The following are the events in professional
sumo
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 thr ...
during 2011.
Tournaments
*Hatsu
basho,
Ryogoku Kokugikan,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, 9 January – 23 January
*Haru basho,
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
is an indoor sporting arena located in Namba, Osaka, Japan. It first opened in 1952 and the current building was constructed in 1987. It is the venue of a professional sumo tournament ( honbasho) held in March every year. The capacity of the ...
,
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, 13 March – 27 March
(cancelled)
*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 May – 22 May
*Nagoya basho,
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
, also known as , is a multi-purpose gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan, built in 1964.
Overview
Located on the site of the secondary enclosure of Nagoya Castle, it is host to numerous concerts and events.
The gymnasium has 4,375 fixed seats, and can ...
,
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...
, 10 July – 24 July
*Aki basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 September – 25 September
*Kyushu basho,
Fukuoka International Centre
in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan is a collection of three separate buildings operated by the Fukuoka Convention Center Foundation.
Fukuoka Kokusai Center
The Fukuoka Kokusai Center opened in . A Sumo Tournament is held here every November. Many ...
,
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
, 13 November – 27 November
News
January
*23:
Hakuho wins the first honbasho of the year. It is his eighteenth championship, and his sixth in a row, a feat only previously achieved by
Taiho and
Asashoryu. His only defeat is to
Kisenosato
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Ibaraki. He made his professional debut in 2002, and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 2004 at the age of just 18. After many years in the junior ''san'yaku'' ranks, he reached the seco ...
, who also beat the yokozuna in the previous tournament and once again wins the Outstanding Performance Prize.
Kotoshogiku and
Okinoumi
is a retired Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Okinoshima, Shimane. He joined professional sumo in 2005, reaching the top division in 2010. He was runner-up in ''makuuchi'' three times in the January 2011, March 2013, and November 2017 t ...
finish runners-up to Hakuho on 11–4 and are awarded Technique and Fighting Spirit prizes respectively.
Goeido also finishes on 11–4. The
jūryō
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
championship is won by
Kasugao, and the
makushita
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. For ...
title by
Matsutani, returning from suspension. Former
maegashira
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. 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 o ...
Kasuganishiki
Kasuganishiki Takahiro (born August 22, 1975 as Takahiro Suzuki) is a former sumo wrestler from Misaki, Isumi District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He made his debut in 1991, reaching the top makuuchi division in 2002. His highest rank was ''maegas ...
announces his retirement. He will stay in the sumo world as an elder under the name Takenawa Oyakata.
*23:
Kiriyama stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was set up in January 1995 by the former ''komusubi'' Kurosegawa, who branched out from the now defunct Isegahama stable and took with him the remaining mem ...
shuts down, with its wrestlers moving to
Asahiyama stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Isegahama '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It had a long history. It closed its doors in January 2015, and its staff and wrestlers transferred to other stables.
History
In its active period, Asahiya ...
.
*24:
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
wrestlers
Kokkai
The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...
and
Gagamaru
), lead=yes is a Georgian former professional sumo wrestler from Tbilisi. The third Georgian national after Kokkai Futoshi, Kokkai and Tochinoshin to make the top ''makuuchi'' division, he made his professional debut in November 2005, reaching th ...
are reprimanded by the
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active ...
after allegedly damaging an
Indian restaurant
Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, her ...
after a night of drinking following the sixth day of the Hatsu tournament.
*26: Three former wrestlers from the
Ōnomatsu stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was founded in its modern form on 1 October 1994 by Masurao Hiroo, who branched off from the now defunct Oshiogawa stable. His first wrestler to reach the ...
are arrested in connection with illegal gambling on professional baseball.
*27: The Sumo Association issues a warning to
Tamawashi after he leaned against and broke the window of a restaurant in Tokyo after the last day of the Hatsu basho. He had been drinking, and the accident caused an injury to his right arm which will keep him out of action for three weeks.
*29: The
danpatsu-shiki
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
or official retirement ceremony of former
komusubi
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. 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 on ...
Kaiho (Tanigawa Oyakata) takes place at the Kokugikan.
