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93-442: Makuuchi ( 幕内 ) , or makunouchi ( 幕の内 ) , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo . Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ( rikishi ), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK 's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only

186-403: A 3–4 or worse record in their regular seven bouts. It is ignored if one loses and counted if one wins, making it a true bonus bout for a makushita wrestler. In such a match-up, the makushita wrestler will have his hair fashioned into a full oicho-mage as sekitori do but continues to wear his plain cotton mawashi . The term makushita can also be used to refer to all four divisions as

279-511: A candidate for yokozuna promotion at the following tournament in January 2025. "There aren't many opportunities to challenge for yokozuna . I have to grab it," he said. Kotozakura finished 2024 with 66 wins, the most of any wrestler in the top division. Kotozakura prefers a migi-yotsu grip on his opponent's mawashi which is a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He also lists oshi/tsuki (pushing/thrusting) as

372-617: A championship win until Day 13, when he was defeated by fellow- ōzeki Takakeishō , ending his chances of winning the tournament. On day 14, he nevertheless took away his chances of winning the tournament from fellow- ōzeki Hōshōryū by beating him by yoritaoshi (frontal crush out). After the conclusion of the March tournament Kotonowaka, who secured 10 wins in his ōzeki debut, submitted his official paperwork to change his ring name to Kotozakura starting in May. The name change became official on

465-408: A character from his grandfather's shikona ( 傑 , meaning 'outstanding') and adding the kanji 太 (meaning 'big' or 'thick'). With four straight kachi-koshi or winning records in the jūryō division, Kotonowaka was promoted to the top makuuchi division in March 2020. They were the ninth father-and-son pairing to both reach the top division. Kotonowaka was ranked at maegashira 18,

558-730: A favourite style in his Japan Sumo Association profile. Apart from yorikiri and oshidashi (force out and push out), his most common winning kimarite include uwatenage ('overarm throw'), tsukiotoshi ('thrust over') and uwatedashinage ('pulling overam throw'). Kotozakura seeks to emulate the style of his grandfather, the former yokozuna of the same name, and frequently watches his matches to draw inspiration from his thrusting style ( tsuki/oshi ) as well as his father's grip fighting style ( yotsu ). Kotozakura's fighting style, which allows him to stretch to nullify his opponents' strength, has been compared by former yokozuna Hakuhō and Wakanohana III to that of

651-418: A form of overcoat over his yukata . However, the wrestlers are still considered to be in training, receiving only an allowance rather than a salary. As with the other divisions below jūryō , wrestlers only compete in seven bouts, held roughly every other day. The number of sandanme wrestlers per tournament is 180 (reduced from 200 in March 2022). Jonidan ( 序二段 ) is the fifth highest division. Unlike

744-589: A higher number of junior wrestlers to assist them, an entitlement to park in the Sumo Association compound and voting rights in the election for Association directors. Senior yokozuna and ōzeki also have added responsibilities. They are expected to represent wrestler views to the Association, assist in advertising events and meet event sponsors. The latter group, sekiwake and komusubi , have lesser responsibilities and are still eligible for one of

837-522: A large part of the reason that the promotion criteria for yokozuna are so strict in the first place. In extremely rare instances the Yokozuna Deliberation Council can, with over two-thirds of the members in favor, issue notices to yokozuna whose performance as well as poise and character are contrary to what is expected of the rank. These notices are, in increasing level of severity: Notices have been issued three times since

930-524: A licence by the Yoshida family in February 1884, and Gojo licences are no longer recognized officially. In May 1890, the name yokozuna was written on the banzuke for the first time due to the 16th yokozuna Nishinoumi Kajirō I 's insistence that his yokozuna status be recorded. In February 1909, during the reigns of the 19th yokozuna , Hitachiyama Taniemon , and the 20th, Umegatani Tōtarō II , it

1023-543: A majority of wins in the March and May 2021 tournaments, scoring 6–9 and 7–8 respectively. In the July 2021 tournament Kotonowaka had his best career performance to date. He scored 12–3 and was awarded his first special prize , for Fighting Spirit. He moved up to maegashira 3 for the September tournament. On the eighth day of the September tournament he defeated Ōzeki Shōdai . However, he had to withdraw from

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1116-483: A number of privileges and responsibilities associated with the san'yaku ranks. Any wrestler who reaches one of them is entitled to purchase one of the membership shares in the Japan Sumo Association , regardless of the total number of tournaments they have spent in the top makuuchi division. They may be called on to represent all sumo wrestlers on certain occasions. For example, when the president of

1209-452: A small allowance instead of a salary. Jūryō wrestlers, along with their makuuchi counterparts, are the only professional sumo wrestlers who compete in a full fifteen bouts per official tournament. In the case of injuries with makuuchi wrestlers pulling out, jūryō wrestlers near the top of the division may find themselves in the occasional matchup with a top-division wrestler. Such jūryō - makuuchi matchups are also not uncommon towards

