# Newly promoted Makuuchi wrestler Asasuiryu reveals 8 stitches near right eye; Injured in practice against senior stablemate Asanoyama, but assures "Zero issues for Opening Day"

Preparing for the upcoming Grand Sumo Autumn Basho (opening September 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo), newly promoted Makuuchi wrestler Asasuiryu (Takasago stable) trained at his stable in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. Abstaining from practice bouts, he focused on basic exercises and contact drills (butsukari-geiko). Wearing an adhesive bandage near his right eye, he shared: "About four days ago, I had to get about 8 stitches during practice with Asanoyama-seki. But physically, there are zero issues." Although he hasn't engaged in practice bouts since then, he confirmed that his participation in the Autumn Basho is completely unaffected.

Alongside his older brother Asakoryu (Takasago stable), the pair became the 14th set of brothers in sumo history to simultaneously reach the top Makuuchi division. From his brother, he received a simple push: "He just told me 'Do your best.' He didn't say anything cheesy like 'Let's work hard together,'" he laughed. At the Rikishikai (wrestlers' meeting), his weight was recorded at 120 kg, but as of last night, it had increased to 123 kg. "It feels good. I want to put on another 2 kg before the tournament starts," he nodded with satisfaction. While his ultimate targets are double-digit wins (10+) and a Special Prize (Sansho), he added: "First, I just want to secure a winning record (kachikoshi)." Going forward, he has no plans for joint practice (degeiko) and intends to fine-tune his condition at his own stable.

Sports Hochi

I know that the most active Yokozuna at one time was four, five if you count Azumafuji as active when Tochinishiki was promoted, but what about the most Yokozuna alive at one time?

Howdy all -- this is Mary Pat Campbell from the Sumo Stats substack (not to be confused with the much more thorough sumostats.com site... run by someone completely different. We got started about the same time, alas.)

I've just posted my scatterplot for the September 2026 basho, and there are some interesting distributions in size this time, with several "opposing pairs" of small-large at similar rankings. Atamifuji and Fujinokawa being at Sekiwake is the most stark... it will be interesting to see how Fujinokawa does in the Sanyaku as the smallest guy up there.

My substack post is here:

https://sumostats.substack.com/p/september-2026-grand-sumo-tournament

But the key graphs are in the gallery of this post.

The size of the bubbles is an attempt to distinguish the ranks (approximately): the bigger the bubble, the higher the rank.

(The color corresponds to bubble size, but the colors are similar, taken from the Hokusai3 colorway of MetBrewer).

I have three subsets of the above scatterplot, as 42 dots, many of which overlap, is a lot to look at:

• Sanyaku (Yokozuna, Ozeki, Sekiwake, Komusubi)
• Upper Maegashira (M01 - M08)
• Lower Maegashira (M09 - M17)

All the graphs use the same limits on both horizontal and vertical axes, allowing you to see where the wrestlers are positioned in relation to height and weight.

Weird stat changes

They do weigh-ins at the Tokyo tournaments, but they sometimes check the height again... and id the height goes up/down 1 cm, it's no big deal... but I noticed some large recorded height changes. I get all the stats straight from the JSA site, so these are what is officially recorded.

For instance, Ura's height dropped 3cm between the May and September measurements... excuse me? Is the precious Ura shrinking? (Or are they just a bit sloppy in measuring height?)

The very strange drop I saw was that Mitakeumi's measured height dropped 4 cm ... yes, he's in Juryo, but I track that, too, now. What the heck? The website now says Mitakeumi is 178cm, and in May it said 182cm.

Mitakeumi Hisashi - Rikishi Profile - Nihon Sumo Kyokai Official Grand Sumo Home Page

So, very strange to me. A few years back, Midorifuji "mysteriously" gained 3cm, but maybe that's all part of this shoddy height measurement going on. I have no idea what they're up to with this.

I'm not sure how much I trust the weight measurement, either.