February
* 2: It becomes public that police last May investigating the baseball betting scandal found evidence of
match fixing
In organized sports, match fixing is the act of playing or officiating a match with the intention of achieving a pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. There are many reasons why match fixing might take place, ...
of sumo bouts, known as yaocho, from mobile phones belonging to jūryō wrestlers Kasuganishiki and
Chiyohakuho.
Leaked to the media are a series of
text messages
Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/ laptops, or another type of compatible comput ...
between Kasuganishiki and
Kiyoseumi
Kiyoseumi Takayuki (born Takayuki Ichihara, 16 August 1984) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagoya, Japan. An extremely successful amateur, his highest rank in the professional sport was ''maegashira'' 13. He was forced to retire in April 2011 af ...
, with the low ranker Enatsukasa acting as a go-between. They discuss trading cash for wins and how to orchestrate the matches, with Kiyoseumi saying of one bout, "Hit me hard at the
tachi-ai
The is the initial charge between two sumo wrestlers at the beginning of a bout. It is a combination of two Japanese words that mean “stand” and “meet”.
There are several common techniques that wrestlers use at the tachi-ai, with the ai ...
and just go with the flow." Also mentioned in the messages are Kaiho (Tanigawa Oyakata),
Shimotori,
Shotenro,
Koryu,
Toyozakura
Toyozakura Toshiaki (born March 12, 1974 as Toshiaki Mukō) is a former sumo wrestler from Hiroshima, Japan. He made his debut in 1989, and after many years in the lower ranks he reached the top division for the first time in 2003. His highest ra ...
,
Kyokunankai, , , and
Yamamotoyama.
Twelve of the wrestlers are summoned to the
Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). '' Rikishi'' (activ ...
headquarters to explain themselves. Chairman
Hanaregoma tells a press conference that this questioning did not uncover any conclusive evidence but he promises severe punishments to those proven to be involved.
* 3: Sports minister
Yoshiaki Takaki
is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. A native of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi and high-school graduate he was elected to the Diet for the fir ...
tells the
Diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake
** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
that three people in the sumo world have admitted their involvement in bout rigging. They are Chiyohakuho, Enatsukasa and the now-retired Kasuganishiki (Takenawa Oyakata).
Kiyoseumi denies any wrongdoing. During these interviews
Kirinowaka's name is mentioned, bringing the number of wrestlers involved to 14.
The Japanese Prime Minister
Naoto Kan
is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from June 2010 to September 2011. Kan was the first Prime Minister since the resignation of Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 to serve for m ...
calls the scandal a "betrayal" of the Japanese public. At stake is the Sumo Association's future as a government affiliated entity with tax benefits, as this is up for renewal.
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestr ...
announces that it will not hold the 44th Annual Charity Ozumo tournament scheduled for February 11, and is considering dropping TV coverage of the March honbasho.
Fuji TV
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...
is also scrapping its 1-day tournament on February 6.
A
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
official,
Kan Suzuki
is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Akashi, Hyōgo and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of International Trade a ...
, insists the Sumo Association conduct a thorough investigation, saying "Holding the scheduled sumo tournament in March will not gain the public's support unless the association uncovers every detail."
An independent panel of seven figures from outside sumo has been set up and will report its findings to the Sumo Association.
*5: It is reported that the Sumo Association has decided to cancel the March tournament in Osaka.
This will be the first time since 1946 (when the bomb-damaged Kokugikan was undergoing renovation) that a honbasho has been called off.
A regional exhibition tournament in
Akita Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is approximately 966,000 (as of 1 October 2019) and its ge ...
on August 8 has also been cancelled.
*6: Cancellation of the Haru basho is confirmed by Hanaregoma, who tells reporters "We cannot, and should not hold the tournament under these circumstances. Until we can completely root out corruption in the sport, we cannot appear in the sumo ring." He also announces the scrapping of all regional tours (jungyo) for the year.
The head of the investigative panel,
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902.
The university has numerou ...
professor Shigeru Ito, says that questionnaires distributed to members of the Sumo Association have not led to anyone else confessing involvement, but that the 14 wrestlers under suspicion have been asked to surrender their mobile phones and bank account details for analysis.
