My name is Kimitoshi Koyanagi , Japanese. I am a sumo fan with approximately 50 years of experience watching the sport. My English is poor. But I aim to share the appeal of sumo with the world, focusing on analyzing and providing commentary on the bouts and their content during tournaments.
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Grand Sumo 2025 March Tournament Day15 (Final)
Onosato Wins the Playoff for His Third Title, Takayasu Falls Short Once Again
Takayasu has come agonizingly close to winning the championship on numerous occasions, only to fall short at the final hurdle. Among those disappointments, there were two instances where he went into the final day (senshuraku) needing just one win against Abi to secure the title. However, he lost both times, forcing a playoff where he was ultimately defeated, missing out on the championship.
Today, he faced that same fateful opponent once again.
Abi Attempted a Henka(side step) at the Tachi-ai.
I’m glad that didn’t decide the match. Perhaps Takayasu was prepared for it, given that Abi had previously attempted a henka at the tachi-ai in a past championship playoff. Takayasu remained composed, dealt with it calmly, applied pressure with a left ottsuke, secured a grip on the uwate, and threw Abi down with authority.
At that moment, I thought—perhaps this time, Takayasu has finally overcome his trauma and is ready to lift the Emperor’s Cup.
Onosato dominates Kotozakura in the regulation match.
Just like yesterday, Onosato had a strong tachi-ai, and while moving forward, he was able to secure a right-hand inside position (migi-zashi). What makes Onosato so impressive is that he not only wins the initial clash but also powers through with strong second and third steps. When he’s in that rhythm, there’s no stopping him.
As I had hoped, this led to a championship playoff between the two rikishi with three losses.
In the regulation match, Takayasu won by prevailing in the battle for inside position (sashite). I expected that the playoff would once again hinge on the sashite battle, but...
Ōnosato won the tachi-ai and drove forward, but Takayasu managed to secure a left-hand inside grip (hidari-zashi), following the same pattern as their regulation match. However, this time, things unfolded differently.
In the regulation match, Ōnosato panicked, stepped back, and attempted a right uwate-nage (overarm throw), which ended up pulling Takayasu into his own space, ultimately costing him the match. But today, he made the right decision. He held on to his right uwate firmly, drove forward, and applied steady pressure, forcing Takayasu out.
This adjustment proved to be the key. Ōnosato had made several mistakes during the tournament, but by correcting them within the same basho, he ultimately claimed the championship.
In the post-match interview, Ōnosato commented on his performance, saying:
"I had never beaten him before, so I didn’t worry about the finer details and just fought with all my spirit. I ended up in a disadvantageous position, but pushing forward turned out to be the right choice."
Reflecting on the tournament, he added:
"Since becoming an Ozeki, I hadn’t been able to achieve good results, so I’m glad I finally managed to win the championship. I had confidence from the first day. I’ve had some really tough tournaments lately, so this victory makes me very happy."
Takayasu commented on his performance, saying:
"I lost because I was overwhelmed by the pressure. I’d be lying if I said I had no regrets, but I gave everything I had."
He continued:
"I was able to compete until the end without any major accidents. The support from the fans kept me going, and it was a fulfilling tournament."
Looking ahead, he added:
"I will not forget this frustration and will prepare my body for May. I want to aim for the championship again."
Yoshinofuji vs Aonishiki I felt that Yoshinofuji attacked effectively, but the key to Aonishiki’s victory was the speed of his decision-making and his ability to switch tactics instantly. Minatogawa-oyakata (former Ozeki Takakeisho), commenting on the NHK broadcast, pointed out that Yoshinofuji’s downfall was that “he failed to knock Aonishiki back at the tachi-ai (initial charge),” adding that Yoshinofuji wanted to create distance by thrusting his opponent away rather than continuing to push forward. Indeed, had he managed to keep Aonishiki at arm’s length, Aonishiki would not have been able to execute his techniques. That said, when Aonishiki briefly touched the dohyo (ring) with his left hand at the end, I couldn’t help thinking that if it had been Takanohana (the 65th yokozuna) or Wakanohana (the 66th yokozuna), they would have gone down face-first without hesitation. Wakatakakage vs Takayasu Wakatakakage defeated Takayasu with a kata-sukashi (shoulder swing-down). At th...
At last, the opening day of the 2026 January Tournament (Hatsu basho) has arrived. How will the newly promoted Ozeki Aonishiki fare? What about Onosato, returning after an absence? And how will former Ozeki Asanoyama perform after regaining his place in the makuuchi division? As always, this tournament offers plenty of highlights for sumo fans. However, for me, the single most intriguing bout of the day was in the jonokuchi division (the lowest division on the banzuke). I have never looked forward to jonokuchi bouts this much before a tournament, nor have I ever been this excited watching a jonokuchi match. In sumo, jonokuchi refers to the lowest rank on the banzuke (the official ranking list of rikishi). The bout in question was Asahifuji versus Tenshoyama . Both of them are newcomers. If any overseas sumo fans already knew these two, they would truly qualify as hardcore connoisseurs. Please take a look at this astonishing bout. This is a matc...
KirishimaーYoshinofuji The bout between these two rikishi—both of whom have been showing excellent form this tournament—lived up fully to expectations. At the tachi-ai (initial charge), Yoshinofuji clearly had the better hit, but Kirishima succeeded in getting moro-zashi (double inside grips). From there, Kirishima’s right kaina-no-kaeshi (inside arm turn-back) was effective, and his movement to cut off Yoshinofuji’s right uwate (outside grip) was particularly impressive (0:39-40 in the video). Kirishima is a rikishi with undeniable ability, yet when he is carrying even a minor injury, it tends to show very clearly in his results. Judging by his performances in the previous tournament and this one, however, he appears to be in good condition. Although the bout could easily have turned into a one-sided affair, Yoshinofuji showed admirable resilience and fought on stubbornly. HoshoryuーHakunofuji In the first bout, Hoshoryu’s tachi-ai (initial charge) was not good. His body came...
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