Makuuchi
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(January 2008) |
Makuuchi(Mạc nội),ormakunouchi(Mạc の nội),is the top division ofthe six divisionsof professionalsumo.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 onNHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only themakuuchibroadcast having bilingual English commentary.
Makuuchiliterally 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 forpromotion or demotionin rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in 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.
Overview[edit]
At the top fixed positions of the division are the, "titleholder" orsan'yakuranks ofyokozuna,ōzeki,sekiwakeandkomusubi.There are typically 8–12san'yakuwrestlers, with the remainder, calledmaegashira,ranked in numerical order from 1 downwards.
San'yaku(Tam dịch)literally means "the three ranks", even though it actually comprises four ranks. The discrepancy arose because theyokozunawas traditionally regarded as anōzekiwith a special license to wear a particular rope around his waist and perform a distinctive ring entry ceremony. In modern usesan'yakuhas a somewhat flexible definition. This is largely because the top two ranks ofyokozunaandōzekihave distinctive differences from the lower two ranks and from each other. Therefore, a reference tosan'yakucan sometimes mean only the bottom three ranks, or in other cases onlysekiwakeandkomusubi.
There must be at least onesekiwakeandkomusubion each side of thebanzuke,normally two total, but there may be more. Although there is usually ayokozunathere is no requirement for one, and it has sometimes happened that no activeyokozunaor noōzekiwere listed in the ranks. If there is more than oneyokozunabut only oneōzeki,the lower rank will be filled out by designating one of theyokozunaasyokozuna-ōzeki.There is no recorded instance of there being fewer than twoyokozunaandōzekiin total.
There are a number of privileges and responsibilities associated with thesan'yakuranks. Any wrestler who reaches one of them is entitled to purchase one of the membership shares in theJapan Sumo Association,regardless of the total number of tournaments they have spent in the topmakuuchidivision. They may be called on to represent all sumo wrestlers on certain occasions. For example, when the president of the Sumo Association makes a formal speech on the opening and closing days of a tournament, he is flanked by all thesan'yakuwrestlers in theirmawashi.Similarly they may be called to assist in welcoming a VIP, such as theEmperor,to the arena.
Thesan'yakucan be split into two groups: The senioryokozunaandōzeki,and juniorsekiwakeandkomusubi.
The former group have special promotion criteria and higher salaries, and have additional perks such as 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. Senioryokozunaandōzekialso have added responsibilities. They are expected to represent wrestler views to the Association, assist in advertising events and meet event sponsors.
The latter group,sekiwakeandkomusubi,have lesser responsibilities and are still eligible for one of the three special prizes, orsanshōthat are awarded for exceptional performance at the end of each tournament.
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Yokozuna[edit]
Yokozuna(Hoành cương,IPA:[jo̞ko̞d͡zɯᵝna])is the highest rank insumo.The name literally means "horizontal rope" and comes from the most visible symbol of their rank, the rope(Cương,tsuna)worn around the waist.[1]The rope is similar to theshimenawaused to mark off sacred areas inShinto,and like theshimenawait serves to purify and mark off its content.[1]The rope, which may weigh up to 20 kilograms (44 lb), is not used during the matches themselves, but is worn during theyokozuna'sdohyō-iriring entrance ceremony.
As the sport's biggest stars,yokozunaare 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 ofyokozuna.
History[edit]
The birth of the rank ofyokozunais unclear, and there are two competing legends. According to one, a 9th-century wrestler named Hajikami tied ashimenawaaround 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 wrestlerAkashi Shiganosuketied theshimenawaaround his waist in 1630 as a sign of respect when visiting 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,yokozunastarting from the fourthyokozuna,Tanikaze Kajinosuke,and the fifthyokozuna,Onogawa Kisaburō,were depicted inukiyo-eprints as wearing theshimenawa.These two wrestlers were both awardedyokozunalicences by the prominent Yoshida family.[2]
Before theMeiji Era,the titleyokozunawas conferred onōzekiwho performed sumo in front of theshōgun.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,yokozunain name only. In these early days,yokozunawas also not regarded as a separate rank in the listings, but as anōzekiwith 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 ayokozunalicence. The Yoshida family won this dispute, because the 15thyokozunaUmegatani Tōtarō I,one of the strongest wrestlers, expressed his wish that he be awarded a licence by the Yoshida family in February 1884, and Gojo licences are no longer recognized officially.
