This is a list of all

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 ...

wrestlers who have reached the sport's highest rank of ''

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 ...

''. It was not recorded on 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 ...

'' until 1890 and was not officially recognised as sumo's highest rank until 1909. Until then, ''yokozuna'' was merely a licence given to certain '' ōzeki'' to perform the ''

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

'' ceremony. It was not always the strongest ''ōzeki'' but those with the most influential patrons who were chosen. The first list of ''yokozuna'' (with 17 names in total) was compiled by the 12th ''yokozuna''

Jinmaku Kyūgorō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Itō, Izumo Province. He was the sport's 12th ''yokozuna''. Career Jinmaku was born in Ou District, Izumo Province (modern Yatsuka District, Shimane). His real name was . In 1847, he became a pupi ...

in 1900 but was not regarded as official until 1926 when it was published by the newly formed

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 ...

and updated to 31 names. Since that time, 42 more ''yokozuna'' have been promoted. The Sumo Association have overseen all promotions since

Chiyonoyama was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Fukushima, Hokkaidō. He was the sport's 41st '' yokozuna'' from 1951 until 1959. He is regarded as the first "modern" ''yokozuna'' in that he was promoted by the Japan Sumo Association itself an ...

's in 1951. Two consecutive tournament championships or an "equivalent performance" at ''ōzeki'' level are the minimum requirement for promotion to ''yokozuna'' in modern sumo. The longest serving ''yokozuna'' ever was Hakuhō, who was promoted in 2007 and retired in 2021. The number of top division championships won by each ''yokozuna'' is also listed. Those listed for ''yokozuna'' active before the summer tournament of 1909 are historically conferred from the win–loss records of the time as no system of championships existed up to this time.

List

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1250 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:30 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1788 till:2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1789 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:10 start:1789 BarData = barset:Yokozuna PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:8 mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(0,-5) width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till barset:Yokozuna #from: ? till: c. 1649? (died) text:

Akashi Shiganosuke is purported to be a Japanese sumo wrestler in antiquity who is formally recognized as the first ''yokozuna''. A legendary figure, his historical existence is disputed. He is said to have been active in the Kan'ei era (1624–1643). He was des ...

#from: ? till: c. 1765? (died) text:

Ayagawa Gorōji was a Japanese sumo wrestler, who is formally recognised as the second ''yokozuna''. Ayagawa came from Tochigi prefecture and was promoted to '' ōzeki'' in 1717. According to tradition, he was the strongest wrestler in the Genbun era. He was ...

#from: 1749 till: 1749 text:

Maruyama Gondazaemon was a Japanese sumo wrestler, who is formally recognised as the third ''yokozuna''. His real name was . He came from Mutsu Province in the Sendai Domain (part of what is now Miyagi Prefecture). Career Maruyama went to Edo (now Tokyo) at the ag ...

from: 1789 till: 1795 text:

Tanikaze Kajinosuke was a Japanese sumo wrestler from the Tokugawa era, who is officially recognized as the fourth ''yokozuna'', and the first to be awarded the title of ''yokozuna'' within his own lifetime. He achieved great fame and though championships were no ...

from: 1789 till: 1797 text:

Onogawa Kisaburō was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Ōmi Province. He was the sport's 5th ''Yokozuna (sumo), yokozuna''. Along with Tanikaze Kajinosuke, Tanikaze, Onogawa was the first to be given a ''yokozuna'' licence by the House of Yoshida Tsukasa and the fir ...

from: 1828 till: 1835 text:

Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Noto Province. He was the sport's 6th ''yokozuna''. He trained '' ōzeki'' Tsurugizan Taniemon. Early career He was born in Shitsumi, Noto and went to Edo in 1815. His birth name remains ambiguous, but was c ...

from: 1830 till: 1839 text:

Inazuma Raigorō was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Awazaki, Hitachi Province (now Inashiki, Ibaraki Prefecture). He was the sport's 7th ''yokozuna''. Early life and career Born , his birth date is ambiguous. Although the date of 1802 is commonly accepted, som ...

from: 1840 till: 1844 text:

Shiranui Dakuemon was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Uto, Higo Province. He was the sport's 8th ''yokozuna'', and is the only ''yokozuna'' in history to have been demoted. Early life His real name was and his father was a government official. After his fat ...

from: 1847 till: 1850 text: Hidenoyama Raigorō from: 1861 till: 1865 text:

Unryū Kyūkichi was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Yanagawa, Chikugo Province. He was the sport's 10th ''yokozuna''. Career He was born in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, but would later change his name to . He lost his parents and grandmother in 1833. He made his debut i ...

from: 1863 till: 1869 text: Shiranui Kōemon from: 1867 till: 1867 text:

from: 1869 till: 1870 text: Kimenzan Tanigorō from: 1877 till: 1881 text:

Sakaigawa Namiemon was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Katsushika District, Shimōsa Province. He was the sport's 14th ''yokozuna''. Nicknamed " Tanikaze of the Meiji era", he's the only officially recognized ''yokozuna'' of the "yokozuna abuse era" ...

from: 1884 till: 1885 text:

Umegatani Tōtarō I was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Shiwa, Chikuzen Province. He was the sport's 15th ''yokozuna''. He was generally regarded as the strongest wrestler to emerge since the era of Tanikaze and Raiden. Career His real name was . Ume ...

from: 1890 till: 1896 text:

Nishinoumi Kajirō I was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sendai, Satsuma Province. He was the sport's 16th ''yokozuna'', and the first to be officially listed as such on the '' banzuke'' ranking sheets, an act which strengthened the prestige of ''yoko ...

from: 1896 till: 1901 text:

Konishiki Yasokichi I was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Musha District, Kazusa Province. He was the sport's 17th ''yokozuna''. Career His real name was . Konishiki made his professional debut in May 1883 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in M ...

from: 1901 till: 1908 text:

Ōzutsu Man'emon was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Shiroishi, Miyagi Prefecture. He was the sport's 18th ''yokozuna''. Career His real name was , before changing his given name to . In sumo, he began using the ''shikona'' name in May 1884 in hono ...

from: 1903 till: 1914 text:

Hitachiyama Taniemon was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. He was the sport's 19th ''yokozuna'' from 1903 till 1914. His great rivalry with Umegatani Tōtarō II created the "Ume-Hitachi Era" and did much to popularise sumo. He i ...

from: 1903 till: 1915 text:

Umegatani Tōtarō II was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 20th ''yokozuna''. Umegatani had a great rivalry with fellow ''yokozuna'' Hitachiyama Taniemon. Their era was known as the Ume-Hitachi Era and it ...

from: 1905 till: 1907 text: Wakashima Gonshirō from: 1911 till: 1918 text:

Tachiyama Mineemon was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 22nd '' yokozuna''. He was well known for his extreme strength and skill. He won 99 out of 100 matches from 1909 to 1916 (not counting draws), and ...

from: 1912 till: 1914 text:

Ōkido Moriemon was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 23rd ''yokozuna''. He was the second ''yokozuna'' to be recognised from Osaka sumo, and the only ''yokozuna'' who spent his whole active career in the city. Career His real name was ...

from: 1915 till: 1920 text:

Ōtori Tanigorō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Inzai, Chiba Prefecture. He was the sport's 24th ''yokozuna''. Career His real name was . He fought out of Miyagino stable and made his debut in the ''jonokuchi'' division in May 1903, with his ' ...

from: 1916 till: 1918 text:

Nishinoumi Kajirō II was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 25th ''yokozuna''. Career His real name was , but he later changed his surname to . He entered sumo in January 1900, using the ''shikona'' name . He changed it to in May 1905, ...

from: 1917 till: 1923 text:

Ōnishiki Uichirō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 26th ''yokozuna''. On November 2, 1922, he became the first ''yokozuna'' to perform the '' yokozuna dohyō-iri'' at the Meiji Shrine. Biography He was born , in Osaka on November 2 ...

from: 1918 till: 1925 text:

Tochigiyama Moriya was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 27th ''yokozuna'' from 1918 until 1925. Generally he is considered one of the pioneers of modern sumo. He remains the lightest ''yokozuna'' in the history of the sport with a weight ...

from: 1918 till: 1922 text:

Ōnishiki Daigorō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 28th ''yokozuna''. Career He was born in Ama District, Aichi Prefecture, in what is now Yatomi City. There are several conflicting sources as to his specific birth date in 1883, ...

from: 1922 till: 1931 text:

Miyagiyama Fukumatsu was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture. He was the sport's 29th ''yokozuna'', and the last ''yokozuna'' in Osaka sumo. Career He was born . In the fall of 1909, he joined Dewanoumi stable. He made his profe ...

from: 1923 till: 1928 text:

Nishinoumi Kajirō III was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 30th ''yokozuna''. Career He was born . He joined Izutsu stable and made a debut in January 1910. His first ''shikona'' or ring name was . In January 1914, he changed its given nam ...

from: 1924 till: 1930 text:

Tsunenohana Kan'ichi was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Okayama. He was the sport's 31st ''yokozuna''. Career He was born . He made his professional debut in January 1910 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 1917. He won his first top divis ...

from: 1932 till: 1938 text:

Tamanishiki San'emon was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kōchi. He was the sport's 32nd ''yokozuna''. He won a total of nine top division ''yūshō'' or tournament championships from 1929 to 1936, and was the dominant wrestler in sumo until the emerge ...

