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125-511: Terao Tsunefumi ( 寺尾 常史 , born as Yoshifumi Fukuzono 福薗 好文; 2 February 1963 – 17 December 2023) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo , but brought up in Kajiki , Aira District , Kagoshima , Japan . He fought out of Izutsu stable . The highest rank he reached was sekiwake . Despite his relatively light weight he had an extremely long career, spanning 23 years from 1979 until 2002, and

250-730: A make-koshi or losing record of 7–8 in November. In 1994, a year in which Akebono suffered several injury problems, Takanohana won the January and May tournaments, but was then outshone by Musashimaru , who won in July with a perfect 15–0 record. After taking the September 1994 championship, Takanohana now had six top division titles, but none had been won consecutively. No previous wrestler had ever accumulated so many titles before reaching sumo's highest rank. The Sumo Association nominated him for yokozuna after

375-483: A siesta -like nap after a large lunch. The most common type of lunch served is the traditional sumo meal of chankonabe , which consists of a simmering stew of various meat and vegetables cooked at the table, and usually eaten with rice. This regimen of no breakfast and a large lunch followed by a sleep is intended to help wrestlers put on a lot of weight so as to compete more effectively. Sumo wrestlers also drink large amounts of beer. Takahanada Takanohana

500-597: A civil lawsuit brought by the Sumo Association against the tabloid magazine Shūkan Gendai over allegations that his father benefited from a thrown match for the championship in 1975, saying, "she will essentially be fighting against me." He said he would take responsibility by resigning from the Sumo Association if she took the stand. In a radio interview Fujita said she would not testify, saying, "I will not drag my child down". In late 1992 Takanohana announced his engagement to actress Rie Miyazawa , news which sparked

625-530: A bonus of 130 million yen and was also made a "one generation" elder without having to purchase a share in the Association. This enabled him to keep his fighting name and he was now known as Takanohana Oyakata. With his father's health failing, he took over the operation of his training stable in January 2004, renaming it Takanohana stable . Its last sekitori , Takanonami retired shortly afterwards. During 2008, he added four new recruits to his stable,

750-528: A bout to be restarted, or leave the decision as given by the gyōji . Occasionally the shimpan will overrule the gyōji and give the bout to the other wrestler. On rare occasions the referee or judges may award the win to the wrestler who touched the ground first. This happens if both wrestlers touch the ground at nearly the same time and it is decided that the wrestler who touched the ground second had no chance of winning, his opponent's superior sumo having put him in an irrecoverable position. The losing wrestler

875-559: A bow for being victorious and he began dancing to show the war-lord his gratitude. Because sumo had become a nuisance due to wild fighting on the streets, particularly in Edo, sumo was temporarily banned in the city during the Edo period . In 1684, sumo was permitted to be held for charity events on the property of Shinto shrines, as was common in Kyoto and Osaka . The first sanctioned tournament took place in

1000-476: A considerable disadvantage in an era when most of his opponents were over 150 kg (330 lb). He compensated by relying on his speed and agility, and was often able to use his quick reactions to outwit his heavier opponents. He was well known for his rapid series of thrusts to the chest ( tsuppari ), enabling him to win many of his matches by hataki-komi (the slap down), oshi-dashi (the push out) and tsuki-dashi (the thrust out). Due to his light weight he

1125-440: A fight, which is similar to the ritual before entering a Shinto shrine. Additionally, before a match begins the two wrestlers perform and repeat a warm up routine called shikiri . The top division is given four minutes for shikiri , while the second division is given three, after which the timekeeping judge signals to the gyōji that time is up. Traditionally, sumo wrestlers are renowned for their great girth and body mass, which

1250-454: A form of military combat training among samurai . By the Muromachi period , sumo had fully left the seclusion of the court and became a popular event for the masses, and among the daimyō it became common to sponsor wrestlers. Sumotori who successfully fought for a daimyō' s favor were given generous support and samurai status. Oda Nobunaga , a particularly avid fan of the sport, held

1375-601: A form of wooden sandal called geta . Wrestlers in the makushita and sandanme divisions can wear a form of traditional short overcoat over their yukata and are allowed to wear straw sandals, called zōri . The higher-ranked sekitori can wear silk robes of their own choice, and the quality of the garb is significantly improved. They also are expected to wear a more elaborate form of topknot called an ōichō (big ginkgo leaf) on formal occasions. Similar distinctions are made in stable life. The junior wrestlers must get up earliest, around 5 am, for training, whereas

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1500-424: A giant Coca-Cola bottle. Promotion and relegation for the next tournament are determined by a wrestler's score over the 15 days. In the top division, the term kachikoshi means a score of 8–7 or better, as opposed to makekoshi , which indicates a score of 7–8 or worse. A wrestler who achieves kachikoshi almost always is promoted further up the ladder, the level of promotion being higher for better scores. See

1625-463: A highly regimented way of life. The Sumo Association prescribes the behavior of its wrestlers in some detail. For example, the association prohibits wrestlers from driving cars, although this is partly out of necessity as many wrestlers are too big to fit behind a steering wheel. Breaking the rules can result in fines and/or suspension for both the offending wrestler and his stablemaster. On entering sumo, they are expected to grow their hair long to form

1750-523: A kick to the back as well. Until the Japanese Middle Ages, this unregulated form of wrestling was often fought to the death of one of the fighters. In the Kofun period (300–538), Haniwa of sumo wrestlers were made. The first historically attested sumo fights were held in 642 at the court of Empress Kōgyoku to entertain a Korean legation. In the centuries that followed, the popularity of sumo within

1875-403: A late decision to compete. A shoulder injury caused him to miss two days, and after suffering successive losses to Dejima and Aminishiki he announced his retirement. He said he had no regrets and was thankful to have achieved so much in sumo. His father spoke of his relief at the decision, after seeing his son battle through so many injuries. Takanohana's record of 22 tournament championships