1302-456: A somewhat flexible definition. This is largely because the top two ranks of yokozuna and ōzeki have distinctive differences from the lower two ranks and from each other. Therefore, a reference to san'yaku can sometimes mean only the bottom three ranks, or in other cases only sekiwake and komusubi . There must be at least one sekiwake and komusubi on each side of the banzuke , normally two total, but there may be more. Although there

1395-411: A tournament. It is often considered that holding the rank of makushita is the first step toward becoming a professional ( sekitori ranked) sumo wrestler. Furthermore, it can be regarded as the most heavily contested division, with younger sumo wrestlers on their way up competing with those older sumo wrestlers who have dropped from jūryō and are determined to regain the higher rank. A key incentive

1488-416: A victory over Hōshōryū and narrowly completed with a win over Churanoumi , that was enough to earn promotion to the status of sekitori for the first time. Upon promotion, he adopted his father's shikona surname of Kotonowaka, with the expectation that he would eventually adopt his grandfather's shikona of Kotozakura if ever promoted to ōzeki . He also changed his shikona first name by keeping

1581-404: A whole that are below jūryō , as these four divisions are considered wrestlers that are still in training. Sandanme ( 三段目 ) is the fourth highest division. This level represents the first break point in the treatment a wrestler receives as he rises up the ranks. From sandanme, he is allowed a better quality of dress; for instance, he no longer needs to wear geta on his feet and can wear

1674-480: A win to possibly trigger a playoff for the championship. As this victory was a prerequisite for the Fighting Spirit award , Kotonowaka won the prize for the fifth time in his career. Kotonowaka finished 2023 with winning records at the san'yaku ranks in all six of his tournaments. His father Sadogatake , speaking as the head of the Sumo Association's judging department, added that ōzeki promotion

1767-448: A wrestler below makushita still only receives a small living allowance. Winning all seven matches in a tournament grants an unconditional advance to the jūryō division if one is ranked within the top thirty wrestlers of the division. For any other member of the division, a 7–0 record will guarantee promotion to within the top thirty members, so two successive 7–0 records will allow a makushita wrestler to advance to jūryō . Those in

1860-434: Is almost universally known as jūryō . Wrestlers in the jūryō and the makuuchi division above are known as sekitori . Jūryō wrestlers, like those in the top makuuchi division, receive a regular monthly salary as well as other perks associated with having become a sekitori , or a member of the two upper divisions in sumo. Sumo wrestlers ranked in the divisions below jūryō are considered to be in training and receive

1953-435: Is at stake for Kotonowaka at the tournament in January 2024. Kotonowaka performed well in the first half of the tournament, although he also recorded a defeat on Day 6 against Wakamotoharu . Kotonowaka maintained his position as one of the tournament's leading wrestlers (with Ōnosato and Ōnoshō ) by recording a kachi-koshi on Day 9 against fellow sekiwake Daieishō , securing an eighth consecutive tournament in

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2046-429: Is deemed to have not upheld the dignity of the rank. Expectations are so high that, even in the course of one tournament, a yokozuna who early on appears to be headed for a losing tournament will feel the pressure to retire. It is common and expected for a yokozuna to withdraw from a tournament with a real or imagined injury to avoid a make-koshi (a losing record) and the expectation to retire. These expectations are

2139-472: Is more contentious, as it is essentially a subjective issue. For example, Hawaiian-born ōzeki Konishiki , in particular, was felt by many to be unfairly kept from yokozuna status due to his non-Japanese origin, and many Sumo Association members even openly said that foreigners ( gaijin ) could never achieve the hinkaku needed to be a yokozuna . In the case of Konishiki, other issues such as his weight were also cited. The debate concerning foreigners having

2232-468: Is not sufficient, with example being Ozeki Kisenosato in 2013 and 2016. The rules are not set in stone and hence in reaching their conclusion the Yokozuna Deliberation Council and Sumo Association can interpret the criteria more leniently or strictly and also take into account other factors, such as total number of tournament victories, the quality of the wins, and whether the losses show any serious vulnerabilities. The issue of hinkaku (dignity and grace)

2325-414: Is the difference between being ranked in the topmost makushita slot versus the lowest jūryō rank, which has been likened to being that between heaven and hell: a wrestler ranked at makushita or lower is expected to carry out chores for the stable and any sekitori within it, whereas the jūryō wrestler will be served upon. Similarly, the jūryō wrestler receives a comfortable monthly salary, whereas

2418-464: Is the highest rank in sumo . The name literally means "horizontal rope" and comes from the most visible symbol of their rank, the rope ( 綱 , tsuna ) worn around the waist. The rope is similar to the shimenawa used to mark off sacred areas in Shinto , and like the shimenawa it serves to purify and mark off its content. The rope, which may weigh up to 20 kilograms (44 lb), is not used during

