The Complete History of Sumo, Japan's National Sport

~ 300 BC → 2026History and Evolution of Sumo

The true origins of sumo are lost in the mists of the Yayoi period, where it was likely practiced as part of Shinto rituals to invoke the kami or symbolically challenge them. Originally, these confrontations were not a sport in the modern sense. They were sacred acts dedicated to deities, sometimes violent, with no forbidden moves. The first written mention appears in 712 in the Kojiki, which recounts the mythological battle between the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata for possession of the Japanese islands. The Nihon Shoki (720) mentions the first battle between mortals, attributed to Nomi no Sukune, later deified as the "god of sumo."

Under Emperor Shōmu (724-749), wrestlers were recruited from across the country to perform at the palace during sechie festivals. This tradition continued throughout the Heian period (794-1185), during which the first rules were codified. With the Kamakura shogunate and then the Sengoku period, sumo shifted towards the samurai: Minamoto no Yoritomo used it as military training, and Oda Nobunaga personally organized large tournaments to identify his best warriors.

The major turning point came during the Edo period (1603-1868). The Tokugawa peace allowed for the emergence of an urban bourgeoisie eager for entertainment. This led to the kanjin-zumō, public matches for the benefit of temples, where wrestlers were divided into two camps — East and West — a practice still observed today. Stables (heya), ranks, and ceremonies became formalized. In 1789, Tanikaze and Onogawa received the first official yokozuna titles. Sumo then became a national sport.

The Meiji era (1868-1912) almost saw the demise of sumo, perceived as a relic of the past, but the emperor saved it by publicly attending a tournament in 1884. In 1909, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, the first indoor arena dedicated to sumo, opened in Tokyo. The following year, 35 wrestlers were sent to London and then Paris for the first international tour. In 1925, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) was founded, and the modern championship system was established the following year. The first televised broadcast took place in 1953. From the 1960s, Hawaiian wrestlers arrived (Akebono became the first non-Japanese yokozuna in 1993), followed in the 1990s by Mongolian dominance (Asashōryū, Hakuhō, Harumafuji, Kakuryū). In 2025, the Japanese Ōnosato Daiki, 24, became the 75th yokozuna in history.

• 712

  First written mention of sumo in the Kojiki, recounting the mythological battle between Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata.

• 642

  First historically authenticated combat, under Emperor Kōgyoku, to entertain missionaries from Korea.

• 17th century

  Birth of kanjin-zumō, public fights for the benefit of temples. Gradual codification of rules during the Edo period.

• 1789

  Tanikaze and Onogawa, first official yokozuna. Birth of the special ring-entering ceremony.

• 1909

  Opening of the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, the first indoor arena dedicated to sumo.

• 1925

  Founding of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA), which still regulates tournaments today.

• 1953

  First televised broadcast of a tournament, marking the beginning of mass popularity.

• 1993

  Hawaiian Akebono becomes the first non-Japanese yokozuna, breaking a centuries-old taboo.

• 2025

  Ōnosato Daiki, 75th yokozuna in history, breathes new life into the discipline.

The CombatThe Rules of Sumo

The rules of sumo can be summarized in two sentences: the wrestler who manages to force their opponent out of the ring, or to make them touch the ground with any part of their body other than the soles of their feet, is declared the winner. Everything else — the range of techniques, strategic dimension, and aesthetic of the combat — stems from these two principles.

The Japan Sumo Association officially lists 82 permitted techniques (kimarite). The most common are yorikiri (forcing an opponent out of the ring while gripping their mawashi), oshidashi (pushing without gripping), hatakikomi (slapping an opponent down), and the throws uwatenage and shitatenage. The henka (sidestepping at the tachi-ai) is allowed but often considered less honorable.

However, the following are forbidden: closed-fist punches (open-hand slaps are permitted), hair grabbing, eye gouging, deliberate kicks, prolonged strangulation, and grabbing the crotch area of the mawashi. A notable particularity: there are no weight categories. A rikishi can face an opponent twice their weight, which produces spectacular fights. Weights range from 70 to over 280 kilograms—the historical record being held by a 285 kg wrestler.

Sacred Space & CeremonyThe dohyō and rituals

The dohyō (土俵) is a sacred space, treated with as much respect as a Shinto shrine. It is a square platform of compacted clay, raised 50 to 60 cm, on which a circle of 4.55 meters in diameter is marked out by braided straw ropes (tawara). Before each tournament, it is purified in a ceremony where the gyōji buries offerings—salt, rice, dried squid, chestnuts—to invoke the protection of the kami. Above, a suspended roof (tsuriyane) replicates the architecture of Shinto shrines, with four colored tassels representing the seasons and their protective deities.

In sumo, rituals usually last longer than the bouts themselves: for the upper divisions, the preparation phase can last up to four minutes, while the physical confrontation rarely exceeds ten seconds. Three essential gestures precede each fight: the shiko (lifting each leg high and stomping the ground to drive away evil spirits), the kiyome no shio (throwing a handful of salt to purify the ring), and the chikara-mizu (“power water” that the rikishi drinks and then spits out, as a ritual of bodily purification).

The bout begins at the signal from the gyōji, who presents the back of his fan (gunbai). The two wrestlers must place both fists on the ground simultaneously before the tachi-ai—the initial charge where they throw themselves at each other with full force, often determining the outcome of the fight. This rule was only formalized in 1984. Each day opens with the dohyō-iri, an entry ceremony for the wrestlers dressed in their keshō-mawashi (embroidered aprons sometimes weighing over 10 kg). The yokozuna then performs his own ceremony, accompanied by two assistants, wearing around his waist the tsuna, a thick white rope weighing up to 15 kg, similar to the shimenawa that marks sacred places.