2000-517: A lengthy recuperation after that. Takanohana finally returned to the ring in September 2002, after the Sumo Association declared he must compete or retire. He finished behind Musashimaru on 12–3, the 16th time he had been a tournament runner-up. Considering how long he had been away, it was seen as an impressive comeback. However, he sat out the next tournament with a recurrence of the knee injury. He made another comeback in January 2003, making

2125-426: A lower-ranked wrestler, it is common and expected for audience members to throw their seat cushions into the ring (and onto the wrestlers), though this practice is technically prohibited. In contrast to the time in bout preparation, bouts are typically very short, usually less than a minute (most of the time only a few seconds). Extremely rarely, a bout can go on for several minutes. A professional sumo wrestler leads

2250-405: A manner akin to a McMahon system tournament ; each wrestler in the top two divisions ( sekitori ) has one match per day, while the lower-ranked wrestlers compete in seven bouts, about one every two days. Each day is structured so that the highest-ranked contestants compete at the end of the day. Thus, wrestling starts in the morning with the jonokuchi wrestlers and ends at around six o'clock in

2375-486: A negative effect on their health, with sumo wrestlers having a much lower life expectancy than the average Japanese man. From 2008 to 2016, a number of high-profile controversies and scandals rocked the sumo world, with an associated effect on its reputation and ticket sales. These have also affected the sport's ability to attract recruits. Despite this setback, sumo's popularity and general attendance has rebounded due to having multiple yokozuna (or grand champions) for

2500-446: A period of 12 months to add an extra 15 cm (6 in) of silicone to his scalp, which created a large, protruding bulge on his head. In response to this, the JSA stated that they would no longer accept aspiring wrestlers who surgically enhanced their height, citing health concerns. In 2019, The Japan Times reported that the height requirement was 167 cm (5 ft 6 in), and

2625-509: A playoff on the final day. He won his final championship in May 2001, again in a playoff against Musashimaru, but it came at a great cost. He had suffered serious knee ligament damage in a loss to Musōyama on the 14th day but he insisted on fighting until the end of the tournament. As a result, he then missed an unprecedented seven consecutive tournaments, undergoing surgery in Paris in July 2001 and having

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2750-486: A reed", defeating Takeminakata and claiming Izumo. The Nihon Shoki , published in 720, dates the first sumo match between mortals to the year 23 BC, when a man named Nomi no Sukune fought against Taima no Kuehaya at the request of Emperor Suinin and eventually killed him, making him the mythological ancestor of sumo. According to the Nihon Shoki , Nomi broke a rib of Taima with one kick, and killed him with

2875-470: A row take the tournament. More complex systems for championship playoffs involving four or more wrestlers also exist, but these are usually only seen in determining the winner of one of the lower divisions. The matchups for each day of the tournament are determined by the sumo elders who are members of the judging division of the Japan Sumo Association . They meet every morning at 11 am and announce

3000-467: A run of 1359 bouts without absence, the seventh highest ever. 1063 of these were in makuuchi , the fourth highest ever. His 110 tournaments ranked as a sekitori (in the top two divisions) was an all-time record until it was broken by Kaiō in 2010. Terao was an oshi-sumo specialist, relying on pushing and thrusting techniques, keeping his opponent away from his mawashi . Throughout his career he consistently weighed around 115 kg (254 lb),

3125-460: A similar amount of coverage to the Japanese royal wedding held that year. However the engagement was broken off the following year, reportedly because Miyazawa was seen by Takanohana's parents and the Sumo Association as being unwilling to sacrifice her career to become a regular stable wife. The role of the wife of a head coach in looking after the stable's recruits and liaising with supporter's groups

3250-483: A snip of his hair, instead of the normal 300 to 400. The ceremony, and the party held afterwards at the Imperial Hotel , were both broadcast live on Fuji TV . Takanohana was largely a yotsu-sumo wrestler, favoring techniques which involved grabbing his opponent's mawashi or belt. His preferred grip was migi-yotsu (right hand inside, left hand outside his opponent). His most common winning kimarite by far

3375-483: A supporter or family member who encouraged them into the sport. This is particularly true of foreign-born wrestlers. A wrestler may change his wrestling name during his career, with some changing theirs several times. Professional sumo wrestling has a strict hierarchy based on sporting merit. The wrestlers are ranked according to a system that dates back to the Edo period. They are promoted or demoted according to their performance in six official tournaments held throughout

3500-466: A topknot, or chonmage , similar to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo period. Furthermore, they are expected to wear the chonmage and traditional Japanese dress when in public, allowing them to be identified immediately as wrestlers. The type and quality of the dress depends on the wrestler's rank. Rikishi in jonidan and below are allowed to wear only a thin cotton robe called a yukata , even in winter. Furthermore, when outside, they must wear

3625-511: A tournament of 1,500 wrestlers in February 1578. Because several bouts were to be held simultaneously within Oda Nobunaga's castle, circular arenas were delimited to hasten the proceedings and to maintain the safety of the spectators. This event marks the invention of the dohyō , which would be developed into its current form up until the 18th century. The winner of Nobunaga's tournament was given

3750-441: A winner is still not found after another four minutes, the fight restarts from the tachi-ai after another mizu-iri . If this still does not result in a decision, the outcome is considered a hikiwake ( draw ). This is an extremely rare result, with the last such draw being called in September 1974. A special attraction of sumo is the variety of observed ceremonies and rituals, some of which have been cultivated in connection with

3875-422: A wrestler's future rank. Rank is determined only by performance in grand sumo tournaments. The six divisions in sumo, in descending order of prestige, are: Wrestlers enter sumo in the lowest jonokuchi division and, ability permitting, work their way up to the top division. A broad demarcation in the sumo world can be seen between the wrestlers in the top two divisions known as sekitori ( 関取 ) and those in

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4000-500: A wrestler's prior performance. For example, in the lower divisions, wrestlers with the same record in a tournament are generally matched up with each other and the last matchups often involve undefeated wrestlers competing against each other, even if they are from opposite ends of the division. In the top division, in the last few days, wrestlers with exceptional records often have matches against much more highly ranked opponents, including san'yaku wrestlers, especially if they are still in

