The following are the events in professional sumo during 2000.

Tournaments

Hatsu basho

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, 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 ...

, 12 March – 26 March

Natsu basho

Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 7 May – 21 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, 3 September – 17 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, 5 November – 19 November

News

January

*At the Hatsu basho in

sekiwake , 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 ...

Musoyama wins his first top

makuuchi , 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 ...

division yusho or tournament championship with a 13–2 record, finishing one win ahead of Musashigawa stablemate

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 ...

, and

yokozuna , 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 ...

Takanohana. He wins Technique and Outstanding Performance

Prizes A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

(the latter shared with Miyabiyama). The Fighting Spirit Award is given jointly to Kyokutenho and Takanowaka. Yokozuna Musashimaru pulls out through injury. It is the first time he has missed any bouts in his career and it brings to an end a record run of 55 consecutive tournaments with a majority of wins. Former komusubi

Oginishiki Oginishiki Yasutoshi (born 8 July 1971 as Yasutoshi Koiwai) is a former sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ''komusubi.'' His father and brother were also sumo wrestlers. He is now a coach at Dewanoumi stabl ...

wins his second

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 ...

division championship in a row.

February

* Former maegashira

Kushimaumi Kushimaumi Keita (久島海啓太; 6 August 1965 – 13 February 2012), born as Keita Kushima (久嶋啓太), was a sumo wrestler from Shingū, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. A successful amateur, his highest rank in professional sumo was '' ...

branches out from

Dewanoumi stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It has a long, prestigious history. Its current head coach is former ''maegashira'' Oginohana. As of January 2022 it had 15 wrestlers. History The stable's ...

to open his own Tagonoura stable. *

Kise stable , also known as Kimura Sehei stable, was a heya or stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami '' ichimon'' or affiliated group of stables. History The original Kise stable (which had no connection to the current incarnation founded by the f ...

shuts down as its stablemaster, former maegashira Kiyonomori, is approaching the mandatory retirement age of 65.

March

*The sumo world has to deal with several allegations 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, ...

- Hawaiian former wrestler Takamio tells the '' Shukan Post'' that he helped yokozuna Akebono fix matches, ex-

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 o ...

Itai Itai (''ee-tai'') is a Hebrew biblical name, and also a Shona name. The name can also be written: Itai, Itahy, Ittai, Ittay, Etay, Eitay, Itay, Ytai, Etai, Itaj, Ithai, or Eatai. Hebrew name Itai ( he, איתי) is a Biblical name that appears ...

makes similar allegations in a series of articles, and Shikinohana says current members of 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 ...

's hierarchy also engaged in the practice when they were active wrestlers decades ago. *The

tournament has a surprise winner: 32-year-old

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 ...

Takatoriki, who was on the brink of demotion but pulls off a stunning 13–2 score. He also wins the Outstanding Performance Award, and a record tenth Fighting Spirit Prize. Musoyama finishes runner-up alongside Akebono and earns promotion to

ozeki Ozeki or Ōzeki may refer to: * Ōzeki, a rank in ''Makuuchi'', the top division of professional sumo ** List of ōzeki * Ōzeki station (disambiguation), the name of two railway stations in Japan * Ōzeki Masutoshi (1849–1905), 16th daimyō o ...

. He also receives his fourth Technique Prize. Miyabiyama gets a share of the Fighting Spirit Prize. Takanohana's elder brother and fellow yokozuna Wakanohana announces his retirement at the age of 29, after failing to recover from a leg injury sustained in the previous September tournament. He proved unable to add to his five career championships in his brief yokozuna career. Tochinohana wins the juryo yusho.

April

*27: The

award Wakanohana a bonus of 70 million yen for his services to sumo. *30: 4500 spectators attend a training session for all the top rikishi at the Kokugikan, which is open to the public for the first time.

May

*For the third tournament in a row, a rikishi below the rank of ozeki takes the championship: this time it is

Kaio with a 14–1 record. He receives his ninth Outstanding Performance Prize, and fifth Fighting Spirit Award. Yokozuna Takanohana and Akebono finish one win behind on 13–2. Musoyama misses his debut ozeki tournament through injury. Miyabiyama joins him at the rank after posting his second consecutive 11–4 record, but the decision to promote him is (unusually) not unanimous. He also gets a share of the Shukun-sho. He replaces veteran

Takanonami Takanonami Sadahiro (born Sadahiro Namioka October 27, 1971 – June 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler and coach from Aomori. He held sumo's second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' from 1994 until 2000. He won two tournament championships, and wa ...

