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Current sumo yokozuna, ranks and a wrestler's daily life

Quick summary

The current sumo yokozuna are named at the head of the banzuke, the ranking list revised after every Grand Tournament, and only 72 rikishi have ever held the rank.

Rank and pay

  • A yokozuna can never be demoted11
  • Juryo and above are paid a salary plus allowances4
  • About 700 rikishi are in professional sumo3

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A dinner show puts four wrestlers in front of you. This guide explains where they sit in the ranked world, how the ranking list works, what the Association says about pay and who trains in a Tokyo stable before dawn.

Editorial team, ginzasumoshows.com · Updated November 6, 2026 · Read in 6 min

The essentials

  • Top rankThe yokozuna occupy the top rank, and the Association's introduction booklet counts only 72 rikishi so honored, a figure that has since grown.1,2
  • Size of the worldAbout 700 rikishi are in professional sumo, from trainee to yokozuna.3
  • PayWrestlers of juryo and above are paid a salary plus allowances.4
  • Early startAt one Tokyo stable, training runs from 6:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.5
  • From abroadWrestlers born in Mongolia keep reaching the top division.6

Who the current sumo yokozuna are, and how to check

If you want the current sumo yokozuna by name, the right place to look is the banzuke, the ranking list the Japan Sumo Association revises after each Grand Tournament.7 Heading the banzuke in large bold characters are the names of the upper-division rikishi, and at the very top sit the yokozuna.8,1 This page does not print names, because a list of names goes stale at the next tournament.

What does stay true is the structure. The yokozuna occupy the top rank in professional sumo.1 Ozeki was once the highest rank but is now second to yokozuna, and sekiwake is the next highest rank after ozeki.9,10 The Association's introduction booklet counts only 72 rikishi honored with the rank of yokozuna over the long history of the professional sport; a few more have been promoted since it was printed, so check the banzuke for the latest count.2

The rank also comes with duties and a hard limit. A yokozuna can never be demoted, but he is expected to retire if his records stay poor.11 Before promotion a rikishi must have won two consecutive tournaments or achieved equivalent records at ozeki.12 Those are the conditions for the rank. Referees are graded too, and only a tate-gyoji, a top-ranking referee, can officiate a bout involving a yokozuna.13

Pay and bouts by rank

What the divisions fight for

GroupDays in the ringHow they are paid
Juryo and aboveCompetes every day of the 1521,22Salary plus allowances4
Makuuchi, the top divisionUp to 42 rikishi20Salary, with a special allowance for the upper ranks4
Lower divisionsOnly seven days23Allowance per tournament and an encouragement payment31

Divisions, bout days and pay structure as the Japan Sumo Association states them.4

The ladder below the top

There are up to 42 makuuchi rikishi, the top division.20 In a Grand Tournament, each rikishi in the two top divisions competes once every day, against a different opponent.21 The tournament lasts 15 days, so a top-division wrestler is in the ring on every one of those days.22

Wrestlers in the lower divisions compete on only seven days.23 That gap changes the whole shape of a career, because a young wrestler in the lower ranks fights less often and trains in stable life for the rest of the time. After each tournament the banzuke is revised, with rikishi promoted or demoted by their performance.7

Age and comebacks sit on the same ladder. On the latest banzuke, one wrestler returned to the top division at 41 years and 11 months, the oldest to do so since World War II.24 Another became the first rikishi from Okinawa Prefecture to reach komusubi.25 Careers move at very different speeds: one juryo debutant took 6 tournaments from his professional debut, tying the fastest promotion overall, while the new komusubi took 63 tournaments, the slowest among rikishi who succeeded in amateur sumo as students.26,27 The list of firsts is long, and the Association publishes it in its banzuke topics.

Sizes in sumo

A few lengths in the sport, in meters

  • Mawashi length9 m
  • Dohyo side6.7 m
  • Inner circle4.5 m

The mawashi is about 9 m long; the dohyo is 6.7 m square, and the bout circle a little over 4.55 m across.28,29,30

Hair, belts and ceremonial costume

A rikishi's rank shows in his hair. Juryo and makuuchi wear the elaborate oichomage, named after the ginkgo leaf, while the lower ranks use the chonmage, a plainer style tied with paper strings.34,35 The styles come from the Edo period and also serve as head protection in falls.36

The belt, the mawashi, is made of heavy silk about 9 m long and 80 cm wide, folded and wrapped around the waist four to seven times.28 For ceremonies the top divisions wear silk aprons that cost upwards of approximately 1 million yen.37 At the ring-entering ceremony the yokozuna adds a braided hemp rope that usually weighs 11 to 15 kg.38

Names have their own rules. Sumo names often end in -yama for mountain, -kawa or -gawa for river, or -umi for sea.39 When the performers at a dinner show give their names, listen for those endings; the pattern tells you something about the culture, even when the stage name is only for the show.

