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 t ...

during

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

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 37.46 ...

, 10 January – 24 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 ...

, 14 March – 28 March

Natsu basho

Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 9 May – 23 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 po ...

, 9 July – 23 July

Aki basho

Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 12 September – 26 September

Kyushu basho

Fukuoka International Centre,

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 surround ...

, 7 November – 21 November

News

January

*At the Hatsu basho, the yusho or tournament championship is decided in a final day showdown between Wakanohana, still searching for his first yusho as a yokozuna, and sekiwake Chiyotaikai, who is one win behind him on 12–2. Chiyotaikai defeats Wakanohana in their regulation match, and in the subsequent playoff for the championship he wins a rematch after the first bout is judged too close to call, despite the

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other tit ...

originally awarding the bout to Wakanohana. Shortly after the tournament Chiyotaikai is promoted to ozeki, the first new holder of sumo's second highest rank since Musashimaru and Takanonami were promoted five years earlier. Akebono misses his second tournament in a row with a herniated disk in his lower back. His fellow yokozuna Takanohana turns in a mediocre 8–7 score. Special prizes are awarded to Chiyotaikai for Outstanding Performance and Fighting Spirit (shared with colleague Chiyotenzan) and

Akinoshima Akinoshima Katsumi (born 16 March 1967 as Katsumi Yamanaka) is a former sumo wrestler from Akitsu, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1982, and after reaching the top division in 1988 he remained there for 15 years ...

for Technique. The

juryo 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. F ...

championship is won for the second time in a row by

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 ...

. Former komusubi

Asahiyutaka Asahiyutaka Katsuteru (born 10 September 1968) is a former sumo wrestler from Kasugai, Aichi, Japan. His highest rank was '' komusubi''. He is now the head coach of Tatsunami stable. Career He joined Ōshima stable and made his professional de ...

retires.

February

*Asahiyutaka takes over the running of

Tatsunami stable Asahiyutaka Katsuteru (born 10 September 1968) is a former sumo wrestler from Kasugai, Aichi, Japan. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. He is now the head coach of Tatsunami stable. Career He joined Ōshima stable and made his professional debu ...

from his father-in-law, former sekiwake Annenyama, who has reached the mandatory

elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and ...

retirement age of 65. *Akebono has his first practice session since November 1998.

March

*Musashimaru wins his fourth top division championship with a 13–2 score. He has little competition from his top ranked rivals, as Takanohana, Wakanohana and Chiyotaikai all withdraw midway through injury, while Akebono is missing altogether. Takanonami is runner-up on 12–3. Makuuchi debutant Miyabiyama wins the fighting spirit prize, as does Chiyotenzan for the second time in just his second top division tournament. Veteran Akinoshima wins eleven bouts and the Outstanding Performance Prize.

Mitoizumi Mitoizumi Masayuki (born 2 September 1962 as Masato Koizumi) is a former sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. His professional career spanned 22 years, from 1978 until 2000. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake''. He won over 800 career ...

is demoted from makuuchi for the first time since 1987. Daizen wins the juryo yusho with a 12–3 score and returns to the top division at the age of 34.

Towanoyama Towanoyama Yoshimitsu (born July 10, 1977 as Akihito Kobayashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1993. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 13, achieved in March 2002. He had many injury proble ...

wins 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. Fo ...

championship. Former maegashira

Toyonoumi Shinji Hamada (22 September 1965 – 20 November 2021), better known as Toyonoumi Shinji, was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Buzen, Fukuoka. He made his professional debut in March 1981 and reached the top division in November 1988. He was know ...

and Tatsuhikari retire.

May

*Musashimaru wins his second championship in a row with a 13–2 record, to become the second foreign yokozuna. He defeats fellow Hawaiian Akebono on the final day, who after losing his first two bouts comes through with a respectable 11–4 score on his comeback. Runner-up to Musashimaru is Kaio on 12–3, who wins the Fighting Spirit Prize. Chiyotenzan wins his third straight sansho, for Outstanding Performance, shared with Tosanoumi.

