2013 in sumo

Tournaments

• Hatsu basho, Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 13 January – 27 January^[1]
• Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 10 March – 24 March^[1]
• Natsu basho, Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 12 May – 26 May^[1]
• Nagoya basho, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 7 July – 21 July^[1]
• Aki basho, Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 15 September – 29 September^[1]
• Kyushu basho, Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Kyushu, 10 November – 24 November^[1]

News

January

• 10: It is announced that the famous Nishonoseki stable is to close after the Hatsu basho, due to the poor health of the incumbent stablemaster, ex komusubi Kongō.^[2]
• 19: The 48th Yokozuna Taihō, winner of a record 32 tournament championships, dies aged 72.^[3][4] He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period.^[5]
• 27: Yokozuna Harumafuji bounces back from his disappointing 9–6 debut in November to take his fifth top division championship with a perfect 15–0 record, defeating fellow yokozuna Hakuhō who finishes on 12–3, having also lost to maegashira Myōgiryū and ōzeki Kotoōshū.^[6] Hakuhō has to share runners up honours with rank and filer Takayasu, who wins his first Fighting Spirit Award. Myogiryu misses out on a special prize as he was unable to earn a majority of wins. Baruto, returning from injury, is unable to win back his ozeki rank as he can score only 8–7. Veteran former ozeki Miyabiyama wins only three bouts at the bottom maegashira rank and will be demoted to jūryō. Another veteran, the eccentric and popular Takamisakari, announces his retirement after facing demotion to makushita. He will stay in sumo as a coach at his Azumazeki stable under the name "Furiwake". Former maegashira Bushūyama also retires. The jūryō championship is won by young Mongolian Takanoiwa.
• 29: The 4th Kimura Masanao, a san'yaku gyōji, dies of cancer while active, aged 59.

February

• 7: Due to imminent mandatory retirement of its head coach, former ozeki Kaiketsu, Hanaregoma stable is absorbed by Shibatayama stable.
• 25: The banzuke for the forthcoming March basho is released. Harumafuji and Hakuhō exchange sides; Aminishiki regains komusubi status, with Shōhōzan losing the rank; Ōiwato and Sōtairyū are promoted to makuuchi with Sagatsukasa, Chiyonokuni, and Jōkōryū returning; the jūryō debut of Tochihiryū is accompanied by the return of both Oniarashi and Senshō and the relegations of Tamaasuka, Miyabiyama, Kotoyūki, Asahishō, and Hōmashō (who had to miss the entire January basho after undergoing shoulder surgery), while Kotoyutaka and Shironoryū lose sekitori status altogether.

March

• 24: Hakuhō wins his 24th title with a record 9th perfect 15–0 record, defeating Harumafuji, who again can only manage 9–6, having also lost to Takayasu, Chiyotairyū, Toyonoshima, Kakuryū, and Kisenosato. Okinoumi claims the basho's only Special Prize, his second for Fighting Spirit. Hometown favorite Gōeidō, who finishes 10–5, is unable to secure a promotion to ōzeki, having lost to both yokozuna. Miyabiyama retires after facing demotion to makushita. He will remain in the sumo world as a coach at his Fujishima stable, under the name "Futagoyama". Kyokushūhō wins the jūryō title after forcing a playoff against Azumaryū, while nine wrestlers contest the jonidan title, with Kinunonami coming out on top.
• 25:
  • Magaki stable closes due to the poor health of its stablemaster, the former Wakanohana Kanji II, with all personnel moving to Isegahama stable.
  • The Tokyo District Court rules that the former wrestler Sōkokurai was wrongly dismissed in April 2011 over match fixing allegations. Sōkokurai says, “Let me return to the sumo ring.” The Sumo Association is considering whether to appeal the ruling.^[7]

April

• 1: The 67th Yokozuna Musashimaru leaves his old stable and opens his own Musashigawa stable, the first new heya since Onoe in 2006.
• 3: The Sumo Association announce that they will accept Sōkokurai's return, and that he will appear on the July banzuke at maegashira 15, his last rank before he was thrown out of sumo.^[8]
• 24: Former maegashira Ōko passes away after a short battle with illness, aged 56.
• 25: The banzuke for the forthcoming May basho is released. Hakuhō and Harumafuji again switch sides; Okinoumi is promoted to komusubi, unseating Aminishiki; Azumaryū, Chiyoōtori, Daikihō, and Homarefuji make their makuuchi debut, with Kyokushūhō returning; the promotions of Chiyoō and Kizenryū to jūryō are accompanied by the return of both Kitaharima and Chiyoarashi and the relegation of Ōiwato, Sagatsukasa, Sōtairyū, Tamawashi, and Tochinowaka, with Hōmashō finding himself at the very bottom of the jūryō rankings, again having missed all of the last basho, while Hōchiyama, Senshō, and Yoshiazuma lose sekitori status altogether. In addition, the 11th Shikimori Kandayū is promoted to san'yaku gyōji, filling the gap left behind following the death of the 4th Kimura Masanao in January.

May

• 16: The 36th Kimura Shōnosuke, who has been sumo's highest-ranking gyōji since October 31, 2011, turns the mandatory retirement age of 65, but elects to serve the remainder of the May basho due to the possibility of a playoff between Hakuhō and Kisenosato.
• 25: The crunch match of the May tournament takes place with Hakuhō facing ozeki Kisenosato. Both have unblemished 13–0 records. Hakuhō emerges victorious for the 32nd time in their 40 meetings, and needs only one more win to clinch the tournament.
• 26: On the final day of the basho Kisenosato suffers a disappointing defeat to fellow ozeki Kotoshōgiku, handing the yusho to Hakuhō. Hakuhō completes his tenth zensho yusho with a victory over Harumafuji to seal his 25th championship, drawing him level with Asashōryū in third place on the all time list. The Technique prize goes to Myōgiryū for the fifth time after his fine 11–4 record, which includes wins over a yokozuna and two ozeki. Kotoōshū preserves his rank yet again with a win over Kakuryū. All four makuuchi debutants post losing records, with all four plus the injured Kyokushūhō likely to be demoted back to jūryō. Coming up will be amongst others Kotoyūki who wins the jūryō yusho with a 13–2 record. The makushita yusho is won by Egyptian Ōsunaarashi with a perfect 7–0 score, guaranteeing him promotion to jūryō next time. Wrestlers announcing their retirements include former jūryō rikishi Masuraumi (who is just 24 years old), Kotoyutaka, and Yotsuguruma.

September

• 12: Former ōzeki Baruto announces his retirement after missing the last 2 tournaments due to injury.

October

• 8: Aran announces his retirement.

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of active sumo wrestlers
• List of years in sumo

References