Life in a stable before dawn

Wrestlers eat, sleep and train in stables, and the Ryogoku area in Sumida City is famously known as the home of sumo in Tokyo.42 One stable in Nihonbashi, in Chuo City, has opened its windows so that visitors can watch training.32 It was founded in 2002 and is home to 14 wrestlers.43

The day starts early. The wrestlers there begin training at 6:30 a.m. and continue only until 10 a.m.5 One of them gives the reason in his own words: the rhythm of waking up early, practicing, eating and then sleeping helps them become bigger and stronger.33 He also says that roughly 90% of the people who come to watch are from overseas.41

Hierarchy shapes the floor. On a provincial tour, the lower divisions start and finish their intense training early to make way for the upper divisions.44 Chanko nabe, the stew associated with the stables, is a hotpot of chicken, pork, fish, sometimes beef, and vegetables.45 If you taste it at a restaurant, you are eating the food of the system described here. A wrestler there says sumo is different from other sports because nothing is used besides your own body.46

A wrestler's year

Tournaments and tours across the calendar

  1. January

    Tokyo basho

    At Kokugikan, January 10 to 24, 2027.14

  2. March

    Osaka basho

    At EDION Arena Osaka, March 14 to 28, 2027.15

  3. May

    Tokyo basho

    At Kokugikan, May 9 to 23, 2027.16

  4. July

    Nagoya basho

    At IG Arena, July 11 to 25, 2027.17

  5. September

    Tokyo basho

    At Kokugikan, September 12 to 26, 2027.18

  6. November

    Fukuoka basho

    At Fukuoka Kokusai Center, November 14 to 28, 2027.19

What pay in sumo looks like on paper

Searches for a sumo yokozuna salary return many numbers, and this site quotes none of them, because we print only figures an official source states. What the Japan Sumo Association's annual business report does state is the structure. Wrestlers of juryo and above receive a salary and allowances, and the highest ranks receive a special tournament allowance.4

Below juryo the system is different. Wrestlers there receive a per-tournament allowance and an encouragement payment instead of a salary.31 That is the line between a salaried wrestler and one still building a career.

There are also costs. A silk ceremonial apron for the top divisions costs upwards of approximately 1 million yen.37 An Edo-period verse called sumo an occupation of only twenty days of annual work.47 After 1778 the tournament period was extended from eight days to ten days.48 Today the Grand Tournaments run for 15 days each, six times a year.22,49

Video

What do sumo wrestlers do all day besides training

The Tatsunami Stable - Sumo Foods on YouTube · The video only starts loading on your tap.

The reason why we start practice so early is because the rhythm of waking up early, practicing, eating, and then sleeping helps us to become bigger and stronger.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government33

Checklist

To follow sumo beyond the show

Keep up with the ranks3

  • Look at the banzuke after each Grand Tournament7
  • Note the next Tokyo tournament, January 10 to 24, 202714
  • Advance tickets go on sale from December 5, 202640

See wrestlers closer3

  • A Nihonbashi stable trains from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.5
  • Stand where the stable opens its windows32
  • Expect an international crowd; roughly 90% of watchers are from overseas41

Wrestlers from abroad

People often ask about non-Japanese sumo champions, and the Association's own topics pages give a precise sense of the trend without naming a list. The two wrestlers who made their top-division debut in November 2026 are the 34th and 35th Mongolian-born rikishi to do so.6 A juryo debutant in the same tournament is the 43rd Mongolian-born rikishi to make his juryo debut.50

The Association's topics pages count debuts by birthplace. For the champions themselves, check the tournament champions page of the Association, which lists each winner of each tournament. We do not rank nationalities, and the facts do not support doing so.

The ladder is open in other ways. In the same tournament, one stable has 10 sekitori, the wrestlers of juryo and above, the most for a single stable since January 1996.51 The count is a snapshot of one tournament.