Wakanosato Wakanosato Shinobu (born Shinobu Kogawa; July 10, 1976) is a retired sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan. He made his debut in the top division in 1998, and his highest rank was ''sekiwake''. He holds the record for the most consecutive tour ...

wins the Technique prize. Takanohana sits the tournament out, recovering from an injured shoulder, while his brother Wakanohana is forced to withdraw for the second tournament in a row with a leg sprain. Otsukasa wins the juryo championship. *Musashimaru's promotion is confirmed, although he embarrasses himself by being unable to phrase his official acceptance correctly. It is the first time since May 1991 that four yokozuna are active at the same time.

July

*The Nagoya basho fails to attract a sell-out crowd for the first time in ten years on the second day. *Sekiwake

Dejima , in the 17th century also called Tsukishima ( 築島, "built island"), was an artificial island off Nagasaki, Japan that served as a trading post for the Portuguese (1570–1639) and subsequently the Dutch (1641–1854). For 220 years, i ...

wins his first yusho, defeating Akebono in a playoff after both men finish on 13–2. Akebono is denied his first championship in over two years. Dejima's

Musashigawa stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It is an off-shoot of the better known stable of the same name set up by former ''yokozuna'' Mienoumi in 1981, which is currently known as Fujishima stable ...

mate Musashimaru finishes on 12–3 in his debut tournament as a yokozuna. Wakanohana is out injured, while Takanohana can only manage 9–6 in his comeback. Dejima is awarded all three special prizes and after the tournament is promoted to ozeki. Tosanoumi also receives a share of the Fighting Spirit prize for his eleven wins at komusubi rank. Kinkaiyama wins the juryo title. Veteran Tochinowaka, at 37 the oldest man in the top division, announces his retirement. Former komusubi

Kotoinazuma Kotoinazuma Yoshihiro (born 26 April 1962 as Masahiro Tamura) is a former sumo wrestler from Niiharu, Gunma, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1978, and reached the top division in 1987. His highest rank was ''komusubi'' and he earned two ...

also retires. In

, Daishoho retires to seek treatment for pancreatic cancer.

September

*Musashimaru needs only twelve wins to secure his first championship as a yokozuna. Takanohana, Takanonami and Akebono all withdraw early, while Wakanohana, clearly unfit, becomes the first yokozuna since Onokuni in 1989 to fight a full 15 days and fail to make his majority of wins. Thirty-two-year-old Akinoshima is runner-up on 11–4 and wins his fourth Technique Prize and eighth Fighting Spirit Award. This gives him a total of 19 special prizes, one more than the record of 18 previously held by

Kotonishiki Kotonishiki Katsuhiro (born June 8, 1968 as Hideyuki Matsuzawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in 1984, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1989. He won two top division tournament tit ...

. Tochiazuma receives the Outstanding Performance Award. Hayateumi wins the juryo yusho. Former maegashira Tokitsunada, and juryo veteran Zenshinyama, announce their retirements.

November

*Musashimaru wins his fourth yusho of the year by defeating Takanohana on the final day to finish on 12–3. Takanohana is runner-up with Kaio on 11–4. Kaio receives the Fighting Spirit prize. Sekiwake Tochiazuma and komusubi Tosanoumi each score ten and win special prizes, for Technique and Outstanding Performance respectively. Takanonami is demoted from the ozeki rank after managing only a 6–9 score on his comeback. In the juryo division, the lightweight Mainoumi, known as the "Department Store of Techniques", announces his retirement. Oginishiki wins the yusho.

Deaths

*28 July: Former juryo Dairyu, aged 54, of cirrhosis of the liver. *3 Oct: Former juryo

Haji Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since it ...

(also known as Saganoumi), aged 53, in a car accident. He was also a professional baseball player. *11 Nov: Former maegashira Otayama, aged 75. *4 Dec: Former komusubi Daishoho, aged 32, of cancer.