4125-544: A year later was promoted to the top makuuchi division. Takanohana also coached Takakeishō , who reached the top division in January 2017. Takanohana became a judge of tournament bouts in February 2004, only a year after his retirement, a role for which elders normally have to wait at least four years. After the election of the Association's Board of Directors in February 2008, the Association appointed Takanohana as Associate Manager of Judging ( 審判部副部長 , shimpanbu-fukubuchō ) , replacing former yokozuna Chiyonofuji who

4250-463: Is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring ( dohyō ) or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down). Sumo originated in Japan , the only country where it is practised professionally and where it is considered the national sport . It

4375-632: Is considered a gendai budō , which refers to modern Japanese martial arts , but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto . Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the Japan Sumo Association . Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as heya , where all aspects of their daily lives—from meals to their manner of dress—are dictated by strict kyara tradition. The lifestyle has

4500-400: Is now around 90 kg (200 lb). In 2009 he published a book detailing his weight loss methods. He ran for the chairmanship of the Sumo Association in 2016, but was defeated by Hakkaku Oyakata (ex- yokozuna Hokutoumi ). Following this he was replaced as General Enterprises Director, seen as the third highest position in the Association's hierarchy, by Kagamiyama Oyakata , and became

4625-410: Is often a winning factor in sumo. No weight divisions are used in professional sumo; a wrestler can sometimes face an opponent twice his own weight. However, with superior technique, smaller wrestlers can control and defeat much larger opponents. The average weight of top division wrestlers has continued to increase, from 125 kilograms (276 lb) in 1969 to over 150 kilograms (330 lb) by 1991, and

4750-416: Is referred to as being shini-tai ("dead body") in this case. The maximum length of a match varies depending on the division. In the top division, the limit is four minutes, although matches usually only last a few seconds. If the match has not yet ended after the allotted time has elapsed, a mizu-iri ( water break ) is taken, after which the wrestlers continue the fight from their previous positions. If

4875-522: Is regarded as a full-time job. In May 1995 Takanohana married television announcer Keiko Kono, eight years older than him. They have a son and two daughters. His son Yuuichi is a shoemaker and radio personality who is married to the daughter of former sumo wrestler Fujinoshin . It was reported in November 2018 that Takanohana and Kono had divorced. In September 2023, Takanohana's management office confirmed that he had married another woman in August 2023;

5000-417: The makuuchi article for more details on promotion and relegation. A top-division wrestler who is not an ōzeki or yokozuna and who finishes the tournament with kachikoshi is also eligible to be considered for one of the three prizes awarded for "technique", "fighting spirit", and defeating the most yokozuna and ōzeki the "outstanding performance" prize. For more information see sanshō . For

5125-403: The mawashi (belt) and then forcing him out, a style called yotsu-zumō ( 四つ相撲 ) , or pushing the opponent out of the ring without a firm grip, a style called oshi-zumō ( 押し相撲 ) . The dohyō , which is constructed and maintained by the yobidashi , consists of a raised pedestal on which a circle 4.55 m (14.9 ft) in diameter is delimited by a series of rice-straw bales. In

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5250-469: The Japan Sumo Association is called ōzumō ( 大相撲 ) , or 'grand sumo'. Prehistoric wall paintings indicate that sumo originated from an agricultural ritual dance performed in prayer for a good harvest. The first mention of sumo can be found in a Kojiki manuscript dating back to 712, which describes how possession of the Japanese islands was decided in a wrestling match between the kami known as Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata . Takemikazuchi

5375-659: The Kokugikan in Tokyo (January, May, and September), and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July), and Fukuoka (November). Until the end of 1984, the Kokugikan was located in Kuramae , Tokyo, but moved in 1985 to the newly built venue at Ryōgoku . Each tournament begins on a Sunday and runs for 15 days, ending also on a Sunday, roughly in the middle of the month. The tournaments are organized in

5500-483: The Tomioka Hachiman Shrine at this time. An official sumo organization was developed, consisting of professional wrestlers at the disposal of the Edo administration. Many elements date from this period, such as the dohyō-iri , the heya system, the gyōji and the mawashi . The 18th century brought forth several notable wrestlers such as Raiden Tameemon , Onogawa Kisaburō and Tanikaze Kajinosuke ,

5625-686: The Winter Olympics in Nagano (his place was taken by Akebono). He pulled out of the March 1998 tournament as well and was still below his best in May. Shunning the traditional treatment methods available from his stable, he turned instead to a physical therapist called Tashiro Tomita, who had a considerable influence over him. He became increasingly isolated from his father and brother, with his father claiming Takanohana had been "brainwashed" by Tomita. Despite his brother's promotion to yokozuna that year, creating

5750-495: The jungyo (regional tour) director. Takanohana was criticized for his delay in notifying the Sumo Association that Takanoiwa would miss the November 2017 tournament because of injuries allegedly sustained in an assault by the yokozuna Harumafuji at a restaurant in bar in Tottori Prefecture in late October. Takanohana reported the incident to the police but did not submit a medical certificate for his wrestler until near

5875-487: The kanji " 角力 ", as in the Nihon Shoki . Here, the first character means 'corner', but serves as a phonetic element as one reading of it is sumi , while the second character means 'force'. Sumō is also a general term for wrestling in Japanese. For example, udezumō ( 腕相撲 , 'arm sumō') means ' arm wrestling ', and yubizumō ( 指相撲 , 'finger sumō') means ' finger wrestling '. The professional sumo observed by

6000-443: The sekitori may start around 7 am. When the sekitori are training, the junior wrestlers may have chores to do, such as assisting in cooking lunch, cleaning, and preparing baths, holding a sekitori ' s towel, or wiping the sweat from him. The ranking hierarchy is preserved for the order of precedence in bathing after training, and in eating lunch. Wrestlers are not normally allowed to eat breakfast and are expected to have