Ito stresses that the panel will thoroughly investigate without regard for the scheduling of tournaments, which could also put May's Natsu honbasho in Tokyo in doubt.
*8: Sports minister Takaki requests that wrestlers co-operate fully with investigators, after reports that some of the 14 who have been asked to hand over their mobile phones have claimed that they are either broken or have been replaced by new ones.
*14:
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
, publishers of the tabloid weekly ''
Shukan Gendai
A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are ofte ...
'', demand compensation from the Sumo Association for lost court cases in 2007 over articles that alleged match-fixing, in which they had to pay 8.25 million yen in damages.
*15: Police submit requests to the Tokyo District Prosecutors' Office for charges to be brought against two jūryō wrestlers, and
Daido, and seven other people, for allegedly taking part in an illegal baseball gambling ring.
*17: An independent panel of 11 sumo outsiders, formed last year to look at ways to improve the Sumo Association's governance, delivers its report. It does not mention the current match-fixing scandal, but recommends banning the trading of
toshiyori
A is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). Also known as , former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible. The benefits are considerable, as only ''toshiyori'' are allowed to run and coach in su ...
elder names, reducing the number of stables from the present 50 to around 30, issuing contracts with each stable for the education of its young wrestlers, and having outsiders make up about half the Association's 12 man executive board.
It criticised the current practice of allowing stablemasters to serve as board members, saying, "It is inappropriate that the people who are being supervised are those doing the supervising."
*28: Instead of a traditional
banzuke
A , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament (''honbasho''). The term can also refer to the rankings themselves. The document is normally released about two w ...
, the Sumo Association releases a simple document indicating the rankings of the wrestlers on their performances in the January tournament, to be used for calculating salary and other allowances.
Only the positions of the
sekitori
A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a '' rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: '' makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''.
The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fra ...
are released to the media.
Chiyohakuho and Kiyoseumi are both listed in the jūryō division.
March
*2: The
Mainichi Daily News
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by
In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English language news website called ''The Mainichi'' (previ ...
reports that Takenawa Oyakata (ex Kasuganishiki) has claimed that about 40 other wrestlers were involved in the match-fixing scam, and that he first became exposed to yaocho in January 2006 when a
sanyaku
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
wrestler asked him to throw a bout.
He refused on that occasion, but later became involved when injuries sent him down to jūryō.
*4:
** The Metropolitan Police Department concludes its investigation into the illegal baseball affair by reporting 30 people to prosecutors, including 16 active wrestlers such as
Toyonoshima
Toyonoshima Daiki (born June 26, 1983 as Daiki Kajiwara) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sukumo, Kōchi, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2002, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 2004. He was a runner ...
and
Miyabiyama
Miyabiyama Tetsushi (born July 28, 1977 as Masato Takeuchi) is a former sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1998. With the exception of two tournaments, he was ranked in the top division of ...
, as well as the dismissed
Kotomitsuki
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Okazaki City. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in November 2000 and won one ''yūshō'' or tournament championship, in Septem ...
and
Otake Oyakata.
** Shigeru Ito's fact-finding panel has determined that at least 20 wrestlers and coaches are highly likely to have been involved in match-fixing.
Most are believed to be lower makuuchi and higher jūryō level wrestlers and do not include the very highest ranked.
In addition to the names that surfaced last month, jūryō
Asofuji and
Masatsukasa are suspected as being regularly involved in trading wins and losses.
*5: There are just 36 new recruits reporting for their physical examinations, the lowest ever entry for the month of March.
The tests, normally held in Osaka, take place in Tokyo due to the cancellation of the March basho.
*18: Prosecutors in Tokyo announce that Kotomitsuki, Otake and 25 others involved in the baseball gambling scandal will be spared
indictment
An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a legal person, person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felony, felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the felonies concep ...
over gambling due to lack of implicating evidence.
However, they are filing summary charges against nine others, including jūryō ranked Shironoryu.
*23: The investigative panel finishes its inquiry into the match-fixing scandal, and is set to meet to decide on punishments and present its findings to the Sumo Association on April 1.
*28: It is reported that the panel has recognised the involvement of three more wrestlers in the scandal in addition to those who have already confessed, and that around 20 people are to be either dismissed or hit with lengthy suspensions.
