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.
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.
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.