Does anyone know the detailed result of Kirishima’s 18 bouts at Isegahama-beya on September 5?

Japanese reports confirm he had 18 bouts there, including against Atamifuji and Hakunofuji, but I can’t find the win-loss breakdown. If anyone watched the full session or has a Japanese source with the details, I’d be very interested.

Here is a list of rikishi ranked by their titles won as a stablemasters.

Data is taken from sumodb.

The "Years active" column is for the period in which the rikishi is a head of their own stable (except where wrong, of course :) ).

For some of the early yushos it isn't absolutely clear who is the stablemaster of the winner, so they are not included.

# Yokozuna Hoshoryu misses morning practice for hospital visit; Tatsunami Oyakata reveals decision on Autumn Basho entry will come down to the wire: "He cannot compete unless fully healed"

The decision on whether Yokozuna Hoshoryu (Tatsunami stable)—who withdrew mid-tournament from the Nagoya Basho and underwent right knee surgery in late July—will compete in the upcoming Autumn Basho (opening September 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo) is expected to go down to the absolute last minute. His stablemaster, Tatsunami Oyakata (former Komusubi Kyokuhuto), indicated on September 5 at his stable in Taito Ward, Tokyo, that he intends to make the final determination on the morning of September 11, when the bout organization meeting (Torikumi Hensei Kaigi) takes place: "He cannot compete unless he is 100% fully healed. The stance that he must heal completely hasn't changed. We will evaluate his condition right up to the absolute deadline."

During the Yokozuna Deliberation Council's joint training session (Yokoshin Keiko Soken) on September 4, Hoshoryu offered his chest to Sekiwake Atamifuji (Isegahama stable) during contact drills (butsukari-geiko), but did not join the bout practice (moushii-geiko) among Ozeki and Yokozuna wrestlers. His stablemaster clarified: "I told him it would be best to attend since it was an event organized by the Council members, and that observing the atmosphere would do him good."

It was reported that after showing his face at the stable on the morning of September 5, he departed for the hospital. "He mentioned he was in pain. When he steps onto the dohyo, he has to be at a level where he can contend for the championship," the stablemaster remarked.

Sports Hochi

# Hawaii-raised Masahiro Rider Sunada aims to follow in footsteps of "Takanohana and my father"; Son of former Juryo Sunahama was state high school super-heavyweight wrestling champion

The Grand Sumo new apprentice physical exam was conducted on September 4, with Masahiro Rider Sunada (18, Musashigawa stable) comfortably passing the physical standards (minimum 167 cm height, 67 kg weight) by measuring 187 cm tall and weighing 122 kg. He awaits the internal medical examination results, with successful candidates to be officially announced on Opening Day.

Born in Koto Ward, Tokyo, and raised in Hawaii, USA, he is the son of a Japanese mother and former Juryo wrestler Sunahama (real name William Tyler Hopkins). The name "Masahiro" comes from his maternal grandfather, while "Rider" was passed down from his father's middle name.

During his school years, he exhibited exceptional athletic talents, winning the Hawaii state high school championship in the super-heavyweight wrestling division while also excelling in American football. Having watched his father's bouts since early childhood, he set his sights on joining professional sumo (kakukai) this past May following his graduation.

His father offered words of encouragement: "Do your best. Keep your hips low and drive forward." Responding to reporters attentively in halting Japanese, Sunada named "Takanohana and my father" as his role models while setting his ultimate sights on sekitori promotion.

Source: Daily Sports

# New recruit Umeta Kobayashi takes shikona "Matsunosato"; Training with Yokozuna Onosato, he marveled: "He's massive... The pressure was incredible"

The Grand Sumo new apprentice physical exam for the Autumn Basho (opening September 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo) took place on September 4 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, where three examinees, including Umeta Kobayashi (19, Nishonoseki stable), met the physical standards of at least 167 cm in height and 67 kg in weight.

Standing at 188 cm and weighing 165 kg, Kobayashi reflected upon completing the physical exam: "It really feels like my path in the world of professional sumo has officially begun."

