2017 in sumo

The following were the events in professional sumo during 2017.

Tournaments

Hatsu basho

Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 January – 22 January^[1]

2017 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
5	-	6	-	4	ø		Kakuryū	Y	ø		Harumafuji	4	-	3	-	8
11	-	4	-	0			Hakuho	Y
14	-	1	-	0			Kisenosato	O	ø		Gōeidō	8	-	5	-	2
4	-	11	-	0			Terunofuji	O			Kotoshogiku	5	-	10	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Tamawashi	S			Shodai	7	-	8	-	0
11	-	4	-	0			Takayasu	K	ø		Tochinoshin	0	-	6	-	9
6	-	9	-	0			Takarafuji	M1			Mitakeumi	11	-	4	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Shohozan	M2			Arawashi	6	-	9	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Okinoumi	M3			Ikioi	8	-	7	-	0
3	-	12	-	0			Tochiozan	M4			Endo	7	-	8	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Takekaze	M5			Yoshikaze	8	-	7	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Chiyoshoma	M6			Kotoyuki	6	-	9	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Myogiryu	M7			Aoiyama	8	-	7	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Hokutofuji	M8			Chiyonokuni	9	-	6	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Kaisei	M9			Ishiura	6	-	9	-	0
11	-	4	-	0			Takanoiwa	M10			Sokokurai	12	-	3	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Kagayaki	M11			Nishikigi	5	-	10	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Takakeishō	M12			Daishōmaru	7	-	8	-	0
5	-	10	-	0			Gagamaru	M13			Ichinojo	11	-	4	-	0
6	-	9	-	0			Chiyootori	M14			Chiyotairyū	6	-	9	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Chiyoo	M15			Sadanoumi	8	-	7	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Osunaarashi	M16

Haru basho

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 12 March – 26 March^[1]

2017 Haru basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
2	-	3	-	10	ø		Hakuho	Y			Kakuryu	10	-	5	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Harumafuji	Y			Kisenosato	13	-	2	-	0
1	-	5	-	9	ø		Gōeidō	O			Terunofuji	13	-	2	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Tamawashi	S			Takayasu	12	-	3	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Kotoshogiku	S	ø			0	-	0	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Mitakeumi	K			Shodai	4	-	11	-	0
5	-	10	-	0			Takekaze	M1			Ikioi	5	-	10	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Sokokurai	M2			Takanoiwa	6	-	9	-	0
5	-	10	-	0			Shohozan	M3			Takarafuji	7	-	8	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Yoshikaze	M4	ø		Arawashi	3	-	10	-	2
8	-	7	-	0			Endo	M5			Hokutofuji	7	-	8	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Chiyonokuni	M6			Aoiyama	8	-	7	-	0
6	-	9	-	0			Ichinojo	M7			Chiyoshoma	9	-	6	-	0
3	-	7	-	5	ø		Kaisei	M8			Okinoumi	10	-	5	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Kagayaki	M9			Kotoyuki	5	-	10	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Tochinoshin	M10			Tochiozan	10	-	5	-	0
11	-	4	-	0			Daieisho	M11			Ishiura	7	-	8	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Sadanoumi	M12			Ura	8	-	7	-	0
11	-	4	-	0			Takakeisho	M13			Daishomaru	7	-	8	-	0
6	-	9	-	0			Myogiryu	M14			Kyokushuho	5	-	10	-	0
3	-	8	-	4	ø		Chiyoo	M15			Tokushoryu	8	-	7	-	0
5	-	10	-	0			Nishikigi	M16	ø			0	-	0	-	0

Natsu basho

Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 14 May – 28 May^[1]

