi’s current shikona is just his last name – but he is likely to get a “Tochi-“ based shikona at some point.
He competed in Wanpaku and other tournaments before high school. In junior high school, he won the Kanto Tournament. In his second year at Saitama Sakae High School, he was runner-up in the Kanto Selection Tournament heavyweight division (100kg+). In his third year, he placed 3rd in the Kanto Tournament open weight division, 3rd in the National High School Selection Tournament (Usa Tournament), and reached the quarterfinals in the National Sports Festival.
Four straight tournaments with 5 or more wins at the beginning of his career saw him advance to the top of Sandanme before his first make-koshi. He was in upper Sandanme for another three tournaments before that right knee injury dropped him back to Jonokuchi. Displaying the humility of a good rikishi, he said in his yūshō interview: “It still hasn’t sunk in. I wasn’t nervous either. Before the tournament, my master told me to go all out with thrusting and pushing. I thought I lacked a feel for thrusting, but today, I won with a good thrusting push at the end. I’m glad I listened to my master.”

Kōki (昂輝)

Stable: Minato
Age: 21
Height (cm/feet-inches): 183 / 5’11”
Weight (kg/lbs): 157 / 346
Home prefecture: Aichi
High School: —
University: —
Career Record and notes: 128-117-14 (.522)
Debut: 2019 Haru

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Very unlikely.

Kōki participated in various sports during his youth, including karate, jūdō, soccer, and basketball.  He joined the Chukyo Sumo Club in his first year of junior high school.  During his 3^rd year at junior high, he finished second place at a prefectural tournament and entered the national junior high school tournament.  Minato-beya’s Nagoya lodgings are close to his home, so he attracted the attention of Minato Oyakata, who personally recruited him.  There are no stories I could find about the origin of his shikona.

Like his rank, Kōki’s weight has steadily increased since he joined the sumo world. Starting at 132kg, he has grown to 157. Starting out of junior high, he initially found himself easily defeated by wrestlers with high school sumo experience.  It initially took him 16 tournaments of reaching Sandanme (almost three years), where he has been a fixture since the end of 2023.  His performance has steadily improved, and he is now easily holding his own against the high schoolers, earning his promotion to the third division.  I hope that he can become a steady presence in Makushita for Minato-beya.

Ryūji (隆志)

Stable: Ōnomatsu
Age: 20
Height (cm/feet-inches): 188 / 6’1”
Weight (kg/lbs): 112 / 247
Home prefecture: Kanagawa
High School: Kanagawa Technical High
University: —
Career Record and notes: 58-40 (.592)
Debut: Haru 2023
Possibility of reaching sekitori: Very unlikely

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Very unlikely

Ryūji participated in various sports throughout his adolescence. He was involved in swimming, soccer, kickboxing, and softball.  It was during his sophomore year of high school that he discovered a sport he was passionate about, sumo. This passion was cultivated during his high school years. He attended Kanagawa Technical High.  His coach, Sudō – who also coached former rikishi Michihaya, helped to bring him to the attention of Ōnomatsu Oyakata. He also managed to finish in the top 32 of a high school tournament (100kg weight limit) in his junior year.

While light, he seems to have some high ambitions – saying that a journey of 100 miles begins with a single step.  He has the goal of “becoming the strongest in sumo” and to do “pretty and pure shiko”.  I wish him luck in those lofty endeavors. Like many athletic high schoolers, he found his way quickly into Sandanme after starting his career before hitting a small wall.  He appears to have overcome that with three straight kachi-koshi to bring him to Makushita. His last match in Nagoya was a victory against former top division, Bushōzan.

Being of slighter build, he sticks to orthodox approaches in his sumo. A few personal notes on Ryūji:  He uses his first name, which apparently takes one character from each of his parent’s first names, as his shikona. He likes Taylor Swift, tuna donburi, and says that people only live one life, so they should not be discouraged by difficulties but to always look forward to something new and move on.  He sounds like a bit of a student of mottos/idioms to me.