6125-480: The yakuza underworld after media reports that he was seen with a mobster during a visit to Ehime Prefecture to recruit new apprentices. Following the election of Hanaregoma as the new head of the Sumo Association in August 2010, Takanohana returned to the judging department as director of judging. At 38 he was the second youngest director of judging in the history of the Sumo Association. The following month he and his wife were awarded ¥8.47 million in damages by

6250-554: The Association demanded that he disavow what he wrote as "totally false," but he refused. He also announced that Takanohana stable will be dissolved with its wrestlers transferring to Chiganoura stable . He called his decision "agonizing and gut-wrenching" but said he could not "bend the truth and say that what was in my complaint was untrue." The JSA in response denied pressuring Takanohana to do this, or to align his stable with an ichimon , and spokesman Shibatayama said they had not yet accepted his resignation as Takanohana had not used

6375-532: The Board director. In February 2009 he was moved from the judging department to the jungyō (regional tour) department, a less high-profile position. Takanohana mentioned in October 2009 that he was interested in running for a spot on the Board of Directors in the February 2010 elections, and confirmed in January that he would stand, despite the fact that this would mean opposing the two officially sanctioned candidates of

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6500-461: The Japanese population on TV, becoming the youngest ever to defeat a yokozuna. Chiyonofuji retired two days afterwards. In January 1992, he became the youngest ever top division tournament champion (19 years 5 months). He was too young to drink the celebratory sake at the after tournament party, and had to make do with oolong tea instead. After his second championship in September 1992, followed by two good scores of 10–5 and 11–4 in

6625-510: The Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables. As a result, Takanohana and six of his supporters, Ōtake (the former Takatōriki ), Futagoyama (the former Dairyū ), Otowayama (the former Takanonami ), Tokiwayama (the former Takamisugi ), Ōnomatsu (the former Masurao ), and Magaki (the former Wakanohana II ) left the Nishonoseki ichimon . Takanohana told a press conference, "I will leave the faction. I bid farewell to everyone in my greetings at

6750-566: The September tournament, but the Yokozuna Deliberation Council failed to endorse it by the required two-thirds majority, the first time this had happened in twenty five years. They insisted that two consecutive championships were required, having demanded the same of Akebono before his promotion. After changing the spelling of his shikona in November 1994, Takanohana at last managed to win two consecutive tournaments, with his second consecutive unbeaten 15–0 score, and his promotion

6875-588: The Sumo Association's accounts and assets. His victory was praised by the Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama , who said Takanohana had let in "a new wind of change." In 2014, the JSA made the decision to recognize the Takanohana group formed from the stables ousted in 2010, as an official ichimon . In July 2010, in the wake of a scandal involving several wrestlers admitting to illegal gambling, he denied he had connections with members of

7000-441: The Sumo Association, and for failing to co-operate with the investigation. Their recommendation was certified by a meeting of Sumo Association councilors and external members on January 4, with Takanohana demoted two rungs in the hierarchy. It is the first time that a director has been dismissed before the end of his scheduled term. He failed to gain re-election to the board in the February 2018 elections, receiving only two votes in

7125-600: The Tokyo High Court over 13 articles published by the Shukan Gendai and Gekkan Gendai in 2004 and 2005 concerning match-fixing allegations and the controversy over his father's inheritance. He left the judging department once again in 2012 and became the director of the Osaka tournament. Having reached a peak weight of 160 kg (350 lb) as an active wrestler, he has lost a great deal of weight since his retirement (more than retired wrestlers typically do) and

7250-426: The adopted daughter of former makushita Kaganishiki , who was adopted by Nishinoumi , the 25th yokozuna . His cousin is Tsurunofuji (former jūryō ). Terao and his brothers Kakureizan and Sakahoko together hold various sumo records: they are the first three brothers ever to reach sekitori status; in September 1986 Terao and Sakahoko were the first brothers to win prizes together; and in March 1989 they were

7375-689: The advice of a fortune-teller . In the following tournament in January 1988, he defeated yokozuna Onokuni to earn his first kinboshi . He defeated Chiyonofuji in the January 1989 tournament and won the Outstanding Performance Award. In the next basho in March 1989, he finally made his breakthrough into the titled san'yaku ranks at sekiwake after four years in the top division, joining his brother at sumo's third highest rank. Although Terao fought several tournaments at sekiwake he never came close to ōzeki , his best performance as sekiwake being 9–6. His last appearance in san'yaku

7500-422: The age of 30. He became the head coach of Takanohana stable in 2004 and was on the board of directors of the Japan Sumo Association from 2010 until January 2018, when he was removed and demoted in the Sumo Association's hierarchy. He resigned from the Sumo Association in September 2018. Takanohana comes from a family with a great sumo history, sometimes called the "Hanada Dynasty." His uncle Wakanohana Kanji I

7625-399: The ballot. The Takanohana group had selected Ōnomatsu Oyakata (the former sekiwake Masurao ), as their preferred candidate and he was duly elected, but Takanohana decided to run as well. In March 2018 Takanohana was demoted again, to the lowest rank of toshiyori , due mainly to the behavior of his wrestler Takayoshitoshi , who was suspended for one tournament for punching his attendant in

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7750-408: The bout, the referee must immediately designate his decision by pointing his gunbai or war-fan towards the winning side. The winning technique ( kimarite ) used by the winner would then be announced to the audience. The wrestlers then return to their starting positions and bow to each other before retiring. The referee's decision is not final and may be disputed by the five judges seated around

7875-425: The central association. The popularity of sumo was restored when Emperor Meiji organized a tournament in 1884; his example would make sumo a national symbol and contribute to nationalist sentiment following military successes against Korea and China. The Japan Sumo Association reunited on 28 December 1925 and increased the number of annual tournaments from two to four, and then to six in 1958. The length of tournaments

