The apocryphal match between Nomi no Sukune and Taira no Kehaya is often considered the first sumo match between mortals. The story comes from Nihon shoki (720) and supposedly took place during the century-long reign of Emperor Suinin (69 BC–70, r. 29 BC–70).

In the story, Taira no Kehaya is a terrible braggart who claims to be the strongest man in the realm. The emperor is displeased with the braggart’s conduct, but there are no worthy challengers until a skilled potter named Nomi no Sukune agrees to wrestle. Suinin watches as Sukune kills Kehaya by kicking him once in the ribs and once in the back. The elated emperor rewards Sukune for his victory by bequeathing the deceased man’s land to him.

Like the story of Takemikazuchi, however, the kanji for sumo do not appear in this story, nor does the match resemble sumo at any time.

One of the most famous courtiers of the Heian period (794–1185), Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), claimed direct descent from Nomi no Sukune.

The oldest usage of the kanji for sumo can be found in another story in Nihon shoki (720) that takes place during the reign of Emperor Yūryakū (418–479, r. 456–479). The story begins with a carpenter who states that he never makes mistakes. Yūryakū hears the carpenter’s boast and decides to put it to the test. He orders two girls working in the palace to undress and wrestle in front of the carpenter. The display causes the carpenter’s tool to slip, and Yūryakū demands that he be beheaded. In the end, Yūryakū spares the carpenter, and they exchange some poetic verses.

Although the story is the first one to include the kanji for sumo, the salacious nature of the event, along with the gender of the participants, is why some historians wrongfully ignore this story.

Yūryakū, depicted here killing a boar, was a famed warrior and hunter known for his temper, his cruelty, and his love for poetry and women.

One of the most impactful annual sumo tournaments was at the center of a power struggle between Emperor Sanjō (976–1017, r. 1011–1016), pictured on the left, and the preeminent courtier, Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1027), on the right.

The Fujiwara had held considerable power at court since Michinaga’s ancestor, Yoshifusa, became the first Fujiwara regent in 858. One of the ways in which the Fujiwara maintained a stranglehold on the regency was through marrying their daughters to emperors and raising their grandchildren to become future emperors. The Fujiwara would also often force older emperors to abdicate in favor of child emperors so the regents could hold even more power.

Emperor Sanjō was different from many other emperors of his time because he became emperor as an adult and had little connection to Michinaga or his line. Further, Sanjō wanted more direct control in matters of state. Both Sanjō and Michinaga tried to best the other through political machinations, a means by which the courtier was far superior to the emperor. To make matters worse for Sanjō, he was rapidly losing his eyesight and hearing.

By 1013, the emperor’s situation was dire, so he turned to divine will for reassurance. Prior to the annual sumo tournament, Sanjō prayed at Ise Grand Shrine for a sign. If the first three wrestlers representing the left team won the first three matches, then it was the will of the divine for Sanjō to continue his rule. If not, he would acquiesce to Michinaga and abdicate.

He kept his divine wager a secret leading up to the tournament, but following his elation over the three wrestlers for the left having won their matches, he told some confidants of his gamble. For a brief period thereafter, Sanjō reasserted himself politically. Eventually he succumbed to his failing faculties, and he was forced to abdicate in 1016.

According to multiple versions of The Tale of the Heike, which was written centuries later, the court could not decide between two capable successors to the throne following the death of Emperor Montoku (827–858, r. 850–858). The elder candidate, Prince Koretaka, was the first-born son and strove to be a benevolent ruler. The younger candidate, Korehito, was Montoku’s fourth son, but his maternal grandfather was the powerful courtier, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa (804–872). The political stalemate prompted those in power to let ten horse races and a sumo wrestling match determine the next emperor. The special competition drew an impressive audience with every courtier coming to watch the proceedings. The noble spectators split into two camps in support of one prince over the other.

The races were fittingly close, the riders representing Koretaka bested their opponents in the first four races before dropping the next six to Korehito’s riders. Thus, the fate of the next emperor came down to the sumo match. Koretaka’s representative was Natora, who had the strength of sixty ordinary men. Korehito’s champion was the smaller Yoshio. When the two wrestlers clashed for the first time, Natora threw Yoshio some twenty feet, but the nimble Yoshio stuck his landing. The two grappled once again and it appeared that Yoshio would succumb to Natora’s strength. Fearing an imminent defeat, Korehito’s mother sent word about the dire situation to a monk who was praying for the younger candidate’s victory. Upon hearing the news, the monk took his vajra, bashed his head with it, and then offered his brain matter to turn the tide of the match. Miraculously, Yoshio defeated his larger opponent, and Korehito ascended the throne as Emperor Seiwa (850–880, r. 858–876).