2017 Natsu basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
6	-	5	-	4	ø		Kisenosato	Y	ø		Kakuryu	1	-	4	-	10
11	-	4	-	0			Harumafuji	Y			Hakuho	15	-	0	-	0
12	-	3	-	0			Terunofuji	O			Goeido	9	-	6	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Tamawashi	S			Takayasu	11	-	4	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Kotoshogiku	S	ø			0	-	0	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Mitakeumi	K			Yoshikaze	8	-	7	-	0
2	-	13	-	0			Chiyonokuni	M1			Endo	6	-	9	-	0
3	-	12	-	0			Okinoumi	M2			Chiyoshoma	5	-	10	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Daieisho	M3			Aoiyama	4	-	11	-	0
6	-	9	-	0			Tochiozan	M4			Takarafuji	3	-	12	-
5	-	7	-	3	ø		Takanoiwa	M5			Shodai	10	-	5	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Takekaze	M6			Ikioi	9	-	6	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Hokutofuji	M7			Takakeisho	11	-	4	-	0
6	-	9	-	0			Shohozan	M8			Sokokurai	5	-	10	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Ichinojo	M9			Kagayaki	9	-	6	-	0
12	-	3	-	0			Tochinoshin	M10			Ura	11	-	4	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Arawashi	M11			Ishiura	8	-	7	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Tokushoryu	M12			Kotoyuki	6	-	9	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Toyohibiki	M13			Daishomaru	8	-	7	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Onosho	M14			Chiyotairyu	9	-	6	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Myogiryu	M15			Kaisei	7	-	8	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Yutakayama	M16	ø			0	-	0	-	0

Nagoya basho

Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 9 July – 23 July^[1]

2017 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
14	-	1	-	0			Hakuho	Y			Harumafuji	11	-	4	-	0
2	-	4	-	9	ø		Kisenosato	Y	ø		Kakuryu	2	-	2	-	11
1	-	5	-	9	ø		Terunofuji	O			Goeido	7	-	8	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Takayasu	O	ø				-		-
7	-	8	-	0			Tamawashi	S			Mitakeumi	9	-	6	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Yoshikaze	K			Kotoshogiku	7	-	8	-	0
5	-	10	-	0			Shodai	M1			Takakeisho	5	-	10	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Tochinoshin	M2			Hokutofuji	8	-	7	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Ikioi	M3	ø		Endo	2	-	3	-	10
7	-	8	-	0			Ura	M4			Kagayaki	5	-	10	-
5	-	10	-	0			Chiyoshoma	M5			Tochiozan	12	-	3	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Ichinojo	M6			Onosho	10	-	5	-	0
6	-	9	-	0			Takanoiwa	M7			Daieisho	5	-	10	-	0
13	-	2	-	0			Aoiyama	M8			Ishiura	7	-	8	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Tokushoryu	M9			Okinoumi	5	-	10	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Chiyotairyu	M10			Shohozan	10	-	5	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Chiyonokuni	M11			Daishomaru	7	-	8	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Arawashi	M12			Takekaze	8	-	7	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Takarafuji	M13			Sokokurai	6	-	9	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Sadanoumi	M14			Kotoyuki	4	-	11	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Nishikigi	M15			Chiyomaru	9	-	6	-	0
3	-	12	-	0			Gagamaru	M16	ø			0	-	0	-	0

Aki basho

Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 September – 24 September^[1]

2017 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
0	-	0	-	15	ø		Hakuho	Y			Harumafuji	11	-	4	-	0
0	-	0	-	15	ø		Kisenosato	Y	ø		Kakuryu	0	-	0	-	15
1	-	2	-	12	ø		Takayasu	O			Goeido	11	-	4	-	0
1	-	5	-	9	ø		Terunofuji	O	ø				-		-
8	-	7	-	0			Mitakeumi	S			Yoshikaze	8	-	7	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Tamawashi	K			Tochiozan	6	-	9	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Tochinoshin	M1			Kotoshogiku	10	-	5	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Hokutofuji	M2	ø		Aoiyama	3	-	5	-	7
10	-	5	-	0			Onosho	M3			Chiyotairyu	8	-	7	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Shohozan	M4	ø		Ura	1	-	2	-	12
6	-	9	-	0			Shodai	M5			Takakeisho	9	-	6	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Ichinojo	M6			Kagayaki	4	-	11	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Chiyonokuni	M7			Ikioi	6	-	9	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Chiyoshoma	M8			Takarafuji	9	-	6	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Takanoiwa	M9			Arawashi	9	-	6	-	0
3	-	12	-	0			Ishiura	M10			Takekaze	6	-	9	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Daieisho	M11			Chiyomaru	9	-	6	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Daishomaru	M12	ø		Sadanoumi	2	-	8	-	5
6	-	9	-	0			Nishikigi	M13			Kaisei	9	-	6	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Endo	M14			Okinoumi	8	-	7	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Tokushoryu	M15			Yutakayama	4	-	11	-	0
10	-	5	-	0			Asanoyama	M16	ø			0	-	0	-	0