8000-665: The correct documents. They accepted Takanohana's retirement, and the closure of Takanohana stable, on October 1, 2018. He received 10 million yen for retirement and bonuses, and has been allowed to use the name "Takanohana" outside of the sumo world. In a press conference on May 19, 2019 Takanohana announced he would be establishing the Takanohana Dojo organization to promote sumo worldwide. He also ruled out any suggestion that he would enter Japanese politics. The Hanada family had generally received very positive press coverage while Takanohana and Wakanohana were active wrestlers, with

8125-559: The court increased its ceremonial and religious significance. Regular events at the Emperor's court, the sumai no sechie , and the establishment of the first set of rules for sumo fall into the cultural heyday of the Heian period . With the collapse of the Emperor's central authority, sumo lost its importance in the court; during the Kamakura period , sumo was repurposed from a ceremonial struggle to

8250-495: The culmination of the tournament echoes the words of the playwright Zeami to represent the excitement of the decisive bouts and the celebration of the victor. The Emperor's Cup is presented to the wrestler who wins the top-division makuuchi championship. Numerous other (mostly sponsored) prizes are also awarded to him. These prizes are often rather elaborate, ornate gifts, such as giant cups, decorative plates, and statuettes. Others are quite commercial, such as one trophy shaped like

8375-626: The dressing room after a match. He returned to the shimpan or judging committee. On September 25, 2018 Takanohana announced his resignation from the Japan Sumo Association, after refusing to disavow the allegations in a letter of complaint that he filed with the Cabinet Office on March 9 over the Association's handling of the Takanoiwa affair. Although he withdrew the letter later that month following Takayoshitoshi's misbehavior, in August

8500-419: The evening with bouts involving the yokozuna . The wrestler who wins the most matches over the 15 days wins the tournament championship ( yūshō ) for his division. If two wrestlers are tied for the top, they wrestle each other and the winner takes the title. Three-way ties for a championship are rare, at least in the top division. In these cases, the three wrestle each other in pairs with the first to win two in

8625-522: The first brothers to hold sekiwake rank simultaneously. In November 1990 they appeared together in Chiyonofuji 's ring-entering ceremony as sword-bearer and dew-sweeper. Terao took up sumo shortly after his mother died of cancer. He joined Izutsu stable , which was run by his father, alongside his two brothers. He started competing under the name Terao Setsuo (寺尾 節男) after his mother's maiden name Setsuko Terao (寺尾 節子, Terao Setsuko ). Terao first entered

8750-438: The first ever sibling grand champions, the two were barely on speaking terms. Takanohana recovered to win the July and September 1998 tournaments, and was runner-up that November. In 1999, however, he was even more badly affected by injuries, including a dislocated shoulder, and managed only one score in double digits all year. After making peace with his family, Takanohana regained some of his consistency in 2000, although he

8875-402: The first for several years, bringing the total number of wrestlers in his charge up to ten. These include his first foreign recruit, a Mongolian with amateur sumo experience named Takanoiwa , and two twins. In July 2012 Takanohana produced his first sekitori level wrestler when Takanoiwa was promoted to the second highest jūryō division. He won the jūryō championship in January 2013 and

9000-484: The first historical yokozuna . When Matthew Perry was shown sumo wrestling during his 1853 expedition to Japan, he found it distasteful and arranged a military showcase to display the merits of Western organization. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought about the end of the feudal system, and with it the wealthy daimyō as sponsors. Due to a new fixation on Western culture , sumo had come to be seen as an embarrassing and backward relic, and internal disputes split

9125-493: The first time in a number of years and other high-profile wrestlers grabbing the public's attention. The spoken word sumō goes back to the verb sumau/sumafu , meaning 'compete' or 'fight'. The written word goes back to the expression sumai no sechi ( 相撲の節 ) , which was a wrestling competition at the imperial court during the Heian period . The characters from sumai , or sumō today, mean 'to strike each other'. There are instances of "sumo" alternatively being written with

9250-436: The following day's matchups around 12 pm. An exception are the final day 15 matchups, which are announced much later on day 14. Each wrestler only competes against a selection of opponents from the same division, though small overlaps can occur between two divisions. The first bouts of a tournament tend to be between wrestlers who are within a few ranks of each other. Afterwards, the selection of opponents takes into account

9375-422: The four lower divisions, known commonly by the more generic term rikishi ( 力士 ) . The ranks receive different levels of compensation, privileges, and status. The topmost makuuchi division receives the most attention from fans and has the most complex hierarchy. The majority of wrestlers are maegashira ( 前頭 ) and are ranked from the highest level 1 down to about 16 or 17. In each rank are two wrestlers;

9500-403: The fourth highest ever, his total number of makuuchi bouts (1378) is the fifth highest ever. His 860 wins are the tenth highest ever; his 938 losses were the most ever recorded until Kyokutenhō finished his career with 944 losses in 2015. When he had to sit out 1 day of the March 1997 tournament and the whole May 1997 tournament after breaking his big toe in a bout against Kyokushūzan it ended

9625-413: The higher rank is designated as "east" and the lower as "west", so the list goes #1 east, #1 west, #2 east, #2 west, etc. Above the maegashira are the three champion or titleholder ranks, called the san'yaku , which are only numbered if the number of wrestlers in each rank exceeds two. These are, in ascending order, komusubi ( 小結 ) , sekiwake ( 関脇 ) , and ōzeki ( 大関 ) . At the pinnacle of

9750-450: The highest ranks. In the 10 years since January 2009, five of the nine wrestlers promoted to ōzeki have been foreign-born, and a Japanese had not been named yokozuna from 1998 until the promotion of Kisenosato Yutaka in 2017. This and other issues eventually led the Sumo Association to limit the number of foreigners allowed to one in each stable. Women are not allowed to compete in professional sumo. They are also not allowed to enter

9875-404: The last five days or so of the tournament (depending on the number of top-ranked wrestlers competing). Traditionally, on the final day, the last three bouts of the tournament are between the top six ranked wrestlers, with the top two competing in the final matchup, unless injuries during the tournament prevent this. Certain match-ups are prohibited in regular tournament play. Wrestlers who are from