In May 1890, the nameyokozunawas written on thebanzukefor the first time due to the 16thyokozunaNishinoumi Kajirō I's insistence that hisyokozunastatus be recorded. In February 1909, during the reigns of the 19thyokozuna,Hitachiyama Taniemon,and the 20th,Umegatani Tōtarō II,it was officially recognized as the highest rank. Since the establishment of theYokozuna Deliberation Council(Hoành cương thẩm nghị ủy viên hội,Yokozuna-shingi-iinkai)on 21 April 1950, wrestlers have been promoted toyokozunaby theJapan Sumo Association.The firstyokozunapromoted by the Sumo Association was the 41styokozunaChiyonoyama Masanobu.
Criteria for promotion[edit]
In modern sumo, the qualifications that anōzekimust satisfy to be promoted are that he has enough power, skill and dignity/grace ( phẩm cáchhinkaku) to qualify. There are no absolute criteria, nor is there a set quota: there have been periods with no wrestlers atyokozunarank, 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. Thede factostandard is to win two consecutive championships asōzekior an equivalent performance. In the case where the "equivalent performance" criterion 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 is not sufficient, with example being OzekiKisenosatoin 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 ofhinkaku(dignity and grace) is more contentious, as it is essentially a subjective issue. For example, Hawaiian-bornōzekiKonishiki,in particular, was felt by many to be unfairly kept fromyokozunastatus due to his non-Japanese origin, and many Sumo Association members even openly said that foreigners (gaijin) could never achieve thehinkakuneeded to be ayokozuna.In the case of Konishiki, other issues such as his weight were also cited.[3]The debate concerning foreigners having the dignity to be ayokozunawas finally laid to rest on 27 January 1993, when Hawaiian-bornōzekiAkebonowas formally promoted toyokozunaafter only eight months as anōzeki.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:Musashimaruin the United States andAsashōryū,Hakuhō,Harumafuji,Kakuryū,andTerunofujiall in Mongolia.
Other wrestlers have also been held back. For example,Chiyonoyamain the 1950s was not immediately promoted due to his relative youth despite winning consecutive tournaments, although he later achieved the top rank.[4]On the other hand,Futahagurowas given the title ofyokozunain 1986, despite immaturity being cited in opposition to his promotion.[5]After being promoted, he was involved in several misbehaviors that embarrassed the Sumo Association such as hitting one of histsukebito(manservant or personal assistant) over a trivial matter in a scandal that had six of his seventsukebitodecide to leave him.[6]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 theheya,allegedly striking Tatsunami's wife on the way. Futahaguro eventually retired after only one and a half years at the top rank and became the onlyyokozunain sumo history ever to retire without having won at least one top division championship.
Becoming[edit]
Elevation toyokozunarank 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 theJapan Sumo Associationto provide an independent quality control onyokozunapromotion, meet and discuss the performance of the top-ranked wrestlers. Usually, at the instigation of the Japan Sumo Association, they can make a recommendation that a particularōzeki-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 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, atsunaor ceremonial rope will then be made in his stable, and he will practice the ring entrance ceremony with advice from a previous or currentyokozuna.Finally, he will have his inaugural ceremonial ring entry ceremony held atMeiji Shrinein Tokyo, which is usually completed within a couple of weeks of the tournament end.
Retiring[edit]
As opposed to all other sumo ranks, ayokozunacannot be demoted. However, during tournaments, expectations are very high foryokozuna.Ayokozunais expected to win or at least be a serious contender for championships on a regular basis. Ayokozunais expected to retire if he can no longer compete at the peak of the sport, or in some cases (such as Futahaguro orHarumafuji) is deemed to have not upheld the dignity of the rank. Expectations are so high that, even in the course of one tournament, ayokozunawho early on appears to be headed for a losing tournament will feel the pressure to retire. It is common and expected for ayokozunato withdraw from a tournament with a real or imagined injury to avoid amake-koshi(a losing record) and the expectation to retire. These expectations are a large part of the reason that the promotion criteria foryokozunaare so strict in the first place.