Where the dinner-show performers fit

The Ginza venue states that it is not an official Grand Sumo match.52 The program lists four performers, ranging from 176 to 188 cm in height and from 105 to 140 kg in weight.53 The venue does not say what rank any of them holds, so this guide makes no claim about it.

What you can compare is the sport's grammar. The show introduces sumo training, explains the techniques and rules, then performs the bouts.54,55,56 A real tournament, by contrast, builds from the lowest-ranking rikishi in the morning to the yokozuna at the end of the day.57

That contrast is the most useful frame for the evening. Treat the show as the friendly introduction and the Grand Tournament as the full competition. If the dinner makes you curious, the Kokugikan in Ryogoku hosts the Tokyo Grand Tournaments, which run in January, May and September.49,14,16,18

FAQ

Straight answers to common questions.

How many yokozuna have there been?
72 when the booklet was printed.

The Association's introduction booklet counts 72 rikishi honored with the rank, and a few more have been promoted since, so check the banzuke for the latest count.2

Can a yokozuna be demoted?
No, never.

He is expected to retire if his records stay poor, but he cannot be demoted.11

Do all wrestlers get a salary?
No, only juryo and up.

Lower divisions receive a per-tournament allowance and an encouragement payment instead.4,31

Why do wrestlers start training so early?
A wrestler gives his reason.

He says the rhythm of waking up early, practicing, eating and sleeping makes them bigger and stronger.33

How many wrestlers are there?
About 700 rikishi.

They range from the lowly trainee to the yokozuna at the top.3

What is the topknot called?
It depends on rank.

Juryo and makuuchi wear the oichomage; the lower ranks use the plainer chonmage.34,35

Do foreign wrestlers reach the top division?
Yes, including Mongolian-born.

Two wrestlers who debuted in the top division in November 2026 were the 34th and 35th Mongolian-born.6

Sources

  1. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  2. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  3. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  4. Japan Sumo Association · Annual business report 2024 (Japanese) ↩
  5. Tokyo Metropolitan Government · Where to Catch Sight of Japan's Mighty Warriors ↩
  6. Japan Sumo Association · 2026 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics ↩
  7. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  8. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  9. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  10. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  11. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  12. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  13. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  14. Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
  15. Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
  16. Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
  17. Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
  18. Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
  19. Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
  20. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  21. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  22. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  23. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  24. Japan Sumo Association · 2026 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics ↩
  25. Japan Sumo Association · 2026 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics ↩
  26. Japan Sumo Association · 2026 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics ↩
  27. Japan Sumo Association · 2026 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics ↩
  28. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  29. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  30. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  31. Japan Sumo Association · Annual business report 2024 (Japanese) ↩
  32. Tokyo Metropolitan Government · Where to Catch Sight of Japan's Mighty Warriors ↩
  33. Tokyo Metropolitan Government · Where to Catch Sight of Japan's Mighty Warriors ↩
  34. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  35. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  36. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  37. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  38. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  39. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  40. Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
  41. Tokyo Metropolitan Government · Where to Catch Sight of Japan's Mighty Warriors ↩
  42. Tokyo Metropolitan Government · Where to Catch Sight of Japan's Mighty Warriors ↩
  43. Tokyo Metropolitan Government · Where to Catch Sight of Japan's Mighty Warriors ↩
  44. Japan Sumo Association · A day at Jungyo (Provincial Tour) ↩
  45. Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (GO TOKYO) · Sumo for the Win ↩
  46. Tokyo Metropolitan Government · Where to Catch Sight of Japan's Mighty Warriors ↩
  47. Tokyo Metropolitan Library · Grand Sumo Special: Sumo is an occupation that requires only twenty days of annual work ↩
  48. Tokyo Metropolitan Library · Grand Sumo Special: Sumo is an occupation that requires only twenty days of annual work ↩
  49. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
  50. Japan Sumo Association · 2026 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics ↩
  51. Japan Sumo Association · 2026 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics ↩
  52. THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · FAQ ↩
  53. THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO ↩
  54. THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · FAQ ↩
  55. THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · FAQ ↩
  56. THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · FAQ ↩
  57. Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩

Also worth reading

More to read before the show

GuideA sumo restaurant in Tokyo, one floor below GinzaGuideDinner menuGuideA sumo demonstration in Tokyo, step by stepGuideHow to watch sumo, from the salt to the final push

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