*31: Three members of the Sumo Association's executive board,
Kitanoumi
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to '' yokozuna'' at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament ...
,
Kokonoe and
Michinoku, will reportedly resign from their posts after the investigative panel ruled that their wrestlers were guilty of match-fixing.
April
*1: The Sumo Association "advises" nineteen wrestlers to retire because of match-fixing: makuuchi-ranked
Tokusegawa,
Kasugao,
Koryu,
Hakuba
is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 9,007 in 4267 households, and a population density of 48 persons per km2. The total area of the village is . Hakuba is an internationally renowned s ...
,
Shimotori,
Kotokasuga and
Mokonami, jūryō
Masatsukasa,
Asofuji,
Sakaizawa
Sakaizawa Kenichi (born 11 April 1983 as Kenichi Sakaizawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Saitama, Saitama, Saitama, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 2006, and reached the Makuuchi, top division in March 2008. His highest rank was ' ...
, ,
Kiyoseumi
Kiyoseumi Takayuki (born Takayuki Ichihara, 16 August 1984) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagoya, Japan. An extremely successful amateur, his highest rank in the professional sport was ''maegashira'' 13. He was forced to retire in April 2011 af ...
,
Toyozakura
Toyozakura Toshiaki (born March 12, 1974 as Toshiaki Mukō) is a former sumo wrestler from Hiroshima, Japan. He made his debut in 1989, and after many years in the lower ranks he reached the top division for the first time in 2003. His highest ra ...
and
Kyokunankai, former makuuchi
Yamamotoyama and
Jūmonji, and former jūryō ,
Kirinowaka and .
Tanigawa Oyakata, (the former
Kaiho), is also asked to resign but is quoted as saying, "This is absolutely ridiculous. I told the Japan Sumo Association board that the panel’s investigation was full of holes. I will take legal action."
Many of the other wrestlers also declare their anger at being forced to retire, with Yamamotoyama saying,"They decided without listening to my excuse,"
and Wakatenro protesting, "There's no way I can accept this because I'm being forced out simply because my name came up in some testimonies and text messages."
They had until April 5 of that year to hand in their retirement papers, or face the even more harsh punishment of outright dismissal.
Two year bans are given to those who admitted wrongdoing:
Chiyohakuho, Takenawa Oyakata (ex
Kasuganishiki
Kasuganishiki Takahiro (born August 22, 1975 as Takahiro Suzuki) is a former sumo wrestler from Misaki, Isumi District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He made his debut in 1991, reaching the top makuuchi division in 2002. His highest rank was ''maegas ...
) and sandanme ranked Enatsukasa (who acted as the go-between). However, all three have indicated they are leaving sumo completely. Enatsukasa issued an apology to sumo fans, saying "I've caused a lot of problems for the wrestlers who genuinely put in the work, and it hurts." Seventeen sumo elders are demoted, with executive members
Kitanoumi
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to '' yokozuna'' at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament ...
,
Kokonoe and
Michinoku resigning from their posts and chairman Hanaregoma taking a 30 per cent pay cut for two months.
Hanaregoma told a press conference, "We had to punish many people, all of whom are our colleagues. It was a very tough decision to make."
About ten other wrestlers are still under investigation, meaning it is unlikely that the Natsu tournament in May will go ahead.
*4: Mokonami, Kasugao and Kotokasuga hand in their retirement papers.
*5:
** With the deadline to retire set to expire at 4pm, the rest of the 23 guilty men follow suit, with the exception of Tanigawa Oyakata, who tearfully tells a press conference, "In the fourteen years I have done sumo, I have never done any yaocho. If I hand in my papers now, it will be an admission of guilt." Tanigawa says he has not yet decided whether he will sue the Sumo Association.
Chairman Hanaregoma responds, "it is unfortunate but he has his own feeling on this matter."
** Details emerge of the Sumo Association's executive board meeting on Friday. Some board members felt that suspension from upcoming tournaments would be sufficient punishment, and that "it's not right to punish all wrestlers simply by believing the testimony of just one or two wrestlers who admit to bout-rigging," but in the end the vote was 9 to 3 in favour of accepting the investigative panel's proposals.
