The ebb and flow of Japan’s national sport is closely tied to the rise and fall of its grand champions, but overseas viewers are increasingly backing a wider variety of wrestlers.
A number of rare opportunities will be available for attendees at Ryogoku Kokugikan event, the sport's first fan festival since 2005.
It’s looking increasingly likely that all members of the top division will be ready to go when the final Tokyo meet of the year gets underway at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Sunday.
Fans of the former yokozuna can likely anticipate a spectacle when the newly minted Miyagino stablemaster enters the Ryogoku Kokugikan ring one last time.
While Mongolia may currently be monopolizing sumo's foreign slots, the overall level of domination that the central Asian nation has exerted over the sport is unlikely to continue.
The Japan Sumo Association's decision to allow joint training between stables is both a benefit for wrestlers and a positive sign of a return to pre-pandemic norms.
Though Nihon University has ceded space in the elite tier of college sumo to its rivals, the school is still capable of developing wrestlers who can make an impact in the pro ranks.
Hiroshi Morita, who has been in the commentary booth for NHK since 1999, is the face of professional sumo's biggest effort yet to market to international fans in the internet era.
Sumo's greatest-ever grand champion is now in charge of his own beya, but whether he will be able to rise through the complicated hierarchy of the Japan Sumo Association is an open question.
The Minato stable man’s debut championship brought not only relief but genuine joy, as he is one of the most affable and likeable figures in Japan’s national sport.