from: 1935 till: 1939 text:

Musashiyama Takeshi was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. He was the sport's 33rd ''yokozuna''. He had a rapid rise through the ranks, setting several youth records, and was very popular with the public. However he did not ...

from: 1936 till: 1942 text:

Minanogawa Tōzō , also known as , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tsukuba, Ibaraki. He was the sport's 34th ''Yokozuna (sumo), yokozuna''. Career He was born . He had lost his father in the Russo-Japanese War at the age of two, and worked as a l ...

from: 1937 till: 1945 text:

Futabayama Sadaji was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oita Prefecture. Entering sumo in 1927, he was the sport's 35th '' yokozuna'' from 1937 until his retirement in 1945. He won twelve ''yūshō'' or top division championships and had a winning strea ...

barset:break from: 1941 till: 1953 text:

Haguroyama Masaji was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nakanokuchi, Niigata. He was the sport's 36th '' yokozuna''. He was a ''yokozuna'' for a period of twelve years and three months dating from his promotion to that rank in May 1941 until his retire ...

from: 1942 till: 1946 text:

Akinoumi Setsuo , born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hiroshima. He was the sport's 37th ''yokozuna''. Career Akinoumi made his professional debut in February 1932 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in January 1938. He was the man who ...

from: 1942 till: 1953 text:

Terukuni Manzō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ogachi, Akita. He was the sport's 38th ''yokozuna''. He was promoted to ''yokozuna'' without any top division tournament titles to his name, although he later attained two. Career Born , he later ...

from: 1947 till: 1949 text:

Maedayama Eigorō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ehime Prefecture. He was the sport's 39th ''yokozuna.'' Career He was born in Nishiuwa District. On his school excursion to Ōita in the spring of 1926, he met future ''yokozuna'' Futabayama Sa ...

from: 1948 till: 1954 text:

Azumafuji Kin'ichi was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Taitō, Tokyo. He was the sport's 40th ''yokozuna'', and later a professional wrestler. Sumo career His real name was . He made professional debut in January 1936, joining Takasago stable. He w ...

from: 1951 till: 1959 text:

Chiyonoyama Masanobu was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Fukushima, Hokkaidō. He was the sport's 41st ''yokozuna'' from 1951 until 1959. He is regarded as the first "modern" ''yokozuna'' in that he was promoted by the Japan Sumo Association itself and n ...

from: 1953 till: 1958 text:

Kagamisato Kiyoji was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture. He was the sport's 42nd ''yokozuna''. Career He was born in a small fishing village in Sannohe District. He came from a poor family as his father had died when he was very you ...

from: 1954 till: 1958 text:

Yoshibayama Junnosuke , real name , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Atsuta District, Hokkaido. He was the sport's 43rd ''yokozuna''. He suffered a number of injuries and only won one tournament championship, but was a popular wrestler. He was a runner ...

from: 1954 till: 1960 text:

Tochinishiki Kiyotaka was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokyo. He was the sport's 44th ''yokozuna''. He won ten top division ''yūshō'' or tournament championships and was a rival of fellow ''yokozuna'' Wakanohana I. He became the head coach of Kasuga ...

from: 1958 till: 1962 text:

Wakanohana Kanji I was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 45th ''yokozuna''. He was a popular wrestler and was nicknamed the due to his great fighting spirit and endurance. Wakanohana's younger brother (by twenty-two years) was the late f ...

from: 1959 till: 1962 text:

Asashio Tarō III was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. He was the sport's 46th '' yokozuna''. He was also a sumo coach and head of Takasago stable. Career He was born on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. Due to the ...

from: 1961 till: 1969 text:

Kashiwado Tsuyoshi was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Yamagata Prefecture. He was the sport's 47th yokozuna, fighting at the sport's highest rank from 1961 to 1969. After his retirement he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and ran his own ...

from: 1961 till: 1971 text:

Taihō Kōki , ''Ivan Boryshko''; May 29, 1940 – January 19, 2013, lead=yes was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He became the 48th '' yokozuna'' in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time. Kōki won 32 tournament championships be ...

from: 1964 till: 1966 text: Tochinoumi Teruyoshi from: 1965 till: 1968 text:

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture. He was the sport's 50th ''yokozuna''. After his retirement he was the head coach of Dewanoumi stable and served as head of the Japan Sumo Association. Career Born in Arikawa, ...

from: 1970 till: 1971 text: Tamanoumi Masahiro from: 1970 till: 1974 text:

Kitanofuji Katsuaki is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō. He made his professional debut in 1957, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1964. He was the sport's 52nd ''yokozuna'', a rank he attained in 1970. He won ten tourn ...