The panel reached its conclusions not just on the basis on the text messages but also on the testimony of Takenawa Oyakata, the responses of the wrestlers under suspicion and video analysis of sumo matches.
Originally makuuchi
Sokokurai and jūryō were also on the guilty list, but their names were removed pending further investigation, and
Shotenro was found not guilty.
*6:
** Tanigawa is fired from the Sumo Association, having refused to voluntarily resign.
** The Sumo Association announces that there will be a tournament held in May, but it will be a "test meet" instead of a fully-fledged honbasho. The event is being held purely to decide on the wrestler's rankings for the Nagoya tournament in July. It will take place at the Kokugikan as scheduled, but admission will be free and there will be no Emperor's Cup or prize money.
However, the bouts will count on the wrestlers' career records.
*7: An eight-member committee set up last month to look at ways of preventing yaocho proposes bringing back the
kosho or public injury system, abolished in 2003, which allowed wrestlers who were injured during a honbasho to sit out the next tournament without an effect on their rank.
*11: The Sumo Association decides that Sokokurai and Hoshikaze are guilty of match fixing, and forces them both into retirement.
However, both are declaring their innocence and refusing to submit their papers, saying they may take legal action.
Their stablemasters,
Arashio and
Oguruma, are both demoted.
*13: The deadline for Hoshikaze and Sokokurai to retire passes with both refusing to do so – the first active wrestlers in the scandal to not submit their papers.
The investigative panel determined that Sokokurai took part in a fixed match with Kasuganishiki in May 2010, based on testimony by the now-Takenawa and others, while Hoshikaze was at first cleared by Takenawa's testimony but then implicated by Chiyohakuho, who testified that his bout with Hoshikaze in the most recent January 2011 tournament was rigged.
*14: Sokokurai and Hoshikaze are both fired by the Sumo Association, and make it clear that they will take legal action – an option which none of the other 23 wrestlers punished in the match-fixing scandal have chosen.
Sokokurai comments, "I have never taken part in a fixed match in the eight years that I've been in sumo. I will prove this in court", while Hoshikaze says, "I want to clearly prove in court that I didn't do it."
Hoshikaze's lawyer says his client was never given an opportunity to argue his case once he was found guilty.
*18:
Onoe Oyakata, already demoted two rungs in the Sumo Association's elder hierarchy because three of his wrestlers were found guilty of match-fixing, falls asleep at the wheel while waiting at a red light and is found by police to be over the legal alcohol limit.
He holds a press conference at which he says he deeply regrets what he did.
*20:
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestr ...
confirms that it will not be broadcasting the May test meet live, nor will it show highlights.
*25: On the day that the banzuke for the May honbasho would have been announced, yokozuna Hakuho says he has mixed feelings about the upcoming test meet, which will have no prizes: "I, more than anyone else, have the experience and feel the weight of winning the Emperor's Cup and claiming titles. This is very emotional."
*28: The Sumo Association says it will broadcast the May test meet live on the internet, and it will also be cutting by almost half the usual amount of electricity it uses at the Kokugikan, to meet power saving measures following the
March 11 earthquake.
*29: Wrestlers work out before the
and around 1700 spectators at the Kokugikan, the first public performance of sumo since January.
May
*4: Former komusubi
Futen'ō, who has fallen to the makushita division, announces his retirement from active competition at the age of 30. He will stay in sumo as a coach under the
elder name Inagawa Oyakata.
*8: The first day of the test meet attracts around 10,000 spectators. Hakuho opens his account with a win over
Toyonoshima
Toyonoshima Daiki (born June 26, 1983 as Daiki Kajiwara) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sukumo, Kōchi, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2002, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 2004. He was a runner ...
, and comments, "It has been a dark situation for a long time now. But I've gotten through with the first day of competition. I am happy I could wrestle well."
Chairman Hanaregoma offers his "heartfelt condolences" to the victims of the March 11 tsunami in his opening speech, and also apologises to sumo fans for what he calls "the problem with intentional spiritless sumo."