Kyushu basho

2017 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
0	-	3	-	12	ø		Harumafuji	Y			Hakuho	14	-	1	-	0
4	-	6	-	5	ø		Kisenosato	Y	ø		Kakuryu	0	-	0	-	15
9	-	6	-	0			Goeido	O	ø		Takayasu	8	-	5	-	2
9	-	6	-	0			Mitakeumi	S			Yoshikaze	6	-	9	-	0
0	-	5	-	10	ø		Terunofuji	S	ø				-		-
6	-	9	-	0			Kotoshogiku	K			Onosho	8	-	7	-	0
11	-	4	-	0			Tamawashi	M1			Takakeisho	11	-	4	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Chiyotairyu	M2			Tochiozan	4	-	11	-	0
3	-	12	-	0			Shohozan	M3			Hokutofuji	11	-	4	-	0
6	-	9	-	0			Chiyonokuni	M4			Ichinojo	10	-	5	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Takarafuji	M5			Arawashi	8	-	7	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Chiyoshoma	M6			Tochinoshin	9	-	6	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Daishomaru	M7			Shodai	9	-	6	-	0
0	-	0	-	15	ø		Takanoiwa	M8			Chiyomaru	7	-	8	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Endo	M9			Daieisho	5	-	10	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Kaisei	M10			Ikioi	9	-	6	-	0
3	-	8	-	4	ø		Aoiyama	M11			Asanoyama	5	-	10	-	0
11	-	4	-	0			Okinoumi	M12			Kagayaki	7	-	8	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Takekaze	M13			Aminishiki	8	-	7	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Kotoyuki	M14			Daiamami	6	-	9	-	0
7	-	8	-	0			Nishikigi	M15	ø		Myogiryu	6	-	8	-	1
0	-	0	-	15	ø		Ura	M16	ø			0	-	0	-	0

ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank

winning record in bold

Yusho Winner

News

January

• 6: The three Mongolian
  dohyo-iri.^[2]
• 21:
  Takanoiwa.^[3]
  Kisenosato, at 13–1, is two wins ahead of Hakuhō who drops to 11–3, with only one day to go. Kisenosato had been a runner-up on twelve previous occasions.
• 22: On the final day of the Hatsu basho, Kisenosato wraps up his first championship by defeating Hakuhō in the last bout of the day to finish with a 14–1 record.
  jūryō division championship is won by Daieishō
  .
• 22: The process to promote Kisenosato to yokozuna begins as the judges division of the Japan Sumo Association asks chairman Hakkaku Oyakata to hold an extraordinary meeting of its directors, and he agrees.^[5]
• 23: Hakkaku asks the
  Takanosato who was also a yokozuna. "He said that 'being a yokozuna is lonely'. I don’t know its meaning yet. But I will make efforts so that I will be able to understand the meaning."^[5]
• 25: Kisenosato's yokozuna promotion is confirmed by the Sumo Association's board of directors in a unanimous decision.
  Chiyoda ward. Kisenosato says "I am honoured to accept the decision. I will do my best not to tarnish the title of yokozuna."^[6]
• 27: Kisenosato performs the yokozuna ring-entering ceremony (
  dohyo-iri) for the first time in public in front of a crowd of 18000 at the Meiji Shrine.^[7]
• 31: Magaki Oyakata, former
  malignant lymphoma at the age of 37. He had retired only last August. His fellow Mongolian Hakuhō pays tribute by saying "I’m in my 30s too, it came too early. He was full of fight when I first faced him, I struggled to see eye to eye. I always had to be careful about his good footwork."^[8]