Tenrōsei (天狼星)

Stable: Shikoroyama
Age: 18
Height (cm/feet-inches): 186 / 6’1”
Weight (kg/lbs): 118 / 259
Home: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
High School: Meitoku Gijuku High (quit)
University: —
Career Record and notes: 18-3 (.857)
Debut: Kyūshū 2024
Notes: Jonidan Ketteisen in Natsu 2025

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Likely

Tenrōsei is famous for being the nephew of former Yokozuna Asashōryū and the cousin of current Yokozuna Hōshōryū.  That being written, he was not a sumo wrestler to start. He was into playing baseball as a youth, and that is what brought him to Japan.  As you may not know, baseball is not very common in Mongolia. He came to Japan and played baseball at Meitoku Gijuku junior high, but did not make the team. He did, however, join the school’s softball team, known to be a national powerhouse, and the team placed third in the national tournament during his third year.

He used to wrestle with his uncle, just for sport – and his uncle encouraged him to pursue sumo in junior high. He started wresting during his third year of junior high and found some immediate successes.  He was in the top 16 in the 100kg weight class division of a national high school sumo tournament in his freshman year.

He did not stay in high school long, dropping out after his sophomore year to join Shikoroyama stable. He had to take the long training period, and was with them a year before he could make his debut.  By the time he was starting professionally, it was said that he was already at the level of a Sandanme wrestler.  This was evident by his 5-2 start in jonokuchi, followed up by a 7-0 tournament in jonidan (losing in a playoff to fellow Shikoroyama-beya’s Mineyaiba).

His shikona is a reference to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius (Canis Majoris) – and a bit of an homage to his father who was a professional wrestler (not sumo) in Japan, called “Blue wolf”. Sirius is also the “Great Star” for Mongolians and he has indicated his desire is to shine as bright as Sirius in his sumo career. He indicated “I like the sumo of the first Wakanohana. I love how he’d toss huge guys around with his slender frame. I want to be stronger than anyone.”

Harunishiki (悠錦)

Stable: Asahiyama
Age: 25
Height (cm/feet-inches): 181/ 5’11”
Weight (kg/lbs): 126 / 278
Home prefecture: Ibaraki
High School: Unknown
University: —
Career Record and notes: 160-161-1 (.498)
Debut: Aki 2017

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Maybe stranger things have happened, hard to think of one…  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lluvia_de_peces

Harunishiki did not initially plan to become a sumo wrestler. He was taking care of his father, who was recuperating from a health issue. His father took that time to encourage him to become a rikishi.  So, Harunishiki knocked on the door of Asahiyama stable and signed up.  Asahiyama-beya seems to specialize in recruiting wrestlers with little/no prior sumo experience. His first aim was to be like Kisenosato.

Despite his lack of experience, he has steadily climbed the banzuke, first under his own name (Sugawara) and then as Asahiō/朝日凰, before reverting to his own name for about another year.  His shikona takes the “Nishiki” from his stablemaster, former Kotonishiki.  The “haru” describes “permanence”, sort of like how he has taken his time to leisurely rise up the banzuke.  It is often used as a first name.

On day 10 in the Natsu 2023 bashō, Harunishiki was involved in an interesting incident that close banzuke watchers may recall.  He faced Murayama and pushed him out of the ring.  Maruyama’s oyakata (Naruto) called for a mono-ii. Under video review, it seemed clear that Harunishiki’s pushing had caused Murayama to step out. However, Naruto Oyakata (as head shimpan) announced that Murayama was the victor to the crowd.  This “overturn” resulted in Harunishiki’s 4^th loss of the tournament and a make-koshi. Harunishiki won his last two bouts and finished 3-4.  However, the Sumo Association recognized that there was an issue with the mono-ii and permitted Harunishiki to keep his rank (Sandanme 38) for the subsequent tournament despite the apparent losing record.

In the summer tour of Ibaraki, Harunishiki was able to borrow the chest of Kotozakura during the jungyo. He was happy to have the hometown’s support – despite going up against “a wall of muscle. It was scary.”  On this experience and his upcoming promotion to Makushita he says, “I want to convey to children that even if they do not have any sports experience, they can become strong if they work hard.”