Notices[edit]
In extremely rare instances the Yokozuna Deliberation Council can, with over two-thirds of the members in favor, issue notices toyokozunawhose performance as well as poise and character are contrary to what is expected of the rank.[7]These notices are, in increasing level of severity:
- Encouragement(Kích lệ,gekirei)
- Warning(Chú ý,chūi)
- Recommendation to Retire(Dẫn thối khuyên cáo,intai kankoku)
Notices have been issued three times since the council's inception in 1950:
- January 2010: Recommendation to Retireissued toAsashōryū.[7]
The recommendation was issued following allegations that Asashōryū punched and injured an acquaintance in a drunken brawl at a nightclub during the January 2010 tournament. It has been suggested in the media that Asashōryū chose to retire before the Sumo Association could follow through on the council's recommendation.[8] - November 2018: Encouragementissued toKisenosato.[7]
Kisenosato lost his first five matches in the November 2018 tournament before withdrawing. Prior to that, he had withdrawn (either partially or fully) without a winning record in eight out of ten tournaments asyokozuna.The withdrawals were due in part to injuries suffered at the end of his winning tournament run in March 2017. He eventually retired from the sport after three consecutive defeats in the January 2019basho. - November 2020: Warningissued to twoyokozuna,HakuhōandKakuryū.[9]
According to the council, both wrestlers did not perform to the level required of theyokozunarank between November 2019 and November 2020. In that timeframe, Hakuhō sufficiently performed three times (yūshōin November 2019 and March 2020, plus a 10-win performance in July 2020) while Kakuryū sufficiently performed just once (runner-up in March 2020 with 12 wins). Both of them sat out of the September 2020 and November 2020 tournaments due to injury.
The warning to Hakuhō and Kakuryū was upheld in March 2021.[10]Kakuryū sat out for two additional tournaments since the warning was first issued, eventually retiring during the March 2021basho.[11]After sitting out of the January 2021 tournament due toCOVID-19,Hakuhō won two matches in March before withdrawing when doctors told him that he would requirekneecapsurgery.[10]
Yokozunaceremonies and traditions[edit]
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. Thedohyō-iriis 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 is to be introduced and form a circle around the wrestling ring (dohyō) wearing specially decorated heavy silk "aprons", calledkeshō-mawashi.A brief symbolic "dance" is carried out before filing off to change into their fightingmawashiand prepare for their bouts.
Ayokozuna,however, is introduced after the lower ranked wrestlers and is flanked by two other top division wrestler "assistants". The "dewsweeper" ortsuyuharaiprecedes theyokozuna,while the "sword bearer" ortachimochifollows him into the arena. The sword is a Japanesekatanaand symbolises thesamuraistatus of the yokozuna. Thetachimochiwill always be the more highly ranked of the assisting wrestlers. As indicated above, during the ceremony theyokozunawill wear histsunaaround his waist.[1]The ceremonial aprons of all three form a matching set.
Once in the ring, theyokozunatakes centre stage and performs a much more complexritual dance.The dance can take one of two forms, one of which theyokozunausually chooses when he is first promoted. In addition to the slightly different routine, the choice of theyokozuna's ritual can also be determined by the knot used to tie the rope around his waist: the "Unryū" style has only one loop at the back, while the "Shiranui" style has two. The styles are named after 10thyokozunaUnryū Kyūkichiand 11thyokozunaShiranui Kōemonof theEdo period,although there is no historical proof that they actually carried out the dances that have been attributed to them. Indeed, there are some scholars[who?]who believe that in fact the two concerned have had their ring entering rituals mixed up by earlier historians.
When a formeryokozunareaches the age of 60, he usually performs a special ring-entering ceremony known askanreki dohyō-iri,wearing a redtsuna,in celebration of his longevity. This ceremony first started with the formeryokozunaTachiyamain 1937.
As of July 2021, there have been a total of 73yokozuna,although formal record keeping only started withTanikazeandOnogawain 1789.
