Onosato, a 24-year-old Japanese wrestler weighing 191 kilograms (421 pounds), was elevated to sumo’s highest rank of yokozuna, ending years of Mongolian dominance in Japan’s national sport, AP News reported.
His promotion by the Japan Sumo Association on Wednesday marks the first time a Japanese competitor has held the title since 2017, breaking a streak where six of the previous seven grand champions hailed from Mongolia.
Clad in a formal kimono, Onosato—born Daiki Nakamura—vowed to honour the title.
I’ll devote myself to training so that I will not disgrace the title of Yokozuna. I will aim to become a one-and-only yokozuna.
His rapid ascent follows consecutive victories at March’s prestigious tournament and last week’s Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. The wrestler, who hails from earthquake-devastated Ishikawa prefecture, also pledged to inspire his homeland, where a January 2024 quake killed 600 people.
I will work hard as a yokozuna to encourage and cheer up the Ishikawa prefecture and the Noto region.
Sumo, deeply intertwined with Shinto rituals and dating back over a millennium, remains Japan’s only professionally contested national sport. Wrestlers live in strictly regulated communal training centres, adhering to ancient traditions governing diet and attire.
Onosato’s promotion sets the stage for a historic clash with Mongolian yokozuna Hoshoryu, his sole contemporary at the rank. Their first showdown as grand champions is scheduled for July’s tournament in Nagoya, reigniting Japanese enthusiasm for a sport long overshadowed by foreign titans.
“I determined that yokozuna should be my goal once I entered the world of sumo. It’s not easy to achieve and I’m really delighted,” Onosato stated. His triumph signals a potential resurgence for Japanese sumo.