Seiwa is depicted here in Buddhist garb following his abdication of the throne.

One of the most impactful annual sumo tournaments was at the center of a power struggle between Emperor Sanjō (976–1017, r. 1011–1016), pictured on the left, and the preeminent courtier, Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1027), on the right.

The Fujiwara had held considerable power at court since Michinaga’s ancestor, Yoshifusa, became the first Fujiwara regent in 858. One of the ways in which the Fujiwara maintained a stranglehold on the regency was through marrying their daughters to emperors and raising their grandchildren to become future emperors. The Fujiwara would also often force older emperors to abdicate in favor of child emperors so the regents could hold even more power.

Emperor Sanjō was different from many other emperors of his time because he became emperor as an adult and had little connection to Michinaga or his line. Further, Sanjō wanted more direct control in matters of state. Both Sanjō and Michinaga tried to best the other through political machinations, a means by which the courtier was far superior to the emperor. To make matters worse for Sanjō, he was rapidly losing his eyesight and hearing.

By 1013, the emperor’s situation was dire, so he turned to divine will for reassurance. Prior to the annual sumo tournament, Sanjō prayed at Ise Grand Shrine for a sign. If the first three wrestlers representing the left team won the first three matches, then it was the will of the divine for Sanjō to continue his rule. If not, he would acquiesce to Michinaga and abdicate.

Although the sources on sumo wrestlers during the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates pales in comparison to those of the Heian period, the few remaining sources show that wrestlers traveled the country to entertain powerful warrior leaders such as Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199) and Ashikaga Yoshitane (1466–1523). Perhaps the most important of these demonstrations was a sumo tournament in 1578 that was organized by the dominant Sengoku daimyō Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582). Records state that some 300 wrestlers traveled to Nobunaga’s headquarters in Aizu for an opportunity to showcase their skills, with 23 men making the cut. The large turnout is evidence of Nobunaga’s power, wealth, and love of sumo.

Nobunaga was by no means the only Sengoku daimyō who appreciated sumo. There are records of both Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542–1616) staging sumo tournaments, among others. Daimyō patronage of sumo continued throughout the Edo period.

The depiction to the left shows Nobunaga in yellow watching sumo along with many of his generals.

The history of the title for the top wrestler in sumo is complex. Fans of modern sumo will know that the title of yokozuna is given to only the best wrestlers, but that was not always the case.

During the Heian period, the strongest wrestler was called a hote. The title of hote was apt because the kanji translate to “best hand.” This term was no longer used, however, following the last annual sumo tournament in 1174.

The term yokozuna derives from the horizontally-banded white rope that the wrestler wears. This white rope strongly resembles the white rope that is used for purification at Shinto shrines and other points of interest such as rocks and trees. Initially, the title of yokozuna was given to two wrestlers, one for the east and one for the west, to perform a unique ring-entering ceremony. While the first wrestlers chosen for this honor were usually great wrestlers, it was not until 1909 that the title became associated more with tournament success.

To this day, the rules for promotion to yokozuna are far from concrete. Generally speaking, a wrestler may be promoted to yokozuna if he wins two consecutive tournaments at one of the highest ranks in the highest division. There are other factors, however, that play into the decision. The conduct of the wrestler, the number of current yokozuna, and the strength of competition are also considered.

There is a large stele located at Tomioka Hachiman Shrine, pictured here, where every yokozuna has his name etched, including some mythical former wrestlers. Only yokozuna are remembered on this stone with one notable exception–Raiden Tameemon.

Although Tanikaze Kajinosuke (1750–1795) and Onogawa Kisaburō (1758–1806) are officially considered the fourth and fifth yokozuna, they were the first men to be awarded the title in their lifetimes.

Kajinosuke, depicted on the right, was a towering figure at over six feet tall and 375 pounds. He wrestled from 1769 to 1794, accruing an impressive record of 258 wins to 14 losses. Perhaps his most notable achievement was winning 63 consecutive matches from 1778 to 1782. Following his lone loss to Kisaburō in the spring tournament of 1782, he rattled off another 43 consecutive wins. Kajinosuke is also notable for being the teacher to the most dominant wrestler of the Edo period–Raiden Tameemon.

