Winter News Update #2 tachiai.org/2025/11/30/w...

Winter News Update #1: tachiai.org/2025/11/29/w...

Aonishiki Ozeki Promotion and Juryo Promotions Announced tachiai.org/2025/11/26/a...

Live stream of Aonishiki's Ozeki promotion ceremony is supposed to start here: www.youtube.com/live/GJnL1ka...

The BBC in Russian www.bbc.com/russian/arti...

The BBC in Ukrainian. www.bbc.com/ukrainian/ar...

The BBC in Japanese. www.bbc.com/japanese/art...

Asahi Shimbun on Aonishiki's victory. (paywall) digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

The BBC on Aonishiki www.bbc.com/sport/articl...

Kyushu 2025: Senshuraku tachiai.org/2025/11/23/k...

To add to the excitement, the shimpan department is reconsidering its position about Aonishiki's Ozeki promotion this basho, and will have a meeting BEFORE tomorrow's matches, to decide on criteria for it. www.sankei.com/article/2025...

本日千秋楽 #sumo

Kyushu 2025: Day Fourteen Madness. Absolute Madness. tachiai.org/2025/11/22/k...

Kyushu 2025: Day Thirteen tachiai.org/2025/11/21/k...

Hoshoryu was called in by the shimpan department after his bout, and got a warning for his dame-oshi against Takayasu. "You could have injured the customers" www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/...

Kyushu 2025: Day Twelve tachiai.org/2025/11/20/k...

Makushita Day 11, Kyushu 2025 -- Leonid updates us on the Makushita yusho race and starts to look toward early promotion and demotion implications @leonidkruglyak.bsky.social tachiai.org/2025/11/19/m...

本日12日目 #sumo

Kyushu Day 11: tachiai.org/2025/11/19/k...

Kyushu Day 10: Hilarious typo corrected. Continue to drink at your leisure, please. I need to start this basho. Learned a great recipe for yuzu infused rum the other day at yuzu kosho class. tachiai.org/2025/11/18/k...

Makushita Race Semifinals, Kyushu 2025 And then there were four. As a reminder, these were the quarterfinal matchups: Ohata overcame Ieshima after a protracted struggle, finally pulling down his Sandanme opponent by the belt to win by uwatehineri. Ryusho was outweighed by over 100 pounds by…

Kyushu 2025: Day Nine News from the infirmary is that Maegashira 16 Meisei will fight tomorrow. He will take on Nishikifuji in his return. That means we will not have a Juryo visitor on Day Ten. In Juryo, Hakuyozan is the first opponent to defeat Fujiryoga as he thrust the big man backward over…

Makushita Race, Round 5, Kyushu 2025 Four rounds of third-division bouts have been completed, and we are left with 7 men with 4-0 records. The quarterfinals will take place on day 9, with the highest-ranked undefeated Sandanme rikishi filling out the bracket. Here are the matchups: Ohata has spent…

Kyushu 2025: Nakabi Maezumo Shinjo Introductions are on Nakabi. The new recruits don borrowed kesho mawashi and climb the dohyo together, taking turns to stand for their introduction. Asahifuji is the much-hyped Isegahama recruit on the far left, then Tenshoyama, Seki and Takeda.…

The new Asahifuji will be using one of the old Asahifuji's kesho mawashi for his shin-deshi presentation on day 8. So he is going to probably be the first modern history to wear both a chon-mage and a kesho-mawashi with his own shikona on it. www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/...

Kyushu 2025: Day Seven Check out Leonid's update on the Makushita race. I was bummed to see Enho lose the other day but he faced a stiff challenge in Kazuma. Seihakuho could also make it to sekitori before long. No news to report on the kyujo front in either of the sekitori divisions. Fujiryoga…

Makushita Race, Round 4, Kyushu 2025 Three rounds of lower-division bouts have been completed, and we are left with 14 men with 3-0 records. They'll be matched up (mostly) in rank order on days 7 and 8 to winnow the race to 7. Since Daiyusho and Ryusho both hail from the Oitekaze beya, they can't…

Kyushu 2025: Day Six Fujiryoga won his bout against Tsurugisho to stay undefeated and the sole leader in the second division. Tamashoho, Shirokuma, and Daiseizan chase with one loss. Fujiryoga will fight Wakanosho tomorrow as we enter the middle weekend. Asanoyama watchers will be able to see…

Kyushu 2025: Day Five With Shirokuma’s loss to Kazekeno, Juryo rookie Fujiryoga took sole possession of the lead in Juryo by defeating Kitanowaka. If his success continues, Fujishima beya may have two new Makuuchi wrestlers in a few tournaments. Heya-mate Fujiseiun is at the top of the division…