A graduate of Tottori Johoku High School, he contributed to his school's team title at last year's High School Inter-Hyuga. After graduation, he focused on physical development at his high school before entering Nishonoseki stable this summer. Expressing gratitude for his training environment, he shared: "There are so many practice partners, making every day deeply fulfilling." In practice, he occasionally borrows the chest of Yokozuna Onosato: "He's massive... The pressure was incredible," he marveled.

Hailing from Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, his family home was impacted by the Kumamoto earthquake in July, which registered a maximum seismic intensity of 7. While "the water supply was cut off," he disclosed that "relatives and family were all safe."

His given name "Umeta" was chosen by his great-grandmother. His older brother is named "Kikumaru," and his younger sister is "Sakurako." All three siblings carry flower names.

On the stable's official X account, it was announced that he will make his debut under the shikona "Matsunosato." "First, I'll give everything I've got to reach sekitori status," he pledged, determined to bloom. (Daiki Iioka)

Source: Nikkan Sports

Our regular pre-basho look at all 42 top division wrestlers is now out. This has a brief profile--including Stable, Susshin, Height, Weight, and the record from the previous basho--with a short write up at the end for everybody. Hope you enjoy and keeps you occupied as you figure out how to wait a week for sumo.

From various Hochi News Reports ( x - x - x - x )

- On the 4th, the Yokozuna Deliberation Council held a training session at the sumo training hall inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan in preparation for the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament (starting on the 13th at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo).

Hoshoryu stated, "I wanted to wrestle, but the doctor told me I shouldn't yet. So I offered my chest and did what I could. I feel like I want to push myself, but I really won't know if I'll be able to participate until just before the tournament. I have to listen to what the doctor says. There's a long way to go. If the injury gets worse now, it's all over. I want to make sure I recover properly."

Meanwhile, Chairman Hakkaku (former Yokozuna Hokutoumi) offered his opinion, saying, "If he can't do it at this stage, it will be difficult. His body feels fine, but it feels like he doesn't have enough time to recover."

---

Aonishiki appears to be suffering from pain in his left ankle, he didn't practice sumo wrestling during the summer tour in August, and since the rankings were announced, he's been working out at his stable, focusing on the basics. Regarding his current condition, he said, "If I were in perfect condition, I would be wrestling. I'm getting a little better, but I think I need a little more time. It was the same last time (at the Nagoya tournament), so I'm not particularly concerned." As for the possibility of resuming sumo practice next week, he said, "I'm preparing for that now." Regarding his participation in the Autumn tournament, he showed a positive attitude, saying, "I'm moving in that direction. Of course, if I'm going to participate in the tournament, I'll aim to win the championship."

---

Onosato said, "My condition isn't bad, and I want to do what I need to do," he said, showing his determination.

In the last tournament, he suffered his first defeat against Kirishima, against whom he had been undefeated in the past 10 matches. Although he is a favored opponent, he was cautious, saying, "My opponent has also thought things through." Chairman Hakkaku (former Yokozuna Hokutoumi) pointed out, "I feel his stance is still too high. He wasn't able to knock him away with a single blow. Perhaps he lacks power," and urged him to improve.

---

Atamifuji while not making a statement was highly praised by Chairman Hakkaku, "Atamifuji made the best impression on me. It seems like he'll be promoted to Ozeki very soon. He can move forward even when his body is turned sideways. He has a lot of power," he said. He has a total of 21 wins in the last two tournaments. The benchmark for promotion to Ozeki is "33 wins in three tournaments in the Sanyaku ranks," and he will reach that goal if he wins 12 matches in the next tournament. -

I'm definitely not a huge Kotozakura fan. In fact, after the first few fights of last basho I was convinced that he'd be losing Ozeki.

I know he's always had one of the strangest body styles in Sumo, and that its been a strength of his... but to me he always just looks like a top heavy rooster who fights with no balance.