Kisaburō, depicted on the left, had a more moderate build of 5’9’’ and 250 pounds. Despite his size, he had 144 wins to 13 losses from 1779 to 1798. His most notable achievement was breaking the hulking Kajinosuke’s consecutive win record in 1782.

Undoubtedly the greatest wrestler of the Edo period, and perhaps in all of sumo history is Raiden Tameemon (1767–1825). He stood at a staggering 6’5’’ and weighed over 375 pounds. He was coached by the first living yokozuna, Tanikaze Kajinosuke, until the latter’s death in 1795.

Raiden’s career started strong, winning his debut tournament in 1790 at the age of 23. The next three tournaments went to his oyakata before Raiden went on an impressive tear. From 1793 until 1810 he won all the tournaments in which he participated except two. His record of 28 yūshō, though considered unofficial, held for over 150 years. His winning percentage of 96.2% still stands as the highest of all time.

His achievements become even more impressive when considering two important factors. The first is that there were only two tournaments a year during the Edo period unlike the six annual tournaments in modern sumo. Despite this fact, there are only three wrestlers to date who have surpassed Raiden’s mark of 28 yūshō. The second factor is that following a decade of dominance, sumo organizers banned Raiden from using his favorite technique to make matches more interesting. In spite of this handicap, he won 16 more championships.

His achievements are why he is the only non-yokozuna to be honored on the yokozuna stele at Tomioka Hachiman Shrine.

Following the successful campaign of Commodore Matthew Perry (1794–1858) to get the Japanese government to trade with America and England in 1854, there was a massive importation of western ideas and advancements thrust upon the Japanese people. This rapid departure from the norm elicited excitement from some and resistance from others. Some nativists looked to aspects of Japanese society that were different from their new trading partners to bolster national pride. Sumo became of the most prominent examples of this because it was seen as a symbol of Japanese strength. It is for this reason that many mass-produced posters, like the ones seen here, were created. In each example, sumo wrestlers are fighting, and often defeating, their foreign counterparts. Another common motif is that the sumo wrestlers are depicted with a refined, stoic character to compliment their strong stature, which is in stark contrast to the depictions of the foreigners. That stoic nature remains an integral aspect of sumo culture to this day.

This tie to nationalism continued as the country evolved throughout the century. Following the Meiji restoration, sumo stripped its strong ties to the daimyō to connect with another new symbol of national pride–Shinto. Many of the rituals and religious connections seen in modern sumo began in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Sumo remains the national sport of Japan and one of the country’s staunchest and most complicated examples of invented tradition.

Sumo has also been a major component of Japanese identity internationally since the nineteenth century. Shogun Tokugawa Iesada (1824–1858) treated Perry and his men to sumo matches in 1854 to show Japanese strength. Today, tourists make up a considerable portion of the attendance at annual tournaments, particularly in Tokyo and Osaka.

The domestic impact of sumo as a national symbol of strength was never as high as it was with yokozuna Futabayama Sadaji (1912–1968). Even though he stood at a modest 5’10’’ and weighed only 280 pounds, his impact on Japanese morale in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) was monumental.

Futabayama joined sumo in 1927 at the age of fifteen. He steadily rose the ranks until the summer tournament of 1936 when he began the still-standing record for consecutive wins at 69. From that tournament until the spring tournament of 1939, Futabayama did not lose a match. His success, and the attention the sport garnered because of it, led to an extension of the number of days held for each tournament. First, they changed the original eleven days to thirteen in the summer of 1937 before they extended it further in 1939 to the current fifteen matches.

More importantly, his success on the clay was used to rally morale for the Japanese invasion of China. Many in the government and media were convinced that the Second Sino-Japanese War would be a quick affair due to Japan’s technological superiority over their Chinese counterparts. The Chinese lasted far longer than those pundits initially anticipated, however, so the smaller Futabayama who defeated his often-times larger opponents with skill and determination was used as an analogy for Japan’s eventual victory in the war. His popularity was such that he did tours to meet with military personnel in Korea and Manchuria, not unlike the USO tours.

Futabayama retired in the Autumn of 1945, becoming an oyakata and then chairman of the Sumo Association. His twelve yūshō, eight zenshō yūshō, and winning streak compare favorably to modern wrestlers even though there were only two tournaments a year during most of his career.

Taihō Kōki, was born Ivan Boryshko (1940–2013), on Sakhalin island to a Japanese mother and Ukranian father who fled the Bolshevik Revolution. Following soviet occupation of Sakhalin in 1945, he and his mother moved to Hokkaidō.

