Kanreki dohyō-iri

In sumo wrestling, a kanreki dohyō-iri (Japanese: 還暦土俵入り) is a ring-entering ceremony (dohyō-iri) performed by a former yokozuna in celebration of his 60th birthday (called kanreki in Japanese). If he is a toshiyori (a sumo elder), the ceremony is usually held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, the main sumo hall in Tokyo. Otherwise, if retired, at another location. A red tsuna is worn, instead of the usual white tsuna. This is commonly known as an akatsuna (赤綱) but this term is unofficial. If the dew-sweeper or sword-bearer is a former yokozuna, he wears his own tsuna.

Kanreki performed at Kokugikan

Wrestlers are listed using their ring name, followed by their then toshiyori name in brackets.

Year Wrestler Dew-sweeper Sword-bearer
1952 Tochigiyama (Kasugano) Akinoumi Setsuo (Fujishima) Haguroyama Masaji (active)
1956 Tsunenohana Kan'ichi (Dewanoumi) Chiyonoyama Masanobu (active) Futabayama Sadaji (Tokitsukaze)
1985 Tochinishiki Kiyotaka (Kasugano) Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (Dewanoumi) Wakanohana Kanji I (Futagoyama)
1988 Wakanohana Kanji I (Futagoyama) Takanosato Toshihide (Naruto) Wakanohana Kanji II (Magaki)
2000 Taihō Kōki (special toshiyori) Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Kokonoe) Kitanoumi Toshimitsu (special toshiyori)

Kagamisato Kiyoji (Tatsutagawa), Tochinoumi Teruyoshi (Kasugono), Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (Sakaigawa) and Kotozakura Masakatsu (Sadogatake) wore red tsuna but did not perform dohyō-iri. Asashio Tarō (Takasago) had a red tsuna made, but died aged 58 without performing the ceremony.

Kanreki performed at other locations

Year Wrestler Dew-sweeper Sword-bearer Venue
1937 Tachiyama Mineemon Tachienoumi Namiemon (Kise) Tachihikari Den'emon (Naruto) Ueno Seiyōken
2002 Kitanofuji Katsuaki Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi (Hakkaku) Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Kokonoe) Hotel East 21
2007 Mienoumi Tsuyoshi (Musashigawa) Miyabiyama Tetsushi (active) Dejima Takeharu (active) Hotel Grand Pacific Meridian

Minanogawa Tōzō, Akinoumi Setsuo and Wajima Hiroshi also reached the age of sixty years whilst retired, but did not perform a kanreki dohyō-iri. Mienoumi performed an early kanreki dohyō-iri seven months before his 60th birthday, on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Musashigawa stable.

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