Anhibiki (安響)

Stable: Ajigawa
Age: 19
Height (cm/feet-inches): 185/ 6’0”
Weight (kg/lbs): 139 / 2306
Home prefecture: Aomori
High School: Goshogawara Agriculturan and Forestry High School
University: —
Career Record and notes: 44-26 (.629)
Highest rank: Makushita 45
Debut: Kyūshū 2023

Notes: Jonokuchi Yūshō Hatsu 2024

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Unlikely

Anhibiki comes from Goshogawara Agricultural and Forestry High School, where he achieved 3^rd place in National High School Athletic Meet (Inter-high) tournament, which qualified him to actually be the first high school wreslter to earn a Sandanme Tsukedashi qualification. His father, Takuya, was a former runner-up in national corporate sumo.  He was personally invited to join Ajigawa-beya (which has connections to Aomori as home prefecture of Ajigawa-oyakata and Goshogawara High).  Aminishiki was a wrestler that Anhibiki had admired since he was a child, and when Ajigawa went independent from Isegahama – Anhibiki’s desire to train under his former idol increased. He is also an old acquaintance of Anzakura as they are from the same town and school.

Asked why he gave up the right to use the tsukedashi qualification (a first time someone volunteered to give this away in my long sumo watching career), he said “Even if I entered from Sandanme, I wouldn’t necessarily become a sekitori right away. Either way, I have to build my strength myself. Starting from the maezumo isn’t going to slow me down. I want to climb up from the bottom.”  The only example of not using tsukedashi privileges that I have seen comes from college or amateur champions who lost their  tsukedashi status for winning titles early in their college careers and “timing out” of the tsukedashi qualification – (Yoshikaze, Jōkōryū, Shōdai, and Hokutofuji are examples of getting amateur titles but starting in maezumo). 

His shikona is a combination of characters from from the stable/stable master plus a part of his first name (Kaoto – 力響). His sister and brother also use the “Hibiki” character in their first names, so it seems as if his own family has a stable-like naming convention. Both siblings are also in sumo clubs – his younger sister was at Kizuka High and younger brother was at Kizuka junior high when Anhibiki entered sumo. Kizuka High is the alma matter of former Maegashira Hōchiyama and current Nishiiwa wrestler Wakajin.

Anhibiki started sumo at age 10 (4^th Grade) at the Tsugaru Asahifuji Junior Sumo Club.  Goshogawara and Anhibiki won the team title at the National High School Selection Tournament during his sophomore year. In his junior year, he got second place in the team competition at the National High School Kanazawa Tournament and his 3^rd place finish at the Inter-high was also boosted by the school’s 3^rd place finish in the team competition.  Fellow Goshogawara Agriculture and Forestry alumns include Osanai (Takasago-beya), Tokitenran (Tokitsukaze-beya), Anzakura, and Tateyama Oyakata.  Don’t confuse this high school with the former Goshogawara Commercial High School (home of Takarafuji, Katsunofuji, and current Miyagino-Oyakata, former Asahifuji). The commercial high school was renamed in 2023 to Shimoyama Gakuen to help sumo fans avoid that confusion!

We have a solo Makushita tsukedashi entrant for the Nagoya tournament.  Beyond that, there were only two other newcomers.  So, I am taking this opportunity to catch up on a few returnees to Makshita that I missed as newcomers in recent tourneys. Student Yokozuna Buckchuluun, who joined Kasugano-stable and has a Makushita Tsukedashi qualification, appears to be on the six-month period to get the work visa – and so will likely start late this year.

Last tournament was a bit surprising – in that Gyōtoku was the best performing of the tsukedashi.  All of them managed to get winning records – but I expected a bit more from both Hanaoka and Urayama.

As expected, Murayama and Daishinkai were ranked over his current level of ability, each recording  2-5 records on their debut. Gōseizan and Ikarigata both also slightly disappointed with losing records of 3-4 – but they will be able to bounce back and achieve higher things. All of them may be appearing in Sandanme next time (although there is a chance Ikarigata could remain in Makushita).