He entered sumo in 1956 and quickly rose the ranks. He made history by winning eleven consecutive matches in his debut tournament in the makuuchi division–a feat that was unmatched until Takerufuji won his first eleven matches of his debut tournament at the Osaka tournament in 2024. Taihō’s rapid rise continued until he became the then-youngest yokozuna ever at 21 years old.

Taihō spent ten years as a yokozuna before retiring in 1971. At the time of his retirement, he either held or was near the top of every meaningful sumo statistic measuring career success. His 33 yūshō, 746 wins in makuuchi, 872 career wins, 81 wins in a calendar year, and 58 tournaments as a yokozuna were all records. He also held the second-longest streak of consecutive victories in the modern era with 45 and tied Futabayama for zenshō yūshō at eight.

He is considered one of the greatest post-war wrestlers and received many awards for his impact on Japanese culture. He is the only sumo wrestler to receive the Person of Cultural Merit Award and he is one of only two sumo wrestlers to receive the People’s Honor Award–The other being Chiyonofuji.

Nicknamed “The Wolf,” Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (1955–2016) was a dominant and popular wrestler of the seventies and eighties. He wrestled at a mere 280 pounds during his career, using his skill and strength to best much heavier competition. He was popular in part due to his impressive grappling skills and in part due to his atypically muscular build. Sadly, all the photos found of his impressive physique in the eighties are under copyright.

Chiyonofuji debuted in 1970 at the age of fifteen. It took him five years to reach makuuchi, but that was for only one tournament before spending two more years in jūryō. By 1978, he was consistently in the top division, winning his first makuuchi yūshō in 1981. By the end of that year, he was made yokozuna–a title he held until 1991.

During his decade-long tenure at the top rank in sumo, he amassed an impressive 31 yūshō, which is third all-time. His yūshō total, his 52 consecutive wins, five zenshō yūshō, five consecutive yūshō, 1045 career wins, 807 top division wins, and 59 tournaments ranked as a yokozuna are within the top five all-time.

While Taihō was of mixed heritage, it wasn’t until the 1970’s that foreign-born wrestlers were making waves in professional sumo. The most successful group of the twentieth century by far were Hawaiian sumo wrestlers who dominated the eighties and nineties.

Konishiki Yasokichi, born Sale Atisanoe (1963–), was one of the biggest wrestlers ever, weighing over 600 pounds for most of his career. By the time he was eighteen, he was already 375 pounds. One day when he skipped school to go to the beach, he was spotted by a sumo scout who immediately wanted to bring him to professional sumo. Konishiki entered the professional ranks the following year in 1982.

His rise to makuuchi was one of the fastest, as he reached the top rank exactly two years after entering official tournaments. He was runner-up in five tournaments before he became the first foreign-born ōzeki in 1987. He kept the rank until 1994, winning three yūshō during that span. He retired in 1997 following fifteen years in sumo and thirteen in the top division.

Konishiki was exceptionally close to becoming the first foreign-born yokozuna. From the Kyushu tournament in 1989 to the Osaka tournament in 1992, he posted twelve wins or better eight times on his way to three championships and three finishes as runner-up. Following his final yūshō in 1992, the question of promotion loomed. He had failed to string together two consecutive yūshō, an achievement that usually means automatic promotion, but he was a fringe candidate for yokozuna. Other men both before and after Konishiki were promoted with far less. The deliberation on his promotion caused some international uproar due to comments made by a Sumo Association official saying that Konishiki lacked the proper “refinement” for the position. Attempts to clarify the situation by both Japanese and US media outlets led to conflicting stories saying that either Konishiki, or someone impersonating him, had said that Konishiki would have been promoted to yokozuna if he had been Japanese, suggesting racial discrimination. The incident caused members of Japanese parliament and Prime Minister Miyazawa Kiichi (1919–2007) to reassure the Japanese and American public that race did not factor into the decision.

The whole affair caused Konishiki to lose his focus. The door to promotion was shut following a disappointing 9–6 finish in the next tournament. He never posted more than ten wins for the rest of his career until his retirement in 1997. Following his career, he has become a charismatic media personality outside the sumo world as well as an oyakata inside it.

Akebono Tarō, born Chadwick Haheo Roman (1969–2024), surpassed his Hawaiian predecessors to become the first foreign-born yokozuna. The towering Akebono stood at 6’8’’ and weighed over 500 pounds during his career.