Activeyokozuna[edit]
- Terunofuji,the 73rdyokozuna,fromMongolia,promoted July 2021.
Ōzeki[edit]
Theōzeki(Đại quan),or champion rank, is immediately belowyokozunain the ranking system. Until theyokozunarank was introduced,ōzekiwas the highest rank attainable. Technically, there must always be a minimum of twoōzekion thebanzuke,one on the east side and one on the west. If there are fewer than two regularōzekiin practice, then one or moreyokozunawill be designated "yokozuna-ōzeki".This was seen for five tournaments from May 1981 to January 1982, when threeyokozuna(Wakanohana,ChiyonofujiandKitanoumi) fulfilled this role at various times.[12]The designation would not be used again until the March 2020banzuke,when onlyTakakeishōheld theōzekirank andKakuryūwas designatedyokozuna-ōzeki.[13]In the first three tournaments of 2023, Takakeishō again was the onlyōzekiand theyokozuna-ōzekidesignation was given toTerunofuji.[14][15]There is no limit to the number ofōzeki.In 2012, there were sixōzekiin the May, July, and September tournaments.
Promotion toōzeki[edit]
The promotion of a wrestler toōzekiis a multi-tournament process. A wrestler at the rank ofsekiwakewill be considered for promotion if he has achieved a total of at least 33 wins over the three most recenttournaments,including ten or more wins in the tournament just completed. Promotion is discretionary and there are no hard-and-fast rules, though a three-tournament record of 33 wins is considered a near-guarantee. Other factors toward promotion will include tangibles such aswinning a tournamentor defeatingyokozuna,as well as the wrestler's overall consistency, prowess, and quality of sumo—for example, a record ofillegal maneuversor reliance on certaindodging techniqueswould count against the dignity expected of anōzeki.
Promotions are recommended by the Judging Division to the board of directors of theJapan Sumo Association.If it is a first promotion to the rank, a member of the Board of Directors will formally visit the wrestler'sstableto inform the newōzekiof his promotion. Theōzekiwill usually make a speech on this occasion, promising to do his best to uphold the dignity of the rank.
During theEdo period,wrestlers often made their debuts asōzekibased on size alone, though their real competitiveness had not been tested. The system was called "guest ōzeki" ( khán bản đại quan(kanban ōzeki)). Most of these vanished from thebanzukesoon after, but a few wrestlers, notablyTanikaze Kajinosuke,remained as real wrestlers.
Demotion fromōzeki[edit]
Like the othersan'yakuranks, but unlike ayokozuna,anōzekimay berelegated.For anōzeki,relegation is a two-step procedure. First, theōzekimust have a losing record in a tournament (7-8 or worse), known as amake-koshi.At this point, theōzekiis calledkadoban.If he makes a winning record (8-7 or better) in the next tournament (which is calledkachi-koshi), he is restored to regularōzekistatus. If, on the other hand, he suffers another losing record in the next tournament whilekadoban,he is relegated tosekiwakein the following tournament. (No matter how badly he does, he will not fall lower thansekiwake.)
If he wins ten or more bouts in this tournament, he is restored toōzekifor the following tournament. However, if he fails to win ten or more bouts, he is treated just like any other wrestler in any further attempts at being promoted back toōzeki.This system has been in place since the Nagoya Tournament of 1969. Since that time, six wrestlers have managed an immediate return toōzeki:Mienoumi,Takanonami,Musōyama,Tochiazuma(who managed it on two occasions),TochinoshinandTakakeishō.
Mitakeumiis the only wrestler to be demoted fromōzekiafter three consecutive losing records instead of two. He entered the July 2022bashoatkadobanstatus, but withdrew in the middle of the tournament after a stablemate tested positive forCOVID-19.Under the Sumo Association's COVID protocols at the time, Mitakeumi'sōzekirank andkadobanstatus were extended to the following tournament in September,[16]where he sustained another losing record and was subsequently demoted.
Benefits of being anōzeki[edit]
In addition to a salary increase, there are a number of perks associated with reachingōzekirank:
- He is guaranteed a higher rank in the Sumo Association when he first retires.
- He will be given a three-year temporary membership of the Sumo Association on his retirement if he does not yet own a share.