*22: The final day of the technical examination tournament sees Hakuho take his nineteenth championship after his only challenger,
Tochinoshin
; ) is a Georgian professional sumo wrestler from Mtskheta. He is a member of the Kasugano stable and made his professional debut in March 2006. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later in May 2008. After a long hiatus due t ...
, loses to
Harumafuji. Hakuho subsequently loses his match to ozeki
Kaio but his 13–2 record is enough for his seventh consecutive title, equalling the record held by
Asashoryu. Tochinoshin finishes on 12–3 and is runner-up alongside
Kakuryu. Tochinoshin shares the Fighting Spirit prize with
Kaisei (who scores 10–5 in his makuuchi debut) while Kakuryu shares the Technique prize with
Goeido. The jūryō yusho is won by
Sagatsukasa. Among the many rikishi retiring at this tournament are former sekiwake
Hokutoriki, former jūryō and the 44-year-old , the last wrestler to have fought in the old
Kuramae Kokugikan
was a building situated in the Kuramae neighborhood of Taitō, Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1954. Its construction was decided to replace the old bomb-damaged Ryogoku Kokugikan. It closed its doors in 1984 ...
which closed in 1984.
*25: The Sumo Association announces that a postwar record of 13 rikishi are to be promoted to the jūryō division, to fill the gaps left by the many wrestlers forced to retire over match-fixing.
Among the newcomers are
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
n
Aoiyama, the
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
Takanoyama and
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
n
Arawashi
is a former professional sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. He made his professional debut in November 2002. He is the 21st Mongolian to reach the top ''makuuchi'' division, which he achieved in May 2014. His 68-tournament rise through the ...
. Among the returnees are former komusubi
Kakizoe and former maegashira
Hamanishiki. Kakizoe and Arawashi both earned promotion despite posting losing 3–4 records; the first time in the modern era that this has occurred.
June
*11:
Takashima stable, run by the former sekiwake
Koboyama, shuts down and its one remaining wrestler retires.
*27: The banzuke for the Nagoya tournament is released. The makuuchi division has been reduced to 40 wrestlers from 42, and jūryō to 26 from 28. There are four newcomers to the top division – 21-year-old
Takayasu, former collegiate wrestlers
Takarafuji
is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He completes in the ''makuuchi'' division. The highest rank he has reached is ''sekiwake''.
Early life and sumo background
From the third grade of elementary school, Sugiyama began practicing at a sumo ...
and
Daido and
Tamanoi stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was set up in 1990 by former ''sekiwake'' Tochiazuma Tomoyori, who branched off from Kasugano stable. He coached his son, who also wrestled under the name To ...
's
Fujiazuma
is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokyo. He entered sumo in March 2003, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in July 2011. His highest rank to date has been ''maegashira'' 4, which he achieved in July 2013 after he put together fiv ...
.
Sagatsukasa also returns to the top division for the first time in 7 basho. Kakuryu joins Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku at sekiwake, making it the first time since 2005 that there are three men at sumo's third highest rank.
Takamisakari
Takamisakari Seiken (born May 12, 1976 as Seiken Katō) is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999 and established himself in the top division in 2002 after a brief appearance ...
and
Kimurayama
Kimurayama Mamoru (born 13 July 1981 as Mamoru Kimura) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 7. He is now a coach at Kasugano stable. He was the only wrestler in the elite ran ...
both find themselves at higher ranks despite only scoring 7–8 last time out. There are also no wrestlers losing sekitori status – the first time this has occurred since 1933.
July
*14: At the Nagoya basho, Kaio wins his 1046th career match, breaking the record held by Chiyonofuji. He is congratulated by the former yokozuna after his bout.
*19: After losing his seventh bout of the tournament to fellow ozeki Kotooshu, Kaio announces his retirement after 23 years in sumo. As well as holding the record for career wins he also won a record 879 top division matches and competed in 107 top division tournaments, 65 of them as an ozeki. He will stay in sumo as a coach at his stable under the elder name Asakayama Oyakata.
*23: Ozeki
Harumafuji defeats compatriot Hakuho to clinch his second top division championship, standing at 14–0 while Hakuho falls to 12–2. This ends his hopes of winning a record eight consecutive yusho.