Akebono’s early life was marked by his superlative basketball abilities that landed him a college scholarship to play center. He had always been interested in sumo, so he decided to train underneath Jesse Takamiyama starting in 1988. Akebono started his career with eighteen straight kachi-koshi before recording one of only two official make-koshi for his career. Akebono made ōzeki in 1992 alongside fellow Hawaiian Konishiki. Akebono was then promoted to yokozuna the following year after winning two consecutive yūshō only a few months after the incident with Konishiki’s promotion. There were no complaints lobbied against Akebono’s “refinement” and his two consecutive yūshō made him a clear candidate for promotion.

During his career, he won eleven yūshō and was runner-up thirteen times before retiring in 2001. Akebono’s rivalry with yokozuna Takanoha II, and to a lesser extent yokozuna Wakanohana (1971–), fueled sumo ratings in the nineties.

Following his retirement, Akebono tried his hand at mma and professional wrestling. His mma record was unimpressive at 1–9, but he enjoyed over a decade of doing pro wrestling in Japan and America.

Musashimaru Kōyō, born Fiamalu Penitani (1971–), moved to Hawaii from his native American Samoa when he was ten years old. He then moved to Japan when he was eighteen to pursue sumo. Musashimaru is a towering individual at 6’3’’ and weighed over 500 pounds during his career.

Musashimaru debuted in 1989 and made it to makuuchi two years later. He only suffered one make-koshi his entire career, and won his first yūshō in 1994 as an ōzeki. He remained an ōzeki for five years before winning two consecutive tournaments in 1999 to become a yokozuna. He was only a yokozuna for a short period before retiring in 2003 due to injury. Despite his short stint at the top position, he won twelve yūshō and was runner-up on fourteen occasions. He is in the top ten all-time for yūshō, career victories in makuuchi, and playoff victories.

Mongolians have dominated the sport of sumo throughout the 21st century. Since the first yūshō won by Mongolian Asashōryū in 2002, Mongolians have won the makuuchi yūshō 104 times in 126 tournaments. Those 104 victories have been split between ten different wrestlers, five of whom have reached the rank of yokozuna.

Two of those yokozuna are picture here.The man on the left is Harumafuji Kōhei, born Davaanyamyn Byambadorj (1984–). The one on the right is Kakuryū Rikisaburō, born Mangaljalavyn Anand (1985–).

Harumafuji was one of the lightest men to be promoted to yokozuna, weighing around 300 pounds during his career. Known for his quickness and technique, Harumafuji won nine yūshō during his sixteen-year career. He is most remembered for his rivalry with the great Hakuhō, against whom Harumafuji has the most victories at 22. Conversely, Harumafuji’s weight also worked against him if he was ever less than 100%, resulting in him giving up the second-most kinboshi (40) in a career. Although he had won the yūshō in his last tournament, he retired following the public scandal surrounding his assault of a fellow mongolian wrestler in 2018.

Kakuryū had a more modest career, amassing six yūshō in twenty years. He was made yokozuna in 2014 following two tournaments with a 14–1 record even though he lost one of those tournaments on the final day to Hakuhō. Sadly, Kakuryū was often injured, only completing all fifteen days of a tournament as a yokozuna 22 times out of 40 tournaments. He retired in 2021.

It should be noted that Mongolians are not the only successful foreign-born wrestlers as one Bulgarian, Estonian, and Georgian have each won one yūshō in the 21st century. Moreover, Japanese wrestler Kisenosato Yutaka (1986–) was promoted to yokozuna in 2017, though he retired in 2019 after having only won two yūshō. There have also been some strong Japanese ōzeki outside these men, but to date none have had careers comparable to the three following Mongolian yokozuna: Asashōryū, Hakuhō, and Terunofuji.

Four Hawaiians won makuuchi yūshō and had long, successful careers. The first was Takamiyama Daigorō, born Jesse James Wailani Kuhaulua (1944–), who became the first foreign-born wrestler to win a makuuchi yūshō in 1972. Depicted here with his signature mutton chops, the man affectionately referred to as “Jesse” set many longevity records during his career. His career spanned twenty years from 1964–1984 with sixteen of those year in makuuchi. His twelve kinboshi was a record at the time of his retirement.

Although Takamiyama’s career accolades would be surpassed by the future Hawaiian greats, he was instrumental in their success as well as opening the doors of sumo domestically and internationally.