Ryūshō (竜翔)

Stable: Oitezake
Age: 22
Height (cm/feet-inches): 187 / 6’1”
Weight (kg/lbs): 125 / 275
Home prefecture: Kumamoto
High School: Buntoku High
University: Nihon University (Nichidai)
Career Record and notes: 0-0-0
Debut: Nagoya 2025 (Makushita 60 Tsukedashi)

Possibility to reach sekitori: Very Likely

Ryūshō is the brother of former Onoe-beya’s Juryo wrestler Ryūko (竜虎) and the nephew of Onoe Oyakata.  As Onoe is family, and has connections with Nihon University, it is somewhat of a surprise to see Ryūshō join Oitekaze stable.  Ryūshō’s family connections to sumo include his grandfather, who was chairman of the Kyushu Sumo Federation and his cousin, Terutaka, in Onoe stable. Like his older brother, Ryūshō tarted sumo at a young age. He was also a teammate (and same year) as last basho’s entrant, Hanaoka.

Ryūshō earned the Makushita Tsukedashi qualification by finishing in the top 8 at last year’s student championships.   He seems to have followed Kawazoe and Hanaoka – all of them coming from Tsuroshiro Junior High to Buntoku, and then to Nichidai.  In fact, they all had amateur success together – with Ryūshō winning individual lightweight division championships starting in middle school.  Let’s see if he cannot mimic their successes in Grand Sumo.

Fujiizumi (富士泉)

Stable: Nishikido
Age: 21
Height (cm/feet-inches): 184 / 6’0”
Weight (kg/lbs): 153 / 337
Home prefecture: Yamagata
High School: —
University: —
Career Record and notes: 44-19-28 (and 13 tournaments banzuke-gai) (.698)
Debut: 2021 Hatsu

Possibility to reach sekitori: Unlikely – but would be a great story.

Fujiizumi is a very interesting story, as I wrote off his sumo career many years ago. He initially seemed an interesting prospect for Nishikido stable – recruited at the age of 15 and with a decent amateur sumo record already.  However, he then disappeared from the banzuke for over two years (13 basho, from Nagoya 2022 to Nagoya 2024) due to injury.  I had just assumed he ran away and Nishikido had not turned in his retirement papers. 

Fujiizumi started sumo in 5^th Grade at Misaka Nishi Elementary school. He was an immediate success, placing in the top 16 of the Hakuho Cup that year and in the next year (6^th grade) he was top 16 in the Wanpaku tournament. In his second year of junior high, he transferred schools to be able to participate in training at Nishikdo stable. He rose to Sandanme in only five tournaments and at the age of 17, but was absent in his Sandanme debut. This absence continued until he fell off the official rankings and sort of disappeared from view.

It was a big surprise to see him return to mae-zumo in Nagoya last year – his first appearance in the ring in three years! He defeated Gōseizan (see Natsu basho shin-makushita) in his opening match.  His record has been great since his return (no make-koshi in the past year), and a 6-1 record from Sandanme 39 East, that will now propel him into Makushita.

So, what happened to him? A lower back hernia and an injury to his right knee resulted in his absences. To rehabilitate, he left the stable and went back home – devoting himself to medical treatment and recovery.  Since he was going to be banzuke-gai (and could not drop any lower), he took the time to get fully healed.  His absence was noticed by keen sumo watchers, who just assumed he had retired. During this time, he kept in regular contact with his Oyakata (every 1-2 days) and indicated his intention to return. He kept his mage and kept his image of a sumo tori this entire time. He finally came back to the stable, started basic exercises and worked his way to bouts against Mitoryū.  Finally, he made his appearance in the ring after over 1,000 days.  He is still 20 years old and ready to resume his life as a rikishi.

Furuta (古田)

Stable: Nishonoseki
Age: 24
Height (cm/feet-inches): 178 / 5’10”
Weight (kg/lbs): 102 / 224
Home prefecture: Hiroshima
High School: Takehara High School
University: Nippon Sports Science Univserity (Nittaidai)
Career Record and notes: 25-10 (.714)
Debut: Nagoya 2024
Possibility to reach sekitori: Unlikely

Furuta is a small sized graduate from Nippon Sports Science University (Nittaidai), who has come to Nishonoseki along with his NSSU teammates Shirokuma and Ōnosato. He is a late addition, joining sometime after his teammates – as he was not going to go pro at first. 

He began sumo at a young age and was appearing already in national championships while at Takehara Junior High. He continued to Takehara High, with decent performances in high school sumo tournaments. He was 3^rd place at the National High School Selection Tournament (80kg weight class) and won the Hiroshima Prefectural Championship.