2511-448: Is the only division that is featured on standard NHK 's live coverage of sumo tournaments and is broadcast bilingually. The lower divisions are covered only on streaming services like Abema . The name makuuchi literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when the top ranked wrestlers were able to sit in a curtained off area prior to appearing for their bouts. Makuuchi can also refer to

2604-406: Is the second highest division, and is fixed at 28 wrestlers. The name literally means "ten ryō "', which was at one time the income a wrestler ranked in this division could expect to receive. The official name of the second division is actually jūmaime ( 十枚目 ) , meaning "tenth placing" and can be heard in official announcements and seen in some publications, but within and outside the sumo world it

2697-556: Is the third highest division. Prior to the creation of the jūryō division, this division was only one below the topmost makuuchi division (meaning inside the curtain). Makushita , literally means "below ( shita ) the curtain ( maku )." In the current system, there are 120 wrestlers in the division (60 ranked on the East and 60 on the West side of the banzuke ). Unlike the sekitori ranks above them, wrestlers compete only seven times during

2790-431: Is the top division. It is fixed at 42 wrestlers who are ranked according to their performance in previous tournaments. At the top of the division are the four ranks of "titleholders", or "champions" called the san'yaku , comprising yokozuna , ōzeki , sekiwake and komusubi . There are typically 8–12 wrestlers in these ranks with the remainder, called maegashira , ranked in numerical order from 1 downwards. This

2883-412: Is there a set quota: there have been periods with no wrestlers at yokozuna rank, and there have been periods with as many as four simultaneously. The power and skill aspects are usually considered with reference to recent tournament performance. The de facto standard is to win two consecutive championships as ōzeki or an equivalent performance. In the case where the "equivalent performance" criterion

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2976-457: Is to be introduced and form a circle around the wrestling ring ( dohyō ) wearing specially decorated heavy silk "aprons", called keshō-mawashi . A brief symbolic "dance" is carried out before filing off to change into their fighting mawashi and prepare for their bouts. A yokozuna , however, is introduced after the lower ranked wrestlers and is flanked by two other top division wrestler "assistants". The "dewsweeper" or tsuyuharai precedes

3069-450: Is used, the wrestler's record over the previous three tournaments is taken into account with an expectation of at least one tournament victory and one runner-up performances, with none of the three records falling below twelve wins. Thus, a consistent high level of performance is required. Winning two tournaments with a poor performance between them is not usually sufficient. Also, achieving runner-up performance in three consecutive tournaments

3162-408: Is usually a yokozuna there is no requirement for one, and it has sometimes happened that no active yokozuna or no ōzeki were listed in the ranks. If there is more than one yokozuna but only one ōzeki , the lower rank will be filled out by designating one of the yokozuna as yokozuna-ōzeki . There is no recorded instance of there being fewer than two yokozuna and ōzeki in total. There are

3255-458: Is usually completed within a couple of weeks of the tournament end. As opposed to all other sumo ranks, a yokozuna cannot be demoted. However, during tournaments, expectations are very high for yokozuna . A yokozuna is expected to win or at least be a serious contender for championships on a regular basis. A yokozuna is expected to retire if he can no longer compete at the peak of the sport, or in some cases (such as Futahaguro or Harumafuji )

3348-399: The shikona , or ring name, of his maternal grandfather, former yokozuna Kotozakura , to whom he had made this promise. Kotonowaka's promotion to sekiwake was made official with the release of the September tournament rankings on 28 August 2023. He became Sadogatake stable's first sekiwake since Kotoyūki was promoted in May 2016. Upon his promotion, Kotonowaka said he

3441-614: The Hakuhō Cup and came third in the junior high school individual competition. Initially, he thought about joining professional sumo after graduating from junior high school, but as he did not have the confidence to do so, he postponed his decision to become a professional wrestler until his graduation from senior high school. Despite his podium at the Hakuhō Cup, it was noted that Kamatani struggled to gain momentum during his student years, achieving little success at first. In his third year, he

3534-408: The makuuchi broadcast having bilingual English commentary. Makuuchi literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in

3627-494: The yokozuna , while the "sword bearer" or tachimochi follows him into the arena. The sword is a Japanese katana and symbolises the samurai status of the yokozuna. The tachimochi will always be the more highly ranked of the assisting wrestlers. As indicated above, during the ceremony the yokozuna will wear his tsuna around his waist. The ceremonial aprons of all three form a matching set. Professional sumo divisions Makuuchi ( 幕内 ) , or makunouchi ( 幕の内 ) ,