10000-414: The list of upper divisions champions since 1909, refer to the list of top division champions and the list of second division champions . At the initial charge, both wrestlers must jump up from the crouch simultaneously after touching the surface of the ring with two fists at the start of the bout. The referee ( gyōji ) can restart the bout if this simultaneous touch does not occur. Upon completion of

10125-452: The meeting. I have stepped into the race as a candidate." The first contested elections since 2002, they took place by secret ballot on February 1, and Takanohana was elected to the board, replacing Ōshima . Seen as a reformer, he favored revamping the current ticket sales system and improving support for ex- rikishi , as well as encouraging sumo in primary schools, raising the pay of gyōji , yobidashi and tokoyama , and making public

10250-412: The middle of the circle there are two starting lines ( shikiri-sen ), behind which the wrestlers line up for the tachi-ai , the synchronized charge that initiates the match. The direction of the match is incumbent on the gyōji , a referee who is supported by five shimpan (judges). In some situations, a review of the gyōji ' s decision may be needed. The shimpan may convene a conference in

10375-433: The middle of the ring, called a mono-ii . This is done if the judges decide that the decision over who won the bout needs to be reviewed; for example, if both wrestlers appear to touch the ground or step out of the ring at the same time. In these cases, sometimes video is reviewed to see what happened. Once a decision is made, the chief judge will announce the decision to the spectators and the wrestlers alike. They may order

10500-561: The next two tournaments, he was promoted to ōzeki in January 1993, the same tournament in which Akebono was elevated to yokozuna . During this period the two brothers created a so-called "Waka-Taka boom" and were credited with restoring sumo's popularity, particularly amongst younger audiences. Interest in sumo rose to its highest level since the era of Futabayama in the 1930s, with official tournaments ( honbasho ) selling out of tickets every day. Both Takahanada and his brother became sex symbols . Now known as Takanohana ( 貴ノ花 ) , he

10625-410: The oldest man post World War II to earn promotion to the top division. His last tournament was in September 2002, where he scored only five wins at the rank of jūryō 11 and faced certain demotion to the makushita division. Despite suffering from a heart condition, Terao enjoyed an exceptionally long and relatively injury-free career from his debut in 1979 aged 16 to his retirement in 2002 aged 39. He

10750-404: The opponent. The Japan Sumo Association currently distinguishes 82 kimarite (winning techniques), some of which come from judo . Illegal moves are called kinjite , which include strangulation, hair-pulling, bending fingers, gripping the crotch area, kicking, poking eyes, punching and simultaneously striking both the opponent's ears. The most common basic forms are grabbing the opponent by

10875-456: The police, whereas "in most other sports he'd be lauded as a whistleblowing hero." It was announced after a meeting of sumo elders on December 1, 2017 that Takanohana would only talk to the Sumo Association's crisis management team once the police investigation was concluded. On December 28 an emergency meeting of the board of directors recommended unanimously to dismiss Takanohana as a director for failing to promptly report Takanoiwa's injuries to

11000-402: The press holding them up as the ideal Japanese family and tending to ignore any splits between them. Their different attitudes towards both sumo philosophy and the outside world had been noted, with Takanohana being regarded as somewhat aloof and reserved and Wakanohana having a warmer personality. However, upon their father's death from cancer on May 30, 2005, a bitter rift between the brothers

11125-428: The rank of yokozuna at the same time. In antiquity, sumo was solely a Japanese sport. Since the 1900s, however, the number of foreign-born sumo wrestlers has gradually increased. In the beginning of this period, these few foreign wrestlers were listed as Japanese, but particularly since the 1960s, a number of high-profile foreign-born wrestlers became well-known, and in more recent years have even come to dominate in

11250-446: The rank of ōzeki . Their early career attracted much publicity, with each divisional promotion regarded by the media as part of an inevitable rise to the top ranks. Takahanada's progress was rapid and he set numerous age-related records, including the youngest ever makushita division tournament champion (16 years 9 months), youngest ever promoted to the second highest jūryō division (17 years 3 months), and

11375-446: The ranking system is the rank of yokozuna ( 横綱 ) . Yokozuna , or grand champions, are generally expected to compete for and to win the top division tournament title on a regular basis, hence the promotion criteria for yokozuna are very strict. In general, an ōzeki must win the championship for two consecutive tournaments or an "equivalent performance" to be considered for promotion to yokozuna . More than one wrestler can hold

11500-402: The ring. If this happens, they meet in the center of the ring to hold a mono-ii (a talk about things). After reaching a consensus, they can uphold or reverse the referee's decision or order a rematch, known as a torinaoshi . A winning wrestler in the top division may receive additional prize money in envelopes from the referee if the matchup has been sponsored. If a yokozuna is defeated by

11625-408: The running for the top division championship. Similarly, more highly ranked wrestlers with very poor records may find themselves fighting wrestlers much further down the division. For the yokozuna and ōzeki , the first week and a half of the tournament tends to be taken up with bouts against the top maegashira , komusubi , and sekiwake , with the bouts within these ranks being concentrated into

11750-499: The same month. The two brothers had to move from the family quarters in the stable and join the communal room with all the other new recruits. They were also instructed not to refer to their parents as "father" and "mother" any more but as "oyakata" and "okamisan" (coach and coach's wife). Kōji initially wrestled under the name Takahanada ( 貴花田 ) , and it was understood that he would only be allowed to adopt his father's shikona of Takanohana (meaning noble flower ) when he reached

11875-411: The same training stable cannot compete against each other, nor can wrestlers who are brothers, even if they join different stables. The one exception to this rule is that training stable partners and brothers can face each other in a championship-deciding playoff match. The last day of the tournament is called senshūraku , which literally means "the pleasure of a thousand autumns". This colorful name for

12000-624: The second jūryō division in July 1984. To mark this promotion he changed his name to Genjiyama Rikisaburō, but reverted to Terao Setsuo after a single tournament. After winning the jūryō championship in January 1985 he entered the top makuuchi division, but won only 6 bouts out of 15 and so returned to jūryō . He won the jūryō division the next tournament and so reentered makuuchi in July 1985. In September 1986 he earned nine wins and his first special prize, for Fighting Spirit. This advanced him to his then highest rank, maegashira 1. He changed his name to Terao Tsunefumi in November 1987, on