This led him to be recruited by NSSU – and he competed in many under 85kg events, often finishing towards the top of the individual competitions (recently 3^rd place in the All-Japan lightweight competition – which meant he missed the World Championships – and 3^rd in the East Japan Corporate Championships (under 110kg).  After graduating, he did not immediately go pro – and worked at an assistant coach at NSSU while participating in corporate sumo events.  He was finally convinced to go pro by his former NSSU teammates and Nishonoseki Oyakata.

He says Ōnosato is a good classmate, but also an inspiration (goal). He thought that Nishonoseki stable would be the best fit (both for its environment and vigor).  His teammates include Ōnosato, Ōunokatsu, Kyokukaiyū, and Ishizaki (younger). He wants to catch up to and overtake these teammates as soon as possible.  He quickly worked his way up the banzuke, despite a somewhat disappointing 4-3 record in his debut.  He followed it by rampaging through Jonidan with two 6-1 records and spent only two tournaments in Sandanme.

What follows is a brief catch-up on two missed recent shin-makushita, who are due to return to the division in Nagoya.

Ieshima (家島)

Stable: Yamahibiki
Age: 20
Height (cm/feet-inches): 176 / 5’9”
Weight (kg/lbs): 151 / 332
Home prefecture: Hyōgō
High School: Takamatsu Agricultural High School
University: —
Career Record and notes: 111-92-7 (.547)
Debut: Haru 2020
Highest rank: Makushita 54

Possibility to reach sekitori: Very unlikely

Ieshima started sumo at Kamehama Dojo in Himeji during the 4^th Grade. He appeared three straight years in the Wanpaku Tournament, reaching the top 16 in his 6^th Grade appearance.  He participated in many tournaments over his junior high school years. He finished in the top 16 at the National Prefectural Junior High School Championship.  He was recruited, along with his older brother (Ienoshima) by Yamahibiki Oyakata.  Having joined sumo at the age of 15, those were the limits of his amateur accomplishments.

Since joining Grand Sumo, Ieshima steadily has increased his place on the banzuke. He started with a 6-1 record in Jonidan and made his Sandanme debut after only 8 basho (one of which was a heya-COVID related forced absence).  He has had 6-1 records three times in his career – most recently in Aki 2024 that propelled him from Sandanme 40 into Makushita (debut in Kyushu 2024). He has had two appearances in Makushita since then (both losing records).  Fingesr crossed that the third time is the charm for that first ever Makushita kachi-koshi.

He should be ranked ahead of his older brother (Ienoshima is a year older) for the Nagoya basho. 

Yōkōmaru (陽孔丸)

Stable: Musashigawa
Age: 25
Height (cm/feet-inches): 178 / 5’10”
Weight (kg/lbs): 142 / 313
Home country: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Home prefecture: Okayama
High School:
University: —
Career Record and notes: 130-119-3
Debut: Haru 2019
Highest rank: Makushita 45
Possibility to reach sekitori: Very unlikely

Yōkōmaru, with his jūdō background, rose quickly up the banzuke after his debut. He was in Sandanme within a year and compiled three separate 6-1 records from Aki 2019 to Nagoya 2020. However, he appeared to hit a ceiling in mid-Sandanme and stalled there for almost 4 years straight (except for one drop to Jonidan). A 6-1 record from Sandanme 25 in Kyushu 2024 propelled him to make his Makushita debut for Hatsu 2025.  His two tournaments in division 3 were a bust – compiling 2-5 records each time. Perhaps, like Ieshima, the third time will be the charm.

Yōkōmaru started with jūdō as a junior at Asahi Higashi Junior High School and continued into Takamatsu Agricultural high school, where he joined the wrestling team.  He already had his eye on sumo and figured the experience in these two sports would contribute to achieving his goal.  He was a successful high school wrestler, excelling in numerous competitions, including runner-up at the 125kg weight class Greco-Roman National Athletic Meet. He aims to “do his home prefecture, Okayama, proud”. He was recruited by Musashigawa Oyakata over a period of years – first meeting him 4 years before entering the sumo world. This is what he claims ignited his interest in sumo. He is the family’s oldest son and has three sisters, enjoys fishing, and likes kaisendon (various raw seafood over rice).  He aims to be the first sekitori from Okayama since Kotokuni in 2009 (so over 16 years).