3720-457: The Autumn tournament in 1955. Director Hanakago (former sekiwake Daijuyama ) officially delivered the news to the new ōzeki along with Naruto (former ōzeki Kotoōshū ), a sumo judge who had competed professionally as a member of Sadogatake stable . In his customary acceptance speech, Kotonowaka said: "With a feeling of gratitude I will devote myself to the way of sumo in order to live up to

3813-520: The Emperor, and was posthumously awarded the title for the first time. There is little supporting evidence for either theory—in fact, it is not even certain that Akashi actually existed—but it is known that by November 1789, yokozuna starting from the fourth yokozuna , Tanikaze Kajinosuke , and the fifth yokozuna , Onogawa Kisaburō , were depicted in ukiyo-e prints as wearing the shimenawa . These two wrestlers were both awarded yokozuna licences by

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3906-421: The July tournament, Kotonowaka commented on his satisfaction at having seriously strengthened his case for promotion to the rank of sekiwake , the highest rank held by his father and master (former sekiwake Kotonowaka Terumasa ) after having stagnated at the rank of komusubi for 4 consecutive tournaments. He also commented on his ambition to be promoted to ōzeki , in order to revive and inherit

3999-602: The Kotonowaka the sixth father-son pair to be promoted to san'yaku and the first since Oginohana Masaaki and Oginishiki Yasutoshi at the Nagoya tournament in 1997 . At the January tournament he secured an 8–7 record on the final day with a win over Hokutofuji . Kotonowaka lost his first four bouts of the tournament, but rallied to get a winning record which included a win over eventual championship winner Ōzeki Takakeishō . He retained his komusubi rankings for

4092-418: The March tournament. In the March tournament Kotonwaka secured a 9–6 record, which included a win over eventual championship winner Sekiwake Kiribayama. During the July tournament of the same year, Kotonowaka scored several significant victories, including against former ōzeki Mitakeumi and Shōdai , as well as ōzeki promotion seekers , Daieishō . On Day 7, he even defeated one of

4185-401: The May 2022 tournament he reached maegashira 2. After a 9–6 winning record at his highest rank of maegashira 1, Kotonowaka was promoted to komusubi for the January 2023 tournament. This promotion makes Kotozakura and Kotonowaka father and son the first wrestling family to produce three consecutive san'yaku -ranked wrestlers in sumo history. This promotion also makes

4278-468: The November 2020 tournament with a 9–6 record (although he lost his last four matches). Upon his return to makuuchi Kotonowaka only managed a 7–8 record (this time losing his last three matches) although it was enough to keep him in the top division as he fell just one place from maegashira 14 to 15. He performed better in the January 2021 tournament, scoring 10–5 . He narrowly failed to get

4371-399: The November 2023 tournament, Kotonowaka made his mark with a third consecutive victory on the third day of the championship, using the rare kimarite ōsakate ('backward twisting overarm throw'); a technique that had not been used in the makuuchi division for 13 years. He continued his tournament with a good performance, recording a kachi-koshi winning record on Day 10 for

4464-535: The Sumo Association makes a formal speech on the opening and closing days of a tournament, he is flanked by all the san'yaku wrestlers in their mawashi . Similarly they may be called to assist in welcoming a VIP, such as the Emperor , to the arena. The san'yaku can be split into two groups: The senior yokozuna and ōzeki , and junior sekiwake and komusubi . The former group have special promotion criteria and higher salaries, and have additional perks such as

4557-606: The United States and Asashōryū , Hakuhō , Harumafuji , Kakuryū , and Terunofuji all in Mongolia. Other wrestlers have also been held back. For example, Chiyonoyama in the 1950s was not immediately promoted due to his relative youth despite winning consecutive tournaments, although he later achieved the top rank. On the other hand, Futahaguro was given the title of yokozuna in 1986, despite immaturity being cited in opposition to his promotion. After being promoted, he

4650-418: The banzuke for the May tournament, making the new Kotozakura the first wrestler to bear this name in 50 years. Interestingly, the name change was published on the banzuke on 30 April 2024 as Kotozakura Masakatsu ( 琴櫻 将傑 ) , changing the spelling of the first name borne by his grandfather (琴櫻 傑將) by reversing its kanji with the same pronunciation. The new Kotozakura explained his choice by declaring that

4743-422: The council's inception in 1950: The formal birth of the rank from Tanikaze's time appears to have in part come from a desire to let the very best have a separate ring entry ceremony ( dohyō-iri ) from the remaining top division wrestlers. The dohyō-iri is a ceremonial presentation of all the top division wrestlers which is held before the competitive bouts of the day. The normal ceremony for top division wrestlers

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4836-569: The criteria, then he will be visited in his training stable by a member of the Sumo Association Board of Directors who will formally give him the news. In the following days, a tsuna or ceremonial rope will then be made in his stable, and he will practice the ring entrance ceremony with advice from a previous or current yokozuna . Finally, he will have his inaugural ceremonial ring entry ceremony held at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, which