- He will receive a special merit payment on his retirement (the amount decided by his strength and longevity as anōzeki).
- He is given a parking space at the Sumo Association headquarters.
- He can vote in the election of the Sumo Association directors.
- Normally, he will receive additional support from his stable in terms of junior wrestlers to act as his manservants.
- He can wear purple fringed ceremonial aprons (keshō-mawashi)
- He may be called on to represent the wrestlers on formal occasions such as when VIPs visit a sumo tournament, or on formal visits toShintoshrines.
List of activeōzeki[edit]
- Takakeishō,since November 2019
- Hōshōryū,since September 2023
- Kotozakura,since March 2024
Sekiwake[edit]
Sekiwake(Quan hiếp,sekiwake)is the third-highest rank in professionalsumowrestling, and is one of thesan'yakuranks. The term is believed to derive from guarding theōzeki( đại quan or quan ) at his side ( hiếp ).
It represents the highest rank a wrestler can achieve by continuously making akachi-koshi(a winning record in the tournament) in tournaments. Promotion tosekiwakedepends on either a space being available, which is quite common, or having a record in the previous tournament that is very convincing. Typically 11–4 or better as akomusubiis sufficient for promotion tosekiwakeeven with no normal space available; lower ranks need progressively more wins. There are special promotion criteria, typically a minimum of 33 wins over three tournaments, for advancement fromsekiwaketoōzeki;merely recording consecutive winning records while at thesekiwakerank is not enough to advance. In the 1980s,Sakahokostayed atsekiwakefor nine consecutive tournaments without even getting close toōzekiconsideration, andGoeidōwas stuck at the rank for fourteen consecutive tournaments, a modern-day record, between May 2012 and July 2014, before being promoted toōzekiin September 2014.
Unlike the higher ranks ofōzekiandyokozuna,a wrestler will nearly always lose the rank immediately after having amake-koshitournament (a losing record during a tournament). Very occasionally, however, a luckysekiwakemight keep his rank even with a 7–8 record if there are no obvious candidates to replace him, as when thekomusubiand the uppermaegashirahave also had losing records. This has happened five times since the six-tournaments-a-year era began in 1958, most recently with Gōeidō in July 2013. In each case, the wrestler was merely moved from thesekiwakeEast rank to the less prestigious West side.
For many purposes,sekiwakeand thekomusubirank are treated together as the juniorsan'yakuranks, as opposed toōzekiandyokozuna.For example, records of number of tournaments ranked in juniorsan'yakuare often referred to in sumo publications.
For wrestlers reaching this rank, the benefits are similar to that for akomusubi.The salary is higher than for amaegashiraand also the wrestler is usually called to appear to flank the chairman of theSumo Associationduring the speeches he makes on opening and closing days of the 15-day tournaments that are held six times a year. He may also be called on to represent the wrestlers on behalf of the Sumo Association at other events, especially if the number ofōzekiandyokozunais low. If this is the highest rank a wrestler reaches, even if it is only for one tournament, he will always be referred to as "former sekiwake (ring name)" after his retirement, an indicator of a successful sumo career, even if not achieving the exceptional standards of the two highest ranks.
At any time, there must be a minimum of two wrestlers ranked atsekiwake.If circumstances require, this can rise typically to three or four. The minimum of two requirement means that a certain amount of luck can lead to wrestlers achieving this rank on occasion, if the performance of other wrestlers leaves no obvious candidates to fill the rank. This luck factor is less common than it is forkomusubipromotions.