, who is demoted from ozeki for the second time. Tochinohana, in his top division debut, scores 12 and receives the Fighting Spirit and Technique Prizes. A record eight

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 ...

miss the tournament, the most since the six tournaments per year schedule was introduced in 1958.

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 ...

, recuperating from injury, wins the juryo championship. Former maegashira Ganyū retires.

July

*In

, Akebono wins his first yusho since 1997, finishing one win ahead of sekiwake Tochiazuma with a 13–2 score. Tochiazuma receives the Technique Prize. Takanohana pulls out after injuring his elbow. Musoyama can only manage four wins and is demoted from ozeki. Kaio by contrast follows up his yusho in May with a fine 11–4 record and is finally promoted to ozeki at the age of 28. He also receives a record-equalling tenth Outstanding Performance Prize. The Fighting Spirit Award is shared between newcomers

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 Aminishiki, who each score ten. American Sentoryu also gets a winning score in his debut top division tournament. Wakanosato wins his second juryo yusho in a row. 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 ...

division championship is won by Asashoryu with a perfect 7–0 record.

August

Tatsutagawa stable Tatsutagawa stable (立田川部屋, ''Tatsutagawa beya'') was a '' heya'' (stable) of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It was active from 1971 until 2000. History The stable was founded in 1971 by the forme ...

shuts down as its stablemaster, former sekiwake

Aonosato Aonosato Sakari (born Sakari Ogasawara; November 13, 1935 – May 16, 2008) was a sumo wrestler from Kuraishi, Aomori, Kuraishi, Aomori Prefecture, Aomori, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1953, and reached the Makuuchi, top division ...

, is approaching the mandatory retirement age. Its wrestlers, including sekitori Jumonji, Shikishima and

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 ...

, move to

Michinoku stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was established in 1974 by former ''maegashira'' Hoshikabuto, who branched off from Izutsu stable. Former '' ōzeki'' Kirishima became the current ...

September

*Having suffered from injuries and been looking below par all year, Musashimaru dominates the Aki basho, losing only on the final day to win his eighth championship with a 14–1 score. Akebono finishes runner-up on 13–2. Takanohana sits the tournament out. Musoyama regains his ozeki rank by winning ten bouts, meaning there will be five ozeki in November. Tochinohana and

Hayateumi Hayateumi Hidehito (born July 5, 1975 as Naohito Saitō) is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake.'' He is now a Liberal Democratic Party politician. Career Born in Itayanagi, Kitatsugaru District, Hayate ...

share the Technique Prize. Wakanosato gets the Fighting Spirit Award on his return to makuuchi.

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 ...

wins the juryo championship. Popular top division veterans

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 ...

and

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 ...

, now in juryo, both announce their retirements. Also retiring are former maegashira

Kitakachidoki Kitakachidoki Hayato (born 1 January 1966 as Hayato Kuga) is a former sumo wrestler from Obihiro, Hokkaidō, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1981, and reached the top division in 1989. His highest rank was '' maegashira 3''. After retir ...

(meaning there are no longer any sekitori from

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The lar ...

) and Ohinode. *23: Wakanohana's retirement ceremony (

danpatsu-shiki The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

) takes place at the Kokugikan. Accompanying him in his final yokozuna

dohyo-iri The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

are his fellow grand champions Akebono and Takanohana.

November

*In Kyushu, Akebono wins his second yusho of the year, and eleventh overall, with a fine 14–1 record. This means he has more wins this year than any other wrestler. He finishes one win ahead of newcomer Kotomitsuki, who wins all three special prizes. Wakanosato also receives his first Outstanding Performance Prize. Kinkaiyama wins his third juryo championship. Ex maegashira Dewaarashi retires. *18: The former Wakanohana announces he is giving up his elder position in the Sumo Association to become a TV

tarento Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as " ...

Deaths

*14 Jan: Onaruto Oyakata, former maegashira Yoshinotani, aged 50.

References

{{Years in sumo Sumo by year Sumo