4929-485: The current form of his first name inspired good omens. Having practiced writing his new shikona to make autographs, however, Kotozakura declared that dedicating the kanji for Kotozakura ( 琴櫻 ) was too complicated. Although he had made the choice to keep the traditional kanji for cherry blossom ( 櫻 ) in his name, he would dedicate with the simplified kanji ( 桜 ) for simplicity, which his grandfather had also chosen to do. Kotozakura and two other ōzeki were

5022-479: The dignity to be a yokozuna was finally laid to rest on 27 January 1993, when Hawaiian-born ōzeki Akebono was formally promoted to yokozuna after only eight months as an ōzeki . Since then, the issue of whether foreigners have the necessary dignity has become a moot point as six of the nine wrestlers to achieve sumo's ultimate rank following Akebono in 1993 were not born in Japan: Musashimaru in

5115-479: The division champion. Kotozakura Masakatsu II Kotozakura Masakatsu ( 琴櫻 将傑 ) , born 19 November 1997 as Masakatsu Kamatani ( 鎌谷 将且 , Kamatani Masakatsu ) , is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Chiba Prefecture . He wrestles for Sadogatake stable , a sumo stable previously run by his grandfather, former yokozuna Kotozakura , and currently run by his father, former sekiwake Kotonowaka . He made his debut in November 2015 and reached

5208-415: The divisions above it, there is no fixed number of wrestlers in the division although it is usually the largest division in any given tournament, with commonly around 200–250 wrestlers ranked within it. As a result of the numbers, and the fact that, as with the other lower divisions, the wrestlers fight only seven times during a tournament, a play-off tournament on the last day is normally required to determine

5301-415: The eighth tournament in a row. On the thirteenth day of the tournament Kotonowaka recorded a fourth defeat against Ryūden , automatically eliminating him from the title race and ended his hopes of promotion to ōzeki at the end of the tournament. Despite having been knocked out of the title race, Kotonowaka played a part in the final outcome of the tournament with a victory over Atamifuji , who needed

5394-1518: The end of a sumo tournament, in order to better establish promotion and relegation of individuals between the two divisions. Once a wrestler is promoted to jūryō , he is considered a professional with significant salary and privileges. As such, promotions to jūryō are announced just a few days after a preceding tournament, whereas other rankings are not announced for several weeks. [REDACTED] Kitanowaka [REDACTED] Kinbōzan [REDACTED] Kagayaki [REDACTED] Hakuōhō [REDACTED] Shirokuma [REDACTED] Kayō  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Tamashōhō [REDACTED] Shimanoumi [REDACTED] Shimazuumi [REDACTED] Tomokaze [REDACTED] Tōhakuryū [REDACTED] Shiden  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Hidenoumi [REDACTED] Tsurugishō [REDACTED] Mitoryū [REDACTED] Hakuyozan  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Daiamami [REDACTED] Daishōhō [REDACTED] Ōnoshō [REDACTED] Fujiseiun  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Aonishiki  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Chiyomaru [REDACTED] Daiseizan  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Tochitaikai  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Wakaikari  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Kotoeiho  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Nabatame  [ ja ] [REDACTED] Ōshōumi  [ ja ] Makushita ( 幕下 )

5487-399: The exact same circumstances in July 1968. Commenting on his first Emperor's Cup, Kotozakura said: "I had experienced losses, but I was able to persevere and became convinced that I really could grab the championship," adding that he could not remember how the deciding match went because he was concentrating so much. Following the tournament, the Sumo Association stated that Kotozakura would be

5580-524: The first time since 1959 that maegashira had extended to an 18th rank. He secured a winning record on the 14th day of the tournament, having suffered four straight losses, and finished on 9–6 . The next tournament to take place in July 2020 saw him pull out with a knee injury on Day 8, which he sustained the previous day in a loss to Kaisei . He re-entered on Day 14 but was unable to add any more wins, finishing on 4–6–5 which saw him demoted back to jūryō. He earned immediate promotion back to makuuchi for

5673-488: The following day by inflicting defeat on yokozuna promotion-seeking Kirishima, with the title to be decided on the final day. On senshūraku it was announced that Kotonowaka was awarded the Technique Prize for his performances during the tournament. In addition, he won his final match against Tobizaru , claiming a thirteenth victory necessary to reach the milestone traditionally required for promotion to

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5766-418: The following tournament, in January 2016, he won the jonokuchi championship with a perfect 7–0 record. Moving up in the rankings , Kotokamatani made it to the makushita division in September 2016, hitting the wall of that division and stagnating for a while. In May 2019, in a position of potential promotion to the jūryō division, Kotokamatani recorded a 4–3 record at makushita 2, including