12125-471: The second wrestler coached by Shikoroyama to reach the top division. Shikoroyama has also produced the sekiwake Abi . While active Terao was friendly with fellow top division wrestlers Masurao and Kotogaume . He was a fan of J-pop . His eldest (adopted) son is actor Yūki Terao  [ ja ] . Sakahoko died in September 2019, and Kakureizan in March 2020, leaving Terao as the only surviving Fukuzono brother. His own health declined in 2022, and he

12250-412: The sport and unchanged for centuries. These include the ring-entering ceremonies ( dohyō-iri ) at the beginning of each tournament day, in which the wrestlers appear in the ring in elaborate kesho-mawashi , but also such details as the tossing of salt into the ring by the wrestlers, which serves as a symbolic cleansing of the ring, and rinsing the mouth with chikara-mizu ( 力水 , power water) before

12375-404: The stable in July 2001, and had only been rumored up to that point. She has now reverted to her old name of Noriko Fujita and published a book and appeared on TV, revealing details of life as a stablemaster's wife that are seldom heard outside the sumo world. Takanohana has rarely spoken to her since. In June 2008 he spoke of his distress at the news that she had been named as a defence witness in

12500-467: The start of the tournament. Takanohana refused to speak to the press about the incident or co-operate with the Sumo Association's investigation. An editorial in the Nikkei Asian Review compared his actions to "an executive withholding from top management information that could rock the company." Sumo writer Chris Gould said Takanohana was under fire for breaking sumo's code of secrecy by going to

12625-576: The weight requirement was 67 kg (148 lb), although they also claimed that a "blind eye" is turned for those "just shy" of the minimums. In 2023 the Sumo Association loosened the height and weight requirements, announcing that prospective recruits not meeting the minimums could still enter sumo by passing a physical fitness exam . All sumo wrestlers take wrestling names called shikona ( 四股名 ) , which may or may not be related to their real names. Often, wrestlers have little choice in their names, which are given to them by their stablemasters, or by

12750-567: The wrestlers under him. In 2007, 43 training stables hosted 660 wrestlers. To turn professional, wrestlers must have completed at least nine years of compulsory education and meet minimum height and weight requirements. In 1994, the Japanese Sumo Association required that all sumo wrestlers be a minimum 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) in height. This prompted 16-year-old Takeji Harada of Japan (who had failed six previous eligibility tests) to have four separate cosmetic surgeries over

12875-566: The wrestling ring ( dohyō ), a tradition stemming from Shinto and Buddhist beliefs that women are "impure" because of menstrual blood . A form of female sumo ( 女相撲 , onnazumo ) existed in some parts of Japan before professional sumo was established. The 2018 film The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine depicts female sumo wrestlers at the time of civil unrest following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake . Since 1958, six Grand Sumo tournaments or honbasho have been held each year: three at

13000-491: The year, which are called honbasho . A carefully prepared banzuke listing the full hierarchy is published two weeks prior to each sumo tournament. In addition to the professional tournaments, exhibition competitions are held at regular intervals every year in Japan, and roughly once every two years, the top-ranked wrestlers visit a foreign country for such exhibitions. None of these displays are taken into account in determining

13125-428: The youngest ever promoted to the top makuuchi division (17 years 8 months). In March 1991, in his fourth top division tournament, Takahanada was runner-up with twelve wins, and became the youngest ever sanshō or special prize winner, receiving awards for Fighting Spirit and Technique. In the following tournament in May 1991 he defeated veteran yokozuna Chiyonofuji in a match watched by 44 percent of

13250-402: Was yori-kiri , a simple force out, which accounted for 52 percent of his victories. He also regularly employed uwatenage , or overarm throw, and this was the technique he used to defeat Asashōryū in the second of their two meetings, in September 2002. After his retirement he became an elder (or member) of the Japan Sumo Association . Because of his great achievements in sumo he was given

13375-730: Was a yokozuna from 1958 to 1962, and his father Takanohana Kenshi had held the second highest rank of ōzeki for a then record 50 tournaments from 1972 to 1981. Upon his retirement his father established the training stable ( heya ) Fujishima stable . The young Kōji Hanada had been practicing sumo since elementary school and won the equivalent of a yokozuna title in junior high school. Upon his graduation in 1988 he formally joined his father's stable. His elder brother Masaru had been planning to complete high school but dropped out so as not to lag behind his brother. Takanohana and his brother made their professional debuts together in March 1988, with future rival Akebono also beginning his career in

13500-443: Was a god of thunder, swordsmanship, and conquest, created from the blood that was shed when Izanagi slew the fire-demon Kagu-tsuchi . Takeminakata was a god of water, wind, agriculture and hunting, and a distant descendant of the storm-god Susanoo . When Takemikazuchi sought to conquer the land of Izumo , Takeminakata challenged him in hand-to-hand combat. In their melee, Takemikazuchi grappled Takeminakata's arm and crushed it "like

13625-399: Was a record 166 kilograms (366 lb) as of January 2019. Professional sumo is organized by the Japan Sumo Association . The members of the association, called oyakata , are all former wrestlers, and are the only people entitled to train new wrestlers. All professional wrestlers must be a member of a training stable (or heya ) run by one of the oyakata , who is the stablemaster for

13750-448: Was also the youngest ever to be promoted to ōzeki at 20 years 5 months. With the foreign born Akebono as sumo's only yokozuna , there was a great weight of expectation on Takanohana to make the next step up. However, his lack of consistency, and Akebono's dominance, delayed his promotion to yokozuna . He won his third championship in May 1993, but lost a playoff to Akebono in the following tournament in July, and even produced