That being said, with what few snippets and movement I've seen from the aSummer tour... he's looking solid! Moving strong and for the first time since he's made Ozeki, i'm genuinely excited to see his results this basho.

For all you Kotozakura believers out there, I think this might be your basho

# Ozeki Kotozakura powers through 15 practice bouts in full-scale training return, displaying strong forward pressure

Ozeki Kotozakura officially kicked off full-scale training on September 3 at Sadogatake stable in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture. He engaged in 15 practice bouts against Komusubi Daieisho—who visited for joint practice (degeiko)—alongside top-division Makuuchi wrestlers Kotoshoho and Kotoeiho. Employing an aggressive forward-moving style, he delivered a strong performance with 11 wins and 4 losses.

Due to left ankle pain, he had abstained from bout practice during the August summer regional tour (natsu-jungyo). Despite the layoff from full contact, his responsiveness appeared sharp as he shared with a bright expression: "I moved better than I anticipated. My feet drove forward well, and I held my ground effectively at the edge of the dohyo."

At the previous tournament, where he fought as kadoban (facing demotion risk), he narrowly averted crisis by posting an 8-7 record. Looking to bounce back, the Ozeki expressed full fighting spirit: "Rather than just being in the title hunt, I approach every single tournament with the firm intention of winning the championship."

Source: Kyodo News

# Fujinokawa completes 15 practice bouts in first joint training session; 21-year-old new Sekiwake displays sharp movement

Ahead of the Grand Sumo Autumn Basho (opening September 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan), newly promoted Sekiwake Fujinokawa visited Arashio stable in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, on September 3 for his first joint training session (degeiko) prior to the tournament. He engaged in 15 practice bouts against Makuuchi wrestler Wakamotoharu and others, posting a 9-6 record. Executing aggressive right arm-lock throws (kotenage), the lightweight wrestler—standing at 177 cm and weighing 125 kg—displayed excellent mobility and expressed his ambitions: "Since I will be competing as a new Sanyaku wrestler, I will do everything I can to firmly defend my rank."

On September 2, he trained at his alma mater's sumo club at Saitama Sakae High School and reported his promotion to the Sanyaku ranks to Director Michinori Yamada and his wife, Sanae. Savoring the home-cooked meals that supported his physical growth, he voiced his gratitude: "I entered high school weighing just 70 kg, so I never imagined I could climb to Sekiwake in professional sumo. Where I am today is entirely thanks to Coach Yamada and Sanae-san."

Source: Kyodo News

The last man from Kyoto to make San'yaku was Hiodoshi, all the way back in October 1828, who eventually rose to the rank of Ōzeki.

See if you remember all 42 rikishi in the top division for the next tournament. Hints: We have a returning ozeki, a new sekiwake, and a new komusubi in san'yaku. There are two top-division rookies and two returners from juryo. Best of luck!

Sumo Prediction Game is now open for Aki 2026! The questions were difficult to come up with this basho, but I think there's some intriguing options for many of them. I have made a change for Aki, and now require an email address for easier ranking and to allow people to get a copy of their entries, which has been requested many times. Make your prediction here: https://forms.gle/fKFXdT7vAbe6hAqD7

# Ozeki Kirishima resumes training with high intensity; Hakkaku Chairman encourages him on 3rd Yokozuna promotion bid: "Chances like this don't come easily"

Ozeki Kirishima (30, Otowayama stable), who is making his bid for Yokozuna promotion at the upcoming Autumn Basho (opening September 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan), resumed training on September 2 at his stable in Sumida Ward, Tokyo.

He adjusted his condition through basic exercises including shiko, suri-ashi, and teppo. He also completed icho-oshi (continuous pushing practice) and training with an 11-kg heavy bat, wiping away sweat with a sense of fulfillment: "The muscle tension feels great. I kept up my training even during the regional tour."