5859-475: The latter gave the traditional post-victory public interview, saying he hoped Kotonowaka would rise to the supreme rank of yokozuna . Immediately after the end of the January 2024 tournament it was announced that the Judging Department of the Sumo Association (led by Kotonowaka's father Sadogatake) had submitted a request to Chairman Hakkaku to promote Kotonowaka to the rank of ōzeki . It

5952-429: The matches themselves, but is worn during the yokozuna 's dohyō-iri ring entrance ceremony. As the sport's biggest stars, yokozuna are in many ways the grandmasters and the public face of sumo. As such, the way they conduct themselves is highly scrutinized, as it is seen as reflecting on the image of sumo as a whole. As of July 2021, a total of 73 sumo wrestlers have earned the rank of yokozuna. The birth of

6045-474: The one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses ( kachi-koshi ) results in a promotion, and the reverse ( make-koshi ) results in demotion. There are stricter criteria for promotion to the top two ranks, which are also privileged when considered for demotion. At the top fixed positions of the division are the, "titleholder" or san'yaku ranks of yokozuna , ōzeki , sekiwake and komusubi . There are typically 8–12 san'yaku wrestlers, with

6138-426: The only child of then-active top division wrestler Kotonowaka I and Machiko Kamatani, the eldest daughter of sumo's 53rd yokozuna Kotozakura. Kotonowaka had married the daughter of his stablemaster the previous year, an old custom in the sumo world to secure the ownership of a stable . During his youth, Kamatani made a habit of attending Sadogatake stable's training sessions every day before going to school. It

6231-588: The performance of the top-ranked wrestlers. Usually, at the instigation of the Japan Sumo Association, they can make a recommendation that a particular ōzeki -ranked wrestler has the necessary attributes to be promoted. Their recommendation is then passed to the Judging division and then the Board of Directors of the Sumo Association who make the final decision. If a wrestler is deemed to have met

6324-490: The prominent Yoshida family. Before the Meiji Era , the title yokozuna was conferred on ōzeki who performed sumo in front of the shōgun . This privilege was more often determined by a wrestler's patron having sufficient influence rather than purely on the ability and dignity of the wrestler. Thus, there are a number of early wrestlers who were, by modern standards, yokozuna in name only. In these early days, yokozuna

6417-489: The rank of ōzeki (33 victories in 3 tournaments). With this victory he also qualified for a playoff against Yokozuna Terunofuji to claim both his first championship and the Outstanding Performance award. However, he lost the championship playoff against Terunofuji, thereby missing both of them. After the tournament, a disappointed and tearful Kotonowaka was nevertheless praised by Terunofuji when

6510-425: The rank of ōzeki . For his performances during the tournament, Kotonowaka was promised a fourth sanshō award for Fighting Spirit, which was nonetheless conditional on an eleventh victory. On the final day of the tournament, Kotonowaka won his match against Ryūden and was awarded the prize. Since he achieved double figures in a san'yaku rank, and was the first in this category to reach 10 wins during

6603-529: The rank of ōzeki , something he had been repeating regularly since his promotion to sekitori status. Following his ōzeki promotion at the end of the January 2024 tournament, he said that he planned to inherit the Kotozakura name starting in May 2024. Prior to taking the Kotozakura name, he was known professionally as Kotonowaka Masahiro ( 琴ノ若 傑太 ) . Kamatani was born on November 19, 1997,

6696-403: The rank of yokozuna is unclear, and there are two competing legends. According to one, a 9th-century wrestler named Hajikami tied a shimenawa around his waist as a handicap and dared anyone to touch it, creating sumo as it is now known in the process. According to the other, legendary wrestler Akashi Shiganosuke tied the shimenawa around his waist in 1630 as a sign of respect when visiting

6789-416: The ranks of san'yaku . On the tenth day, Kotonowaka faced and defeated Ōnosato by yorikiri , hence taking sole lead of the tournament. On Day 13, however, he suffered a defeat from Terunofuji , reportedly leaving him in a state of extreme frustration after the match and placing him ex-aequo with the yokozuna and Ōzeki Kirishima for the title race. However, he managed to bounce back

6882-410: The remainder, called maegashira , ranked in numerical order from 1 downwards. San'yaku ( 三役 ) literally means "the three ranks", even though it actually comprises four ranks. The discrepancy arose because the yokozuna was traditionally regarded as an ōzeki with a special license to wear a particular rope around his waist and perform a distinctive ring entry ceremony. In modern use san'yaku has