*24: On the final day of the tournament, Harumafuji loses to Kisenosato to finish on 14–1. Hakuho also loses (to Baruto) to fall to 12–3, but it is still enough to take the runner-up position.
Kotoshogiku finishes on 11–4, which is not enough to get the ozeki promotion which he was hoping for, but he receives the Outstanding Performance prize for his defeat of Hakuho on Day 10.
Homasho also finishes on 11–4 and receives the Fighting Spirit award. The jūryō championship goes to
Myogiryu after a playoff with
Masunoyama
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Sakae, Chiba. He turned professional in July 2006 and was the first wrestler born in the Heisei era to become a ''sekitori'' when he was promoted to the ''jūryō'' division in November 2010, ...
. The total attendance at the tournament was just 74,000, down 18% on last year, and the final day was the only one to attract a sell-out crowd.
*26: Nine promotions to jūryō for September are announced, including
Kimikaze
(born 23 September 1986 as Toshiji Naoe) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 13. He won the ''jūryō'' championship in March 2012.
Career
He was the first professional sumo wrestler from ...
, who formerly competed as Naoe and is the first graduate of
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902.
The university has numerou ...
make jūryō since 1933, Mongolian
Kyokushūhō, Kokonoe stable's , former maegashira
Satoyama
is a Japanese term applied to the border zone or area between mountain foothills and arable flat land. Literally, ''sato'' () means village, and ''yama'' () means hill or mountain. Satoyama have been developed through centuries of small-scale ...
, and , a former jūryō rikishi who fell off the banzuke completely through injury before returning in just five tournaments.
August
*29: The
banzuke
A , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament (''honbasho''). The term can also refer to the rankings themselves. The document is normally released about two w ...
for the September
basho is released. The retirement of
Kaiō leaves no Japanese born wrestlers at Makuuchi#Ōzeki, ozeki or Makuuchi, yokozuna for the first time since January 1993. There are three makuuchi newcomers:
Masunoyama
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Sakae, Chiba. He turned professional in July 2006 and was the first wrestler born in the Heisei era to become a ''sekitori'' when he was promoted to the ''jūryō'' division in November 2010, ...
, the first wrestler from Chiganoura stable to reach makuuchi since it opened in 2004, Czech
Takanoyama, whose 58 tournament rise to the top division is the second slowest for a foreigner, and Yoshiazuma, who took 93 tournaments to make makuuchi and is the second oldest top division debutant since WWII at 34 years and three months.
September
![Kotoshogiku 08 Sep](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Kotoshogiku_08_Sep.jpg)
*25: The Aki basho is won by Hakuho, who avoids a possible three-way playoff between himself, Kotoshogiku and Kisenosato by beating Harumafuji to finish one win ahead of the sekiwake pair on 13–2 (Harumafuji's bid for yokozuna promotion ends with a mediocre 8–7 record). Kotoshogiku is assured of ozeki promotion and gets prizes for Outstanding Performance and Technique. Kisenosato shares the Outstanding Performance prize, and gets his first ever jun-yusho or runner-up performance. He will be looking for ozeki promotion himself in November. Kakuryu, by contrast, is back to square one after scoring only 9–6. The Fighting Spirit prize goes to
Gagamaru
), lead=yes is a Georgian former professional sumo wrestler from Tbilisi. The third Georgian national after Kokkai Futoshi, Kokkai and Tochinoshin to make the top ''makuuchi'' division, he made his professional debut in November 2005, reaching th ...
for his fine 11–4 record which included a win over ozeki Baruto. Myogiryu wins his second jūryō championship in a row, this time without the need for a playoff.
*26: Isenoumi Oyakata, the former sekiwake Fujinokawa, turns 65 and retires. He is replaced as head coach of Isenoumi stable by former maegashira Kitakachidoki.
*28:Kotoshogiku's promotion to ozeki is officially confirmed, the first by a Japanese wrestler since his ex-stablemate
Kotomitsuki
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Okazaki City. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in November 2000 and won one ''yūshō'' or tournament championship, in Septem ...
in 2007.
October
*18: Kasugano Oyakata, the former sekiwake Tochinowaka Kiyotaka and head of Kasugano stable is severely reprimanded by the Sumo Association for beating Tochinoshin and two of his other wrestlers with a golf club after they repeatedly broke stable rules on curfews and wearing Western style clothes instead of kimono in public.