February

• 3: Kisenosato and Hakuho throw soy beans at the Narita-san temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture as part of the annual festival to celebrate Setsubun.^[9]
• 5: The 41st
  Kyokutaisei who defeats Seiro
  .
• 11:The 50th
  Team Syachihoko, Takayasu with Ai Nishida and Ikioi with Yoshimi Tendo
  .
• 27: The banzuke for the March tournament is released. Kisenosato is listed on the west side at yokozuna rank, the first Japanese born wrestler since Takanohana in 2003 to be yokozuna on the banzuke. There are three sekiwake following Kotoshogiku's demotion from ozeki. It is the first time since 1949 that there has been a promotion of a yokozuna and a demotion of an ozeki in the same tournament.
  Kotogaume in 1997.^[10]
  His promotion means Takasago stable has a sekitori again after they had none in the previous tournament for the first time in their history.

March

• 12: The Osaka tournament begins with four yokozuna competing in a honbasho for the first time in 17 years.^[11]
• 17: Hakuho withdraws from the tournament because of toe and thigh injuries.^[11]
• 24: Having compiled a perfect 12–0 record thus far, Kisenosato loses for the first time as a yokozuna on Day 13, defeated by Harumafuji. He is injured during the match and leaves the arena with his arm in a sling, but does not withdraw from the tournament.^[12]
• 26: In a remarkable final day's action, Kisenosato comes from behind to win the tournament by defeating Terunofuji twice – once in their regulation match and again in a playoff.
  jonokuchi division the 46 year-old Hokutoryu [ja] announces his retirement after 31 years and 186 tournaments in sumo, leaving Hanakaze (who made his debut alongside Hokutoryu in March 1986) as the last active wrestler from the Shōwa era
  .

• 1: Naruto Oyakata, the former ozeki
  Kotooshu, branches out from Sadogatake stable and opens his own Naruto stable.^[15]
• The spring regional tour visits the following locations:
  • 2:
    Ise Shrine (Honozumo ceremonial tournament held in the shine's precincts), Mie Prefecture
  • 3:
    Komaki, Aichi
    Prefecture
  • 4:
    Kato, Hyogo
    Prefecture
  • 5:
    Takarazuka, Hyogo
    Prefecture
  • 6:
    Himeji, Hyogo
    Prefecture
  • 8: Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 9:
    Shizuoka, Shizuoka
    Prefecture
  • 11: Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture
  • 12:
    Yokosuka, Kanagawa
    Prefecture
  • 13: Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 14: Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture
  • 15:
    Takasaki, Gunma
    Prefecture
  • 16:
    Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki
    Prefecture
  • 17:Yasukuni Shrine (Honozumo ceremonial tournament held in the shrine's precincts), Tokyo
  • 20:
    Kashiwa, Chiba
    Prefecture
  • 21: Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture
  • 22:
    Hachioji, Tokyo
    Prefecture
  • 23: Machida, Tokyo Prefecture
  • 24: Fukaya, Saitama Prefecture
  • 29: Chokaigi basho, Chiba Prefecture
• 27: Former yokozuna
  Tochinoumi
  as the oldest living former yokozuna.

May

• 1: The banzuke for the May tournament is released. Two wrestlers make their top division debut:
  Kitanoumi with 63.^[17]
• 24: Having failed to recover sufficiently from his upper body injuries sustained in the last tournament, Kisenosato withdraws after four losses in the first ten days. He had previously missed only one bout in his career, the last day of the January 2014 tournament.[18]
• 28: Hakuhō wraps up his 38th yūshō (and first in a year)
  Sadanofuji
  , who are staying in sumo as Nishikijima Oyakata and Nakamura Oyakata respectively.
• 31: Takayasu is formally promoted to ōzeki.^[20]