Makushita Race, Round 3, Kyushu 2025 Welcome to Tachiai's coverage of the 3rd-division yusho race. As a reminder, this is essentially a single-elimination tournament, with only undefeated rikishi continuing in the yusho bracket. Each round unfolds over two days, so two rounds have been completed,…

Kyushu 2025: Day Four No new kyujo news in the top divisions. In Juryo, Fujiryoga and Shirokuma won their bouts to remain undefeated. Daiseizan lost to fall one off loss off pace. Fujiryoga will fight Kitanowaka tomorrow while Shirokuma will fight Kazekeno. Asanoyama picked up his second win is…

Kyushu 2025: Day Three Before diving into Day Three, there is one quick kyujo news bulletin. After yesterday’s knee injury, Mita is kyujo. Daiseizan picked up the walk-over win to stay undefeated. We hope Mita takes his time to heal properly and is able to do so without suffering a significant…

Kyushu 2025: Day Two Follow this link for NHK videos with Day Two action. Aki basho videos are also available for you to review, here. It looks like you can think of that second link as your “home page” for the NHK videos. Day One action is available there, too. All of the videos are there,…

Kyushu 2025: Shonichi Kyushu basho is here! Meisei is kyujo. Hitoshi will visit from Juryo and fight Asakoryu. NHK has changed things up on their website with this new NHK One restructuring. A lot of the old links don’t work anymore and some of the links point to warnings that the content is…

本日初日 #sumo

Kyushu Day One Preview Once again, the Dohyo Matsuri will be streamed live on the Sumo Association's YouTube channel at 8pm Eastern. For those new to the sport, this is the consecration ceremony, based on Japan's Shinto roots. The kami are beckoned to the dohyo to watch after the action on the…

Grand Sumo Preview up in VOD at NHK World Japan. www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...

NHK World Japan's "News In Focus" with Shibuya Aki and Raja Pradhan, previewing Kyushu basho: www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...

場所まであと9日 #sumo

Here is an interview, in NHK World Japan's program "Deeper Look", with Andrew Freund, director of USA Sumo, about pro sumo, amateur sumo, and the balance between the tradition and sports aspects. www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...

Tachiai readers should know the answer to today's quiz question on the Kyokai website about the banzuke. Aside from the wrestlers, gyoji and elders, who else is listed? Yobidashi + Wakamonogashira, Yobidashi + Sewanin, All three groups? www.sumo.or.jp/Entertainmen...

Endo Retires News out of Oitekaze beya that Endo will retire. Though the Sumo Association has not made the official announcement, multiple media reports are confirming the decision citing sources close to the wrestler, including Nikkan Sports, Mainichi, Chunichi, Sports Hochi. I would still have…

Kyushu 2025 Banzuke Released The Kyushu Banzuke was released. A few days ago, I posted this summary to give a bit more information about this all-important ranking sheet and explain what you see there. Here it is in Japanese, and English from the Sumo Association website. Leonid's banzuke…

Kyushu 2025 Banzuke Review The November banzuke has been released. The Crystal Ball was clear this time, especially for the top two thirds of the banzuke—my prediction had the first 26 ranks, from Y1e to M10e, exactly right. The only surprise here was seeing the name Yoshinofuji at M5e. I had to…

October 2025 Sumo News Round-up "Aki Basho is over and but there are still some note-worthy updates to make." That's how I began this post several weeks ago when I started drafting it. Now it's nearly Halloween. Time flies and my conceptualized update post needs significant updates. Wrestlers who…

Kyushu 2025: Shin-Makushita Here is how our last tournament debutants did: Kobayashi followed up his Sandanme Yūshō with an injury related absence. It was a disappointing 0-0-7 debut, but I imagine he will be back, provided he can recover. He already fell to Jonokuchi once after injury. I hope…

Kyushu Banzuke Crystal Ball The official rankings for the November tournament will be released Sunday or Monday, depending on where you are in the world. Fun fact—the banzuke is actually drawn up at a meeting on Wednesday after the previous basho concludes, but remains a closely guarded secret for…

Anatomy of a Banzuke This summer, Tatsunami beya opened its virtual doors to foreign fans for the first time. They currently offer two subscription plans and it appears two more subscription options are being designed. The cheapest option is a $5/month plan which offers “behind the scenes” video…

The Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall will be broadcast, apparently even live. Check this page for the official streaming sources around the world. www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/even...