List of activesekiwake[edit]
- Abi,since May 2024 (previous rank:komusubi)
- Ōnosato,since July 2024 (previous rank:komusubi)
- Kirishima,since July 2024 (previous rank:ōzeki)
Wrestlers with mostsekiwakeappearances in history[edit]
Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
| Name | Total | First | Last | Highest rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tamagaki | 25 | October 1797 | November 1811 | Ōzeki |
| 2 | Kotomitsuki | 22 | January 2001 | July 2007 | Ōzeki |
| 3 | Hasegawa | 21 | January 1969 | January 1974 | Sekiwake |
| Kaiō | 21 | January 1995 | July 2000 | Ōzeki | |
| Kotonishiki | 21 | November 1990 | January 1997 | Sekiwake | |
| 6 | Musōyama | 20 | March 1994 | March 2000 | Ōzeki |
| 7 | Mitakeumi | 19 | November 2016 | November 2022 | Ōzeki |
| 8 | Tochiazuma | 17 | September 1997 | November 2001 | Ōzeki |
| Wakanosato | 17 | January 2001 | September 2005 | Sekiwake | |
| 9 | Nayoroiwa | 15 | May 1938 | March 1953 | Ōzeki |
| Takatōriki | 15 | July 1991 | November 1998 | Sekiwake | |
| Gōeidō | 15 | May 2009 | July 2014 | Ōzeki |
Komusubi[edit]
Komusubi(Tiểu kết,komusubi)literally means "the little knot", the knot referring to the match-up between two wrestlers. It is the fourth highest rank insumowrestling and is the lowest of the so-called titleholder ranks, orsan'yaku.
Atkomusubi,achieving akachi-koshi(winning record in a tournament) is not sufficient to guarantee promotion to a higher rank. Promotion to the next highest rank,sekiwake,depends on either a space being available, which is quite common, or having at least 11 wins in the previous tournament if no normalsekiwakeslot is available. This general requirement can be seen by the promotion ofTochiōzanto a thirdsekiwakeslot for March 2014 with 11 wins when the other twosekiwakehad winning records, whileTochinoshinwas not promoted with 10 wins for November 2015 in a similar situation.
For many purposes, this and thesekiwakerank are treated together as the juniorsan'yakuranks, as opposed toōzekiandyokozuna,where extremely stringent promotion criteria exist. Records of number of tournaments ranked in juniorsan'yakuare often referred to in sumo publications because these two ranks are so difficult to retain.
For wrestlers reaching this rank, the benefits are a salary increase and also appearing to flank the chairman of theSumo Associationduring the speeches he makes on opening and closing days of the official tournaments, held six times a year. He may also be called on to represent the wrestlers on behalf of the Sumo Association at other events, especially if the number ofōzekiandyokozunaare low. If this is the highest rank a wrestler reaches, even if it is only for one tournament, he will always be referred to as "formerkomusubi(ring name) "after his retirement, which is an indicator of a fairly successful sumo career.
At any time, there must be a minimum of two wrestlers ranked askomusubi.If circumstances require this can rise to three or four, for example if bothkomusubihave winning records and an uppermaegashiraproduces such a good score that he cannot reasonably be denied a promotion. However, this is relatively rare. The minimum of two requirement means that a certain amount of luck can lead to wrestlers achieving this rank on occasion, if the performance of other wrestlers leaves no obvious candidates to fill the rank.
Komusubiis widely regarded as a difficult rank to maintain, as wrestlers at this rank are likely to face all theōzekiandyokozunain the first week of a tournament, with ayokozunanormally scheduled for the opening day.Komusubiface mainlymaegashirain the second week, but often wrestlers new to the rank are so demoralised by this point that they lose these matches too. Few men making theirkomusubidebut return akachi-koshior winning record in the ensuing tournament.
BeforeWorld War II,when there were fewer tournaments per year and more weight was placed on the performance at each tournament, there were several instances ofkomusubiimmediately advancing toōzekiafter nearly winning a tournament, but there have been no instances of this since then.
List of activekomusubi[edit]
- Daieishō,since July 2024 (previous rank:maegashira1)
- Hiradoumi,since July 2024 (previous rank:maegashira2)
Wrestlers with mostkomusubiappearances in history[edit]
Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
| Name | Total | First | Last | Highest rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miyagino | 23 | October 1818 | January 1834 | Sekiwake |
| 2 | Takamiyama | 19 | November 1969 | January 1979 | Sekiwake |
| 3 | Akinoshima | 15 | November 1988 | September 2000 | Sekiwake |
| 4 | Dewanishiki | 14 | May 1950 | May 1962 | Sekiwake |
| Tochiōzan | 14 | May 2009 | September 2017 | Sekiwake | |
| 6 | Amatsukaze | 13 | March 1765 | March 1778 | Sekiwake |
| Kotonishiki | 13 | September 1990 | January 1999 | Sekiwake | |
| Tosanoumi | 13 | January 1996 | September 2003 | Sekiwake | |
| Wakabayama | 13 | January 1925 | May 1933 | Sekiwake | |
| 10 | Dewanohana | 12 | November 1979 | September 1987 | Sekiwake |
| Kisenosato | 12 | July 2006 | September 2010 | Yokozuna | |
| Ōmatoi | 12 | April 1869 | January 1877 | Sekiwake |
Maegashira[edit]
Maegashira( tiền đầu ) is the lowest of five ranks in the topmakuuchidivision.
