Back after the Basho! Sorry I didn’t post much, but I was enjoying the tournament and didn’t want to post anything that spoiled things for others. SO, we’ve got a good round-up of news from several Japanese outlets today!
The Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament concluded with a dramatic first championship for Kotoshōhō, who overcame a significant injury to clinch the Emperor’s Cup. In the tournament’s wake, the Japan Sumo Association has revealed the promotions for the upcoming Autumn Basho, a list defined by a historic stable achievement, the return of a former champion, and a new generation of talent with deep connections to the sport’s current pinnacle.
Kotoshōhō’s path to a 13-2 record and the championship was anything but smooth. Having injured his right thigh before the tournament began, his ability to train was severely limited. This challenge, however, forced him into a relentlessly forward-moving style of sumo that proved highly effective. As former Ozeki Kotokaze noted on the NHK broadcast, the injury may have been a “blessing” that simplified his approach and led him to victory. He sealed his win on the final day against the tournament’s breakout star, Kusano, a newcomer who remained in title contention until the very end, finishing with an excellent 11-4 record and two special prizes for Fighting Spirit and Technique.
As the celebrations for Kotoshōhō’s triumph concluded, the focus shifted to the future with the announcement of promotions for the September tournament in Tokyo. The news was marked by a rare accomplishment for the Takasago stable, which will see three of its wrestlers—Asanoyama, Asahakuryu, and Asasuisei—promoted to the Juryo division simultaneously. It is the first time a single stable has produced three new sekitori in the same tournament since 1979.
The promotions are headlined by the return of former Ozeki Asanoyama to the salaried ranks after a year’s absence, a comeback he secured with a 5-2 record at the top of the Makushita division. He is joined by four newcomers, each with a compelling story. Nishinoryu is now part of the 14th father-son duo to reach the sekitori ranks and aims to surpass the achievements of his father, former Maegashira Tsunenoyama. Kyokukaiyu becomes the first wrestler raised to sekitori status by his master, former Sekiwake Kyokutenho, at the Oshima stable. The other two, Asahakuryu and Asasuisei, have close personal ties to the men at the top of the sport, as a childhood friend of Yokozuna Hoshoryu and a university classmate of Yokozuna Onosato, respectively, setting the stage for intriguing future rivalries.
This influx of new talent arrives amidst an ongoing dialogue about the very nature of sumo technique. On a recent television special, the 63rd Yokozuna, Masaru Hanada, reflected on a classic 1975 bout, praising the wrestlers for their use of “fundamental,” inside-out thrusting. He contrasted this with what he termed the “rough” style of some later champions, a reminder that the sport is constantly evaluated through a traditional lens.
The question for this new class of wrestlers, then, is not merely whether they can win, but how they will choose to do so. As they prepare to take their next steps, their diverse styles will be scrutinised and debated, and it is in their answers—in the techniques they employ and the sumo they choose to embody—that the next era of the sport will be defined.
The Chanko Pot 
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