13875-475: Was at komusubi rank in July 1994. In March 1995 he upset Takanohana for the only time as a yokozuna , earning his last special prize. In November 1999, at the age of 35, he defeated Musashimaru for his final kinboshi . He remained in makuuchi until May 2000 when he was finally demoted at age 37 after 90 consecutive top division tournaments. However, he managed to return to makuuchi for two tournaments in March and May 2001, becoming at 38 years and 24 days

14000-443: Was at his peak as a yokozuna between 1995 and 1997, during which time he won 11 of the 17 tournaments he entered, finishing runner-up in the other six. He produced two more perfect scores of 15–0, in September 1995 and September 1996. Overall he won 80 out of 90 bouts he fought in 1995, 70 out of 75 in 1996, and 78 out 90 in 1997, far ahead of any other wrestler. In three of the tournaments Takanohana did not win during this period, he

14125-426: Was confirmed. He had been at the ōzeki rank for 11 tournaments, or nearly two years. However, at 22 years and 3 months, he was still the third youngest yokozuna ever at the time. Takanohana's total of seven tournament championships by the start of 1995 was the same as the total won by Akebono, who had reached the yokozuna rank two years before him. However, Takanohana now pulled ahead of his rival. He

14250-603: Was defeated by stablemates in playoffs: once to Wakanohana and twice to ōzeki Takanonami . Sumo rules prevent wrestlers from the same heya meeting in regular tournament bouts (playoffs excepted) which meant Takanohana avoided not only his brother and Takanonami but also sekiwake Akinoshima and Takatōriki . The merger of his father's Fujishima stable with his uncle's Futagoyama stable in 1993 had added even more top division wrestlers to this list, giving him an advantage over Akebono, who had to face them all. By September 1996 Takanohana had won 15 tournament championships, and

14375-404: Was elected to serve the Board as a director. For an organization that tends to follow seniority over achievement in its organization appointment, it was highly unusual for them to place a 35-year-old to such an influential position. However both former yokozuna , Kitanoumi and Chiyonofuji whom Takanohana is often compared to, served a stint as Associate Manager of Judging prior to their becoming

14500-461: Was extended from ten to fifteen days in 1949. The elementary principle of sumo is that a match is decided by a fighter first either being forced out of the circular dohyō (ring) (not necessarily having to touch the ground outside the ring with any part of the body), or touching the ground inside the ring with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet. The wrestlers try to achieve this by pushing, tossing, striking and often by outwitting

14625-477: Was known as the "iron man" of sumo. After retiring, he was the owner of the Shikoroyama stable until his death in 2023. Terao had a long sumo pedigree. He was the third son of former sekiwake Tsurugamine , and younger brother of Kakureizan  [ ja ] (former jūryō ) and Sakahoko (former sekiwake ). His paternal grandfather was a cousin of Satsumanishiki (former makushita ). His father married

14750-455: Was referred to as the Tetsujin , or Iron Man, of sumo. Among his other nicknames were "The Eternal Typhoon," because of both his longevity and his tsuppari fighting style. After being defeated by the 18-year-old Takahanada in March 1991, which he regarded as the most disappointing loss of his career, he was determined to keep fighting for as long as possible. His total number of bouts is 1795,

14875-406: Was still only 24 years old. However, after sitting out the first tournament of his career in November 1996 due to a back injury suffered on a regional tour, he put on more weight and began to be more susceptible to injury and illness. Takanohana was affected by a liver disorder in the first half of 1998, which caused him to withdraw from the January 1998 tournament and miss the opening ceremony of

15000-432: Was temporarily sidelined by an elbow injury suffered in the July tournament. His brother had retired in March, and several other members of his stable were now past their best. With Akebono dominant once more, his best results that year were two runner-up performances. Takanohana won his first tournament in over two years in January 2001, winning his first fourteen bouts and then defeating fellow yokozuna Musashimaru in

15125-598: Was the fourth best in sumo history, behind only Taihō , Chiyonofuji and Kitanoumi at the time. Junichiro Koizumi , the Prime Minister , was among those paying tribute. His retirement left no Japanese born wrestlers at the yokozuna rank and was widely regarded as being the end of an era. Takanohana's danpatsu-shiki , or official retirement ceremony, was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on June 1, 2003. Unusually, Takanohana allowed only 50 guests on stage to take

15250-420: Was the youngest ever to reach the top division at just 17, and he set a number of other age-related records. He had a solid but aggressive style, looking to get a right hand grip on his opponents' mawashi and move them quickly out of the ring. He won over half his bouts by a straightforward yorikiri , or force out. In his later career he suffered increasingly from injuries, and he retired in January 2003 at

15375-868: Was unable to see his top wrestler Abi win the championship in Kyushu in November as he was hospitalized with arrhythmia . Terao was admitted to the hospital again in September 2023 with heart issues. His health had been improving, but on 16 December 2023 his condition took a sudden turn for the worse. He died the next evening, on 17 December, at the age of 60. Sanshō key: F =Fighting spirit; O =Outstanding performance; T =Technique     Also shown: ★ = Kinboshi ; P = Playoff (s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Sumo Sumo ( Japanese : 相撲 , Hepburn : sumō , Japanese pronunciation: [ˈsɯmoː] , lit.   ' striking one another ' )

15500-492: Was vulnerable to defeat by yori-kiri (force out) if his opponents managed to contain him. Terao was a toshiyori (a sumo elder) known as Shikoroyama Oyakata. In February 2004 he established Shikoroyama stable . He decided not to take any wrestlers from Izutsu stable with him, recruiting all the new stable's wrestlers himself. In January 2006 Hōmashō became his first wrestler to reach sekitori status. Hōmashō retired in January 2015, but later in that same year Seirō became

15625-531: Was widely reported in the Japanese media. Takanohana felt he should be the chief mourner at the funeral as he had remained in the Sumo Association whilst his brother had left to become a TV celebrity , but the role went to Wakanohana as the elder brother, as is traditional. However, with their father reported to have left no will, it was suggested that the feud revolved around control of his estate. Takanohana also condemned his mother for her extramarital affair, which led to her divorce from his father and exit from

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