June

• 1: The Sumo Association announce that the Nagoya tournament in the year 2020 will start a week earlier than normal to avoid clashing with that year's Tokyo Summer Olympics which is scheduled to begin on July 24, 2020. The sumo will now conclude on July 19.^[21]
• 11: Ex-sekiwake
  Tomozuna stable from former sekiwake Kaiki
  , as the latter has reached 65 years of age. The former Tomozuna is however re-hired by the Sumo Association as a consultant on reduced pay for five years, and is now known as Ōshima Oyakata.
• 25: The banzuke for the July tournament in Nagoya is released. There are no wrestlers making their top division debuts for the first time since May 2015,
  sekiwake. The sole new sekitori is Tobizaru [ja] (previously known by his family name of Iwasaki), while Abi
  returns to the juryo division.

• 23: The Nagoya tournament concludes with Hakuhō defeating Harumafuji to win his 39th yusho, his 14–1 record ensuring that he finishes one win ahead of rank-and filer
  Chiyonofuji's 1045 and Kaiō's 1047. The record-breaking 1048th win came on Day 13 against new ozeki Takayasu.^[24] Aoiyama is runner-up for the first time in his career and wins the Fighting Spirit Award. The Outstanding Performance Prize goes to Mitakeumi, who was the only man to beat Hakuhō. The tournament sees a number of high-profile withdrawals due to injury, including yokozuna Kisenosato and Kakuryū, ozeki Terunofuji and maegashira Endō. The juryo division championship is won by Daiamami
  .
• 27: Isegahama Oyakata says that Harumafuji may need surgery on a left elbow injury and is likely to miss the Aki basho in September if that occurs. He also indicates that Terunofuji will miss the whole of the summer regional tour or jungyo as he continues to recover from knee surgery in May.^[25]
• The summer regional tour visits the following locations:
  • 30:
    Gifu, Gifu
    Prefecture
  • 31: Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture

August

• The summer regional tour will visit the following locations:^[26]
  • 1: Toyota, Aichi Prefecture
  • 2:
    Toyama, Toyama
    Prefecture
  • 3: Shibata, Niigata Prefecture
  • 5: Sado, Niigata Prefecture
  • 6: Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture
  • 7:
    Honjo, Saitama
    Prefecture
  • 8: Aoyama Gakuin, Tokyo Prefecture
  • 10: Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture
  • 11:
    Kaminoyama, Yamagata
    Prefecture
  • 12–13:
    Sendai, Miyagi
    Prefecture
  • 15:
    Aomori, Aomori
    Prefecture
  • 16: Itayanagi, Aomori Prefecture
  • 18: Eniwa, Hokkaido Prefecture
  • 19:
    Sapporo, Hokkaido
    Prefecture
  • 20:
    Asahikawa, Hokkaido
    Prefecture
  • 23–24: Odaiba, Tokyo Prefecture
  • 25:
    Odawara, Kanagawa
    Prefecture
  • 26: Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
  • 27: KITTE, Tokyo Prefecture
• 10: Former juryo wrestler Dewaotori [ja] announces his retirement after 13 years in sumo.
• 22: The Russian
  Konishiki's peak weight of 285 kg (628 lb) in 1996.^[27]
• 28: The banzuke for the Aki basho is released. Yoshikaze becomes the fifth oldest post-WWII sekiwake at 35 years and 5 months.
  Yutakayama, who returns to makuuchi for this tournament. There are two new sekitori: Yago from Oguruma stable (a former amateur champion at Chuo University^[29]) and Daiseidō [ja] from Kise stable
  .

September

• 7: It is announced that both Kisenosato and Kakuryū will skip the Aki basho as neither have fully recovered from their respective injuries. It is the first time since 1999 that two yokozuna have been absent from Day 1 of a tournament.^[30]
• 8: Hakuhō also announces that he is withdrawing due to a knee injury, making this the first tournament since the start of the Shōwa era that three yokozuna are out.^[31]
• 15: Terunofuji withdraws due to his knee injury, joining fellow ozeki Takayasu who pulled out on Day 3. It is the first time since the Summer tournament of 1918 that three yokozuna and two ozeki have been missing through injury.^[32]
• 24:The Aki basho ends with Harumafuji defeating Goeido in a playoff after both finish with 11–4 records.
  Kagamio with a prefect 7–0 record. Two former juryo wrestlers, Wakanoshima [ja] and Rikishin [ja
  ] announce their retirements. Wakanoshima is a 32 year old veteran with 17 years in sumo but Rikishin is just 21 years old and has failed to recover from recent knee surgery.