6975-1465: The three special prizes, or sanshō that are awarded for exceptional performance at the end of each tournament. [REDACTED] Terunofuji [REDACTED] Kotozakura [REDACTED] Hōshōryū [REDACTED] Ōnosato [REDACTED] Kirishima [REDACTED] Daieishō [REDACTED] Wakamotoharu [REDACTED] Shōdai [REDACTED] Ōhō [REDACTED] Hiradoumi [REDACTED] Wakatakakage [REDACTED] Ura [REDACTED] Abi [REDACTED] Atamifuji [REDACTED] Churanoumi [REDACTED] Ōshōma [REDACTED] Tobizaru [REDACTED] Kotoshōhō [REDACTED] Takanoshō [REDACTED] Nishikigi [REDACTED] Endō [REDACTED] Mitakeumi [REDACTED] Rōga [REDACTED] Gōnoyama [REDACTED] Midorifuji [REDACTED] Takayasu [REDACTED] Ichiyamamoto [REDACTED] Takarafuji [REDACTED] Tamawashi [REDACTED] Meisei [REDACTED] Hokutofuji [REDACTED] Sadanoumi [REDACTED] Ryūden [REDACTED] Shōnannoumi [REDACTED] Chiyoshōma [REDACTED] Nishikifuji [REDACTED] Ōnokatsu [REDACTED] Tokihayate [REDACTED] Shishi [REDACTED] Takerufuji [REDACTED] Asakōryū [REDACTED] Bushōzan Yokozuna ( 横綱 , IPA: [jo̞ko̞d͡zɯᵝna] )

7068-429: The title of ōzeki ." He also confirmed that he would retain the Kotonowaka name for the next tournament in March, before changing to Kotozakura on the May 2024 banzuke . His father Sadogatake shared his expectations that his son would ultimately reach sumo's top rank of yokozuna , saying that he had "one more step to climb." During the March tournament, Kotonowaka remained in a position of potential contention for

7161-415: The top makuuchi division in March 2020, reaching the san'yaku ranks in January 2023. His highest rank has been ōzeki . He has won one championship in the top division and five special prizes for Fighting Spirit, as well as one Technique prize. Long before his professional debut, Kotozakura's goal was to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and inherit his ring name if he was ever promoted to

7254-1466: The top two divisions makuuchi and jūryō as a whole, as the wrestlers in these divisions are fully salaried professionals as opposed to "in training." [REDACTED] Terunofuji [REDACTED] Kotozakura [REDACTED] Hōshōryū [REDACTED] Ōnosato [REDACTED] Kirishima [REDACTED] Daieishō [REDACTED] Wakamotoharu [REDACTED] Shōdai [REDACTED] Ōhō [REDACTED] Hiradoumi [REDACTED] Wakatakakage [REDACTED] Ura [REDACTED] Abi [REDACTED] Atamifuji [REDACTED] Churanoumi [REDACTED] Ōshōma [REDACTED] Tobizaru [REDACTED] Kotoshōhō [REDACTED] Takanoshō [REDACTED] Nishikigi [REDACTED] Endō [REDACTED] Mitakeumi [REDACTED] Rōga [REDACTED] Gōnoyama [REDACTED] Midorifuji [REDACTED] Takayasu [REDACTED] Ichiyamamoto [REDACTED] Takarafuji [REDACTED] Tamawashi [REDACTED] Meisei [REDACTED] Hokutofuji [REDACTED] Sadanoumi [REDACTED] Ryūden [REDACTED] Shōnannoumi [REDACTED] Chiyoshōma [REDACTED] Nishikifuji [REDACTED] Ōnokatsu [REDACTED] Tokihayate [REDACTED] Shishi [REDACTED] Takerufuji [REDACTED] Asakōryū [REDACTED] Bushōzan Jūryō ( 十両 ) ,

7347-670: The top wrestlers competing in the November 2024 tournament with the withdrawal of yokozuna Terunofuji . Kotozakura won 13 of his first 14 matches and entered the final day of top-division competition to face fellow ōzeki Hōshōryū , who also had 13 wins. In the final and deciding match Kotozakura countered Hōshōryū's overarm throw attempt, winning by hatakikomi (slap down) to take his first career Emperor's Cup and second overall professional sumo championship. By coincidence, Kotozakura won his first top-division title in his fifth tournament as an ōzeki at 27 years of age–the same as his late grandfather Kotozakura I , who won under

7440-593: The tournament leaders, Maegashira Nishikigi , ending his streak of 14 straight wins. On the tenth day, Kotonowaka inflicted defeat on another ōzeki rank contender, Sekiwake Hōshōryū . This victory was particularly significant for Kotonowaka, who had only beaten Hōshōryū once in eleven matches since the two joined the makuuchi division. In a letter to the editor published in Sankei Sports , former ōzeki Musōyama commented with satisfaction on Kotonowaka's wrestling style, deeming it worthy of

7533-440: The tournament with a left knee injury on Day 10. This injury, to the medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus of his left knee, could have cost him a year's absence from the ring had he opted for surgery. However, Kotonowaka decided to opt for regenerative surgery and obtained mixed results at the following tournaments as a result of his therapy. In January 2022 Kotonowaka won eleven matches from maegashira 14, and