Kasugano admitted responsibility and said, "I honestly think I went too far and I regret it."
Instead he decides to ban Tochinoshin from keiko (training).
*27: The Sumo Association launch an investigation into allegations made by the tabloid ''Shukan Shincho'' that Naruto Oyakata, the 58th Yokozuna Takanosato and head of Naruto stable (1989), Naruto stable, beat a former junior member of his stable with a block of wood and injected Takanoyama with insulin so that the barely 100 kg wrestler would increase his appetite and put on weight.
Both Naruto and Takanoyama are summoned to the Ryogoku Kokugikan for questioning by Sumo Association chairman
Hanaregoma.
*31: The banzuke for the forthcoming Kyushu tournament is released. There are five rikishi making their makuuchi debuts, the most since the September 1950 tournament.
They are Myogiryu, who only a year earlier was at the bottom of makushita after a four basho injury layoff, Shōhōzan (previously Matsutani), Sadanofuji, the Bulgarian
Aoiyama and , who finally reaches the top division at the age of 32 years 8 months. The 63 tournaments it took Tsurugidake to reach makuuchi is the slowest ever by a former amateur collegiate competitor. Myogiryu and Shohozan are also former collegiate competitors, with Myogiryu and Tsurugidake belonging to the same club, Nihon Taiiku University. There are three new jūryō wrestlers, Tokushoryu, , and Ikioi, plus returnee , previously known as Kanbayashi. Also, Homasho finally makes his sanyaku debut at the age of 30 years, 6 months, making him the fourth oldest to do so since the six tournaments a year schedule began in 1958.
November
![Tsurugidake 2011 Sep](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Tsurugidake_2011_Sep.JPG)
*7: Naruto Oyakata dies of respiratory failure in a hospital in Fukuoka at the age of 59.
*8: The Sumo Association announce that Nishiiwa Oyakata (ex-Takanotsuru) will take over Naruto stable and that the investigation into the late Naruto's alleged actions will be dropped.
*27: On the final day of the Kyushu tournament, Kisenosato is defeated by new ozeki Kototshogiku to finish on 10–5. However, the Sumo Association had already indicated earlier in the day that his record was good enough for ozeki promotion.
He is also awarded his first Technique Prize. Yokozuna Hakuho, who wrapped up his 21st yusho on Day 13, loses his final bout to Baruto to finish on 14–1. Runner-up is rank-and-filer Wakakoyu on 12–3, who wins his first Fighting Spirit prize. He shares the award with Bulgarian Aoiyama, who scores 11–4 in his makuuchi debut. Myogiryu also has a good start to his top division career, finishing on 10–5. The List of sumo tournament second division winners, jūryō championship goes to Ikioi Shota, Ikioi in his debut in the division. Retiring are former sekiwake Tamanoshima, who becomes Nishiiwa Oyakata, and former ''jūryō'' division Daishoumi.
*30:Kisenosato's promotion to ''ozeki'' is officially confirmed.
December
*21: The banzuke for the January 2012 tournament is announced. There are four newcomers to the top division, Chiyonokuni, Tenkaiho, Kyokushuho and , and four jūryō debutants, the Russian Amuru Mitsuhiro, Amuru, , Chiyotairyu and Homarefuji.
Miyabiyama
Miyabiyama Tetsushi (born July 28, 1977 as Masato Takeuchi) is a former sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1998. With the exception of two tournaments, he was ranked in the top division of ...
, the former ozeki who dropped to jūryō in 2010, returns to the sanyaku ranks after 29 tournaments away.
Deaths
*18 April: Former maegashira (also former Sendagawa Oyakata), aged 72, of heart failure.
*8 October: Former maegashira Wakasegawa, aged 49, of complications from diabetes.
*7 November: 59th Yokozuna Takanosato (also Naruto Oyakata), aged 59, of respiratory failure.
See also
*Match-fixing in professional sumo
*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of active sumo wrestlers
*List of years in sumo
*List of yokozuna
References
{{Years in sumo
Sumo by year
2011 in sports, Sumo