October

• 2: Kisenosato wins the All Japan Rikishi Tournament, a knock-out exhibition at the Kokugikan, for the second year in a row.
  Takekaze in the final. The jūryō tournament is held by Seiro
  .
• 4: The second Ozumo Beyond 2020 Basho, an exhibition aimed at foreign fans ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics, is held at the Kokugikan.^[38][39] At its conclusion Hakuhō is presented with an award (an artwork of Japanese calligraphy) from the Yokozuna Deliberation Council to mark his achievement of breaking the all-time career wins record with his 1048th victory in July.^[40]
• The autumn regional tour will visit the following locations:^[26]
  • 5: Yachiyo, Chiba
  • 6:
    Yokohama, Kanagawa
  • 7:
    Saitama, Saitama
  • 8: Fuji, Shizuoka
  • 9:
    Chikusei, Ibaraki
  • 11:
    Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
  • 12: Ichinomiya, Aichi
  • 13:
    Nagano, Nagano
  • 14:
    Kanazawa, Ishikawa
  • 15:
    Kyoto, Kyoto
  • 17: Takayama, Gifu
  • 18: Tsu, Mie
  • 19: Kashiba, Nara
  • 20:
    Hirakata, Osaka
  • 21: Kishiwada, Osaka
  • 22:
    Osaka, Osaka
  • 24:
    Okayama, Okayama
  • 25:
    Yabu, Hyogo
  • 26:
    Tottori, Tottori
  • 27:
    Matsue, Shimane
  • 28:
    Hiroshima, Hiroshima
  • 29: Fukuyama, Hiroshima
• 30: The banzuke for the November tournament is released. Harumafuji occupies the top position of Yokozuna 1 East for the first time in six tournaments.
  Masunoyama in 2010 to become a sekitori.^[42]

November

• 8: Kakuryū's stablemaster
  Izutsu Oyakata says the yokozuna will miss the Kyūshū tournament because he has been experiencing lower back pain in addition to his previously known right leg problem. It is the fifth time this year that he has missed at least some of a tournament, and the second in a row that he will sit out entirely. Izutsu says "It would be irresponsible to compete in his current condition. We're terribly sorry."^[43]
• 14: Harumafuji withdraws from the tournament on Day 3, on the same day as reports emerge he assaulted fellow Mongolian
  Isegahama Oyakata, but was unable to make a direct apology as Takanohana and Takanoiwa were absent.^[47]
• 22: Takanohana refuses to allow the Sumo Association access to Takanoiwa, saying the matter must be left to police.[48]
• 25: Hakuhō's 40th championship is assured when, having seen his two closest pursuers
  Hokutofuji both lose, he defeats Endō
  to move to an unassailable two win lead on 13–1.
• 26: Hakuhō wraps up the tournament by defeating Goeidō (the only other yokozuna or ozeki to complete the whole 15 days) to finish on 14–1, three wins ahead of maegashira Okinoumi, Hokutofuji,
  makushita
  championship.
• 27: Takanohana, whose decision to report Harumafuji's alleged assault to police and refusal to co-operate with investigators has attracted criticism, reportedly tells supporters at a post-basho party that as head of the regional tour department he had a "responsibility to seek justice" no matter who the wrestler was, and that Takanoiwa's injuries are serious. Meanwhile, Hakuhō says that he wants to see both Harumafuji and Takanoiwa back on the dohyo as soon as possible, and that he will tell police exactly what he saw in order to rid the sumo world of "the pus."[49]
• 27: The Yokozuna Deliberation Council calls for "extremely harsh punishment" of Harumafuji, which could entail suspension from tournaments, a recommendation to retire, or dismissal.^[50]
• 28: Japan Sumo Association chairman
  Hakkaku Oyakata apologises to Daichi Suzuki of the Japan Sport Agency [ja] for the Harumafuji assault scandal.^[51]
• 29: Harumafuji announces his retirement at a press conference. He does not go into details about the alleged assault on Takanoiwa, but says, "I had heard that he was lacking in manners and civility and thought it was my duty as a senior wrestler to correct and teach him. But I went too far."[52] His stablemaster says that Harumafuji has "caused great trouble" for the Sumo Association and sumo fans, and as a yokozuna he must take responsibility.^[52]
• 30: An interim report issued by the Sumo Association's investigative committee says that the October 25 incident occurred at a party to celebrate graduates of
  Hakuho were all present. Hakuho criticized Takanoiwa for previous disrespectful behavior at a restaurant in September. After the group moved on to another bar to continue drinking, Hakuho lectured Takanoiwa and Terunofuji on how they must never forget what they learned in their school days. Harumafuji told Takanoiwa to pay attention, at which point Takanoiwa, who was looking at his mobile phone, grinned and said he had just received an e-mail from his girlfriend. Infuriated, Harumafuji slapped Takanoiwa several times around the face to get him to apologize to Hakuho and when Takanoiwa refused to do so, grabbed a karaoke machine remote control and hit Takanoiwa over the head with it several times, which eventually required stitches. The report says that the beer bottle widely cited in early media reports was in fact a champagne bottle which slipped out of Harumafuji's hands before he could use it to hit Takanoiwa.^[53]