All themakuuchiwrestlers who are not ranked insan'yakuare ranked asmaegashira,numbered from one at the top downwards. In each rank there are two wrestlers, the higher ranked is designated as "east" and the lower as "west", so No. 1 east is treated as a higher rank than No. 1 west, and so on.[17]
The number of wrestlers inmakuuchiis fixed (at 42 since 2004) but the number insan'yakuis not. Thus, the number ofmaegashiraranks can vary, but is typically between 15 and 17. (This gives amakuuchidivision split of around 10san'yakuand 32maegashira).
Movement within themaegashiraranks can be minor or extreme, depending on a wrestler's score in the previous 15-bout tournament. For example, amaegashira2 who has an 8–7 record might only be promoted one level tomaegashira1 for the next tournament. Conversely, amaegashira14 who wins the division championship could be promoted as high askomusubi.Indeed, this happened in March 2000 whenTakatōrikiof theFutagoyama stablewon the championship with a 13–2 record.
Maegashiraranked five or below are likely to only fight amongst themselves (unless their winning record in the middle of a tournament prompts their scheduling with higher-ranked wrestlers) while those rankedmaegashirafour or above are likely to have several matches againstsan'yakuwrestlers, includingōzekiandyokozuna.Wrestlers atmaegashira1 and 2 will usually face everybody in thesan'yaku(with the exception that you cannot face someone from your own stable), and these are therefore considered very difficult ranks to maintain. If a lower-rankedmaegashirahas a score which puts them in contention for the title in the second week of the tournament, it is not uncommon for them to be matched against higher-ranked opponents later in thebasho;for instance, in January 2020, the lowest-ranked wrestler in the tournament,maegashira17Tokushōryū,was in contention for the title having only faced opponents in the lower half of thebanzukeand was matched againstōzeki Takakeisho,the highest-rankedrikishiparticipating in the tournament, on the final day, clinching thebashowith his victory.
When amaegashiradefeats ayokozuna,it is called a gold star orkinboshiand he is rewarded monetarily for the victory for the remainder of his career. A bout where a wrestler earns akinboshidefeat of ayokozunagenerally causes great excitement at a sumo venue and it is common and expected for audience members to throw their seat cushions into the ring (and onto the wrestlers) after such a bout, though this is technically prohibited.
Wrestlers with mostmaegashiraappearances without asan'yakutitle[edit]
Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
| Total | Wrestler | First | Last | Highest rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | Higonoumi | March 1993 | November 2001 | Maegashira1 |
| 52 | Asanowaka | March 1994 | May 2004 | Maegashira1 |
| Sadanoumi | May 2014 | May 2024 | Maegashira1 | |
| Toyohibiki | July 2007 | May 2017 | Maegashira2 | |
| 51 | Kotoryū | July 1996 | March 2005 | Maegashira1 |
| 50 | Tokitsuumi | September 1998 | September 2007 | Maegashira3 |
| 49 | Kitakachidoki | January 1989 | May 1998 | Maegashira1 |
| 46 | Minatofuji | July 1993 | July 2001 | Maegashira2 |
| 44 | Narutoumi | October 1949 | November 1960 | Maegashira1 |
| 43 | Daiyū | May 1963 | September 1972 | Maegashira1 |
| Hirosegawa | January 1943 | May 1958 | Maegashira3 |
See also[edit]
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of sumo record holders
- List of sumo tournament top division champions
- Professional sumo divisions
- List of active sumo wrestlers
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