HierarchyDivisions, ranks, and yokozuna

Professional sumo has between 500 and 700 wrestlers, divided into six hierarchical divisions. Before each tournament, the banzuke, the official ranking, is published, determining each rikishi's place. Promotions and demotions depend solely on results—no favoritism.

The top division (Makuuchi) is itself subdivided into five ranks, from the most prestigious to the most modest: yokozuna (横綱, grand champion), ōzeki (大関, grand pillar), sekiwake (関脇), komusubi (小結) and maegashira (前頭, numerically ranked). The first four ranks are collectively called san'yaku, the elite. From Jūryō, wrestlers become sekitori: they receive a salary, have personal attendants (tsukebito), wear a silk mawashi, and sport the prestigious ginkgo-leaf hairstyle (ōichō) during tournaments.

The yokozuna: grand champion for life

The rank of yokozuna is unique in the world of sports. Once promoted, the grand champion can no longer be demoted: his title is for life. But if his performance becomes unworthy, custom dictates that he retire voluntarily. To be promoted, an ōzeki must usually win two consecutive tournaments and demonstrate three qualities: power, technique, and dignity (hinkaku)—the latter, subjective, long hampered foreign wrestlers until Akebono's promotion in 1993.

Since Tanikaze and Onogawa in 1789, only 75 yokozuna have been appointed in over two centuries. Among the figures who have made history: Hitachiyama, nicknamed Kakusei, dominant during the Meiji era; Futabayama, record holder for consecutive victories in the 1930s-1940s; Taihō, absolute post-war idol; Hakuhō, the Mongolian who broke all modern records; Hōshōryū (Mongolia), promoted in January 2025; and Ōnosato Daiki, 75th yokozuna in May 2025. The term "yokozuna" comes from the tsuna—the large horizontal white rope (yoko) he wears around his waist during ceremonies, similar to the shimenawa of shrines.

Daily LifeLife in a heya and chanko-nabe

The heya (部屋) is the fundamental unit of a rikishi's life. Often translated as "stable," this term is reductive: it is actually a school-monastery-home, where the wrestler sleeps, eats, trains, and learns the codes of sumo. There are currently 47 active heya, grouped into six confederations (ichimon). Each heya is led by an oyakata, a former wrestler who passes on his lineage and method. To join a stable, a candidate—usually 15 years old—must pass a strength test and abandon civilian life to commit to total discipline.

The day begins at 5-6 am with morning training (asageiko), on an empty stomach, lasting 4 to 5 hours. This is followed by the ritual bath in hierarchical order, then the first meal around noon, a nap to aid calorie assimilation, and a second meal in the evening. Bedtime at 9 pm. The hierarchy is ruthless: juniors wash, cook, carry towels for the sekitori, and wait their turn for baths and meals. The mawashi, the belt worn by rikishi, measures between 9 and 14 meters and is the only permitted clothing. Upon a wrestler's retirement, a moving ceremony—the danpatsu-shiki—involves cutting his topknot (chonmage): each loved one cuts a strand, until the final gesture by the oyakata.

Chanko-nabe (ちゃんこ鍋) is one of the cultural pillars of the heya. A stew simmering in a large pot containing meats, fish, tofu, vegetables, and fragrant broth, it is prepared every morning by the juniors. Each stable has its own recipe, sometimes passed down for several generations. A rikishi consumes between 5,000 and 10,000 calories per day, three to four times the needs of an ordinary adult man.

Sports CalendarThe six annual tournaments (honbasho)

The sumo year is punctuated by six official tournaments, called honbasho. Each lasts 15 consecutive days. Sekitori compete in one bout per day, while lower ranks fight seven times over the tournament duration.

Tokyo hosts three tournaments at the legendary Ryōgoku Kokugikan, in a district that also groups the majority of heya, the sumo museum, and many specialized restaurants. The winner of a tournament receives the yūshō, the Emperor's Cup. Other distinctions exist: the kinboshi (gold star, for a maegashira who beats a yokozuna) and the three special prizes (shukun-shō for outstanding performance, kantō-shō for fighting spirit, ginō-shō for technique). Between honbasho, wrestlers participate in jungyō, regional tours—even international, such as in London in 2025 or Paris in 2026.

2026Sumo today

Sumo is at a turning point. Baseball and football have gradually supplanted it in the hearts of young Japanese, and the number of recruitment candidates decreases each year. In 2007, for the first time, the annual selection test was canceled due to lack of participants. In response, sumo opened up to foreigners—Mongolians, Georgians, Bulgarians, Brazilians, and even an Egyptian—but the Association introduced a quota of only one foreign wrestler per stable in 2002.

The 2000s-2010s were also marked by several scandals: deadly violence inflicted on apprentices (the Saitō Takashi case in 2007), illegal betting, suspicions of match-fixing. The March 2011 tournament was canceled—a first since 1946. As for women, professional sumo remains exclusively male: they are forbidden to step onto the dohyō, considered ritually impure in the presence of women. However, women's amateur sumo exists, with international competitions.

Despite these difficulties, sumo retains an intact magnetism. Television broadcasts still attract millions of viewers. International tours—London 2025, Paris 2026—show the fascination this sport holds for the world. And the arrival of young champions like Ōnosato Daiki breathes new life into the discipline.

LexiconSumo Glossary

Frequently Asked QuestionsSumo FAQ