• 1: Hakuhō and his stablemaster
  Miyagino are severely reprimanded by the Sumo Association for Hakuhō's inappropriate behavior during his yūshō interview, when he called for Harumafuji and Takanoiwa to return to the ring and led the crowd in "banzai" cheers.^[54]
• The winter tour visits the following locations:
  • 3:
    Omura, Nagasaki
  • 4:
    Goto, Nagasaki
  • 6:
    Nogata, Fukuoka
  • 7:
    Usa, Oita
  • 8:
    Miyazaki, Miyazaki
  • 9:
    Kumamoto, Kumamoto
  • 10:
    Kagoshima, Kagoshima
  • 11:
    Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
  • 13-14: Miyakojima, Okinawa
  • 16-17: Ginowan, Okinawa
• 11: Tottori police conclude their investigation and turn the case over to prosecutors. Harumafuji's lawyers respond to criticism that he did not directly apologize to Takanoiwa during his retirement press conference by saying that Harumafuji was nervous, and "wholeheartedly offer an apology to all on (our client's) behalf."^[55]
• 20: Hakuhō and Kakuryū are docked one and half month's and one month's salary respectively by the Sumo Association and criticized for not doing enough to prevent the beating incident at which both were present. The Sumo Association also accepts the resignation of Isegahama as a director, and reveals that Takanoiwa finally spoke to the crisis committee investigating the affair on December 19, but the wrestler said that he did nothing discourteous that would cause Harumafuji to attack him.^[56] Chairman Hakkaku is also foregoing his salary for the last three months of his term.^[57]
• 28: Harumafuji is given a summary indictment over the Takanoiwa assault, meaning he is likely to be fined rather than face a court trial.^[58] An emergency meeting of the Sumo Association's board of directors recommends that Takanohana be dismissed as a director and demoted two rungs in the hierarchy, to take responsibility for the Takanoiwa incident which occurred under his watch as regional tour director. The recommendation must be formalized at another meeting on January 4.^[59]

Deaths

• Jan 25: Former
  makushita 37 Musashiumi
  , also a pro wrestler, aged 51, of a heart attack.
• Jan 31: Former komusubi
  Tokitenku
  (see January entry)
• Apr 27: Former yokozuna Sadanoyama, aged 79, of pneumonia. (see April entry)
• Sep 22: Former maegashira Asasegawa, also former Urakaze Oyakata, aged 75.

See also

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

References