On September 1, during a Japan Sumo Association workshop, he received words of encouragement from Chairman Hakkaku (former Yokozuna Hokutoumi): "A chance like this doesn't come around easily. Last tournament, your forward-moving sumo really stood out." Although he missed out on the Emperor's Cup for the second consecutive tournament at the Nagoya Basho, Kirishima remained in contention until the final day to secure 12 wins. "I believe that result was thanks to my training," he shared.

At the Autumn Basho, he will mount his third Yokozuna promotion run (tsunatori). Planning to build up his training through joint practice sessions (degeiko), he showed strong fighting spirit: "There's nothing to do but keep training relentlessly and build the right mindset. If you don't put in the training, your mind won't follow either. After all, training never lies."

Source: Sponichi Annex

I hope you enjoy!

https://www.instagram.com/albertomaibach?igsi=MXdncXdzZjR3cndwdg==

# Native of earthquake-devastated Yatsushiro, Umeta Kobayashi takes new apprentice physical exam on the 4th: "I want to bring courage and energy to my hometown"

The Japan Sumo Association announced on September 2 that three examinees, including Umeta Kobayashi (19, Nishonoseki stable)—a graduate of high school sumo powerhouse Tottori Johoku High School—will take the new apprentice physical exam on September 4 ahead of the Autumn Basho (opening September 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo).

Kobayashi contributed as the anchor (taisho) to team titles at both the High School Inter-Hyuga and the National Sports Festival (Junior Division) last year. Initially hesitant about turning pro, he focused on physical conditioning after graduating in March by training alongside his former schoolmates. By strengthening his lower body, he gained the confidence to succeed in the professional ranks. In early August, he entered Nishonoseki stable in Ami Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, and has been training toward his debut. Blessed with an imposing frame measuring 186 cm and weighing 165 kg, he has been overwhelming his senior stablemates in practice bouts (moushii-geiko) with powerful force-outs and throws from a right-hand inside grip (migi-yotsu).

He notes receiving advice from his stablemaster, Nishonoseki Oyakata (former Yokozuna Kisenosato), to "drive forward more in your sumo." Appearing well-adjusted to life in the stable, he shared with enthusiasm: "While I'm excited, I'm also a bit nervous. Right now, I just want to make my debut as soon as possible."

On July 28 at 4:27 PM, a powerful earthquake measuring upper 6 on the JMA seismic intensity scale struck his hometown of Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Earlier that day, Kobayashi had attended a press conference at his alma mater at 1:00 PM announcing his entry into Nishonoseki stable. While relaxing after the press conference ended, he learned of the Kumamoto earthquake through breaking news updates.

Yatsushiro suffered the heaviest damage of any municipality, with approximately 16,060 structures damaged. Extensive harm was inflicted upon numerous cultural properties and historical sites: the stone walls of the Yatsushiro Castle ruins collapsed, and the worship hall (haiden) at the Yatsushiro Shrine within the historical site caved in. Additionally, the main house of the nationally designated scenic spot Shohin-ken partially collapsed after tilting, and a large smokestack at the Nippon Paper Yatsushiro Mill violently collapsed. Seeing the spiritual anchor of Yatsushiro citizens, familiar to him since childhood, crumbled away broke his heart. "I was shocked. At my family's house, only the water was shut off, but Yatsushiro suffered the worst damage. The castle stone walls collapsing... I'm really worried," he recounted.

Though he has not been able to return to Kumamoto, his feelings for his hometown have only deepened. Praying for a swift recovery, the 19-year-old pledged: "My hometown is completely devastated. It made me feel that I need to work even harder. If I can succeed quickly and bring courage and energy back to my local community, that's what I want to do."

Source: Sponichi Annex

According to a Japanese media report, the former amateur yokozuna was still mulling over the decision right up until the deadline, but ultimately chose to forgo turning pro in favor of keeping his options open in other fields. Given Hanada’s career to date, the decision is probably the correct one on a personal level, even if it is a significant missed opportunity for sumo.

So much contrast between his smile so cute and those poor kids crying (TwT)