7626-425: The uppermost ranks of the division, and thus slated for a possible advancement, may have a match with those in jūryō , either as one of the seven matches they are expected to compete in, or occasionally in addition to the matches they have already had. This eighth match is sometimes required as a result of tournament withdrawals due to injury of sekitori , and is usually given to makushita wrestlers who have achieved

7719-511: The way. Futahaguro eventually retired after only one and a half years at the top rank and became the only yokozuna in sumo history ever to retire without having won at least one top division championship. Elevation to yokozuna rank is a multi-stage process. After a tournament, the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, a body of lay people (that is, not former sumo wrestlers) who are appointed by the Japan Sumo Association to provide an independent quality control on yokozuna promotion, meet and discuss

7812-421: Was also not regarded as a separate rank in the listings, but as an ōzeki with special dispensation to perform his own ring entering ceremony. At first, the Yoshida family and a rival family, Gojo, fought for the right to award a wrestler a yokozuna licence. The Yoshida family won this dispute, because the 15th yokozuna Umegatani Tōtarō I , one of the strongest wrestlers, expressed his wish that he be awarded

7905-478: Was also noted that during his childhood he had a good relationship with Kotoyūki , the latter seeing him as a little brother. He had a good relationship with his grandfather, who taught him basic sumo elements (such as shiko or using a teppo pole) and expected him to be a sumo wrestler in order to continue his legacy. Shortly before Kotozakura died, Kamatani–who was still in third grade of elementary school–promised him that he would inherit his ring name if he

7998-473: Was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize for the second time. In March Kotonowaka was in contention for the championship on the final day for the second straight tournament, but lost to Hōshōryū when victory would have given him a chance of a playoff with the other two contenders, Wakatakakage and Takayasu . He finished in third place with 11–4 , but did receive his third Fighting Spirit prize. In

8091-503: Was given the shikona , or ring name, Kotokamatani Masakatsu ( 琴鎌谷 将且 ) , taking up his original name combined with the kanji koto ( 琴 ) used by all the wrestlers in his stable and using the first name his grandfather used when he was a wrestler. During his presentation ceremony with the other new wrestlers, Kotokamatani used the keshō-mawashi that his father had used on his last day as an active wrestler. Kotokamatani won all three of his maezumō bouts in November 2015. In

8184-437: Was honored to be at the same ranking as his father, while his father and stablemaster said that the rank was not the end, adding his hopes that someday his son would be on par with Kotozakura . Since Kotonowaka has obtained a solid base to start a run towards the rank of ōzeki , it was announced before the September tournament that his matches would be sponsored by the management and entertainment company LDH . During

8277-448: Was involved in several misbehaviors that embarrassed the Sumo Association such as hitting one of his tsukebito (manservant or personal assistant) over a trivial matter in a scandal that had six of his seven tsukebito decide to leave him. The promotion again proved to be a fiasco when it was later revealed that he had a heated argument with his stable boss, Tatsunami, and stormed out of the heya , allegedly striking Tatsunami's wife on

8370-922: Was named captain of the sumo club and won both the team competition at the National High School Comprehensive Athletics Sumo Tournament and the World Junior Sumo Championship heavyweight competition, held that year in Osaka . After graduating from senior high school, he decided to become a professional wrestler and logically joined the Sadogatake stable, where his mother and father announced that he would now be treated like any other wrestler, and Ōzeki Kotoshōgiku announced that he would receive no special treatment. Kamatani made his professional sumo debut in November 2015 and

8463-631: Was officially recognized as the highest rank. Since the establishment of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council ( 横綱審議委員会 , Yokozuna-shingi-iinkai ) on 21 April 1950, wrestlers have been promoted to yokozuna by the Japan Sumo Association . The first yokozuna promoted by the Sumo Association was the 41st yokozuna Chiyonoyama Masanobu . In modern sumo, the qualifications that an ōzeki must satisfy to be promoted are that he has enough power, skill and dignity/grace (品格 hinkaku ) to qualify. There are no absolute criteria, nor

8556-650: Was promoted to the rank of ōzeki . In November 2005 when Kamatani was in the second year of elementary school his father retired and took over the running of Sadogatake stable . Kamatani was in the Fukuoka International Center to witness his father's final bout, and his father told him to one day inherit the Kotonowaka ring name. As a student, he decided to enter Saitama Sakae High School (well-known for its sumo club) where he also trained with future professional wrestlers Ōhō and Gōnoyama , both his juniors. In 2013, Kamatani participated to

8649-428: Was reported after the tournament that Kotonowaka was expected to keep his shikona (ring name) for a while to honor his father, whose highest rank in competition was sekiwake , before adopting the name of his late yokozuna grandfather Kotozakura . The Sumo Association approved Kotonowaka's promotion on 31 January 2024, making him the first ōzeki from Chiba Prefecture since the promotion of Matsunobori after

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