from: 1973 till: 1974 text: Kotozakura Masakatsu from: 1973 till: 1981 text:

Wajima Hiroshi was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nanao, Ishikawa. He was the sport's 54th ''yokozuna'' and remains the only wrestler with a collegiate background to reach its highest rank. Entering professional sumo in 1970, he won a total of 14 ...

from: 1974 till: 1985 text:

Kitanoumi Toshimitsu , 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 ...

from: 1978 till: 1983 text:

Wakanohana Kanji II was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ōwani, Aomori. He was the sport's 56th ''yokozuna''. He was popular with sumo fans and was well-known for his rivalry with Kitanoumi. After retirement, he became the head coach of Magaki stable. ...

from: 1979 till: 1980 text:

Mienoumi Tsuyoshi is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Matsusaka, Mie. He was the 57th '' yokozuna'' of the sport. After retiring he founded the Musashigawa stable and was a chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the first rikishi in hi ...

from: 1981 till: 1991 text:

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu , born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th '' yokozuna'' of the sport. Following his retirement as a wrestler, he was the stable master of Kokonoe stable until the time of his death. Chiyonofuji was considered one of the g ...

from: 1983 till: 1986 text:

Takanosato Toshihide , real name , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Namioka, Aomori. He was the sport's 59th '' yokozuna'' from 1983 to 1986 and won four top division tournament championships. After retirement he established Naruto stable which he ran ...

from: 1986 till: 1988 text: Futahaguro Kōji from: 1987 till: 1992 text:

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō. He was the sport's 61st ''yokozuna'' and won eight top division championships. He wrestled for Kokonoe stable, as did Chiyonofuji, and the two were the first ''yokozuna'' stablemat ...

from: 1987 till: 1991 text:

Ōnokuni Yasushi is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō. Making his professional debut in 1978, he reached the top division in 1983. In 1987 he won his first ''yūshō'' or tournament championship with a perfect record and became the spor ...

from: 1990 till: 1992 text:

Asahifuji Seiya is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture, Aomori. He joined professional sumo in 1981, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later. He reached the second highest rank of ''Makuuchi#Ōzeki, ōzeki'' ...

from: 1993 till: 2001 text:

Akebono Tarō is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining sumo in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reach ...

from: 1994 till: 2003 text:

Takanohana Kōji is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and coach. He was the 65th man in history to reach sumo's highest rank of '' yokozuna'', and he won 22 tournament championships between 1992 and 2001, the sixth highest total ever. The son of a ...

from: 1998 till: 2000 text:

Wakanohana Masaru is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler. As an active wrestler he was known as , and his rise through the ranks alongside his younger brother Takanohana Kōji saw a boom in sumo's popularity in the early 1990s. He is the elder son of t ...

from: 1999 till: 2003 text:

Musashimaru Kōyō is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler. He was born in American Samoa, before moving to Hawaii at the age of 10. At 18 he moved to Japan and made his professional sumo debut in 1989, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1991. After ...

barset:break from: 2003 till: 2010 text:

Asashōryū Akinori is a Mongolian former professional sumo wrestler (''rikishi''). He was the 68th ''yokozuna'' in the history of the sport in Japan, and in January 2003 he became the first Mongolian to reach sumo's highest rank. He was one of the most successf ...

from: 2007 till: 2021 text:

Hakuhō Shō ; , lead=yes) is a retired professional sumo wrestler (''rikishi'') from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Making his debut in March 2001, he reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 2004. In May 2007, at the age of 22, he became the second native of ...

from: 2012 till: 2017 text:

Harumafuji Kōhei ), lead=yes, previously known as , is a Mongolian former professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 70th ''yokozuna'' from 2012 to 2017, making him the third Mongolian and fifth overall non-Japanese wrestler to attain sumo's highest rank. ...

from: 2014 till: 2021 text:

Kakuryū Rikisaburō , , lead=yes is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sükhbaatar Province, Mongolia. He was a member of the top ''makuuchi'' division from November 2006 until his retirement in March 2021, and was the 71st ''yokozuna'' in history. He reac ...

from: 2017 till: 2019 text:

Kisenosato Yutaka 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 se ...

from: 2021 till: end text:

Terunofuji Haruo , lead=yes), is a Mongolian-born naturalised-Japanese professional sumo wrestler. Wrestling for the Isegahama stable, he entered professional sumo in January 2011 and took the second division ''jūryō'' championship in his debut as a ''sekitori ...

Notes

External links

*Yokozuna list at the Japanese Sumo Associatio
(English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yokozuna Lists of Japanese sportspeople Lists of sportspeople Lists of sumo wrestlers

List

Timeline

See also

Notes

External links