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 2026 January Tournament Day 6
TakayasuーAonishiki
At the tachi-ai (initial charge), Takayasu attempted a kachi-age (forearm smash) to raise Aonishiki’s upper body, but Aonishiki refused to come upright. Takayasu continued to try to lift him with repeated tsuppari (thrusts), yet Aonishiki maintained his forward-leaning posture, slipped in a hidari-zashi (left inside grip), and pressed his head firmly against Takayasu’s chest. In the end, he also secured a right uwate (outside grip), established a perfect position, and finished the bout with a yorikiri (frontal force-out).
I had expected Aonishiki to struggle against Takayasu, but this turned out to be a rock-solid victory. Aonishiki gives the impression of simply executing, day after day, exactly what he needs to do—nothing more, nothing less. He never makes unnecessary movements.
By the time Takayasu’s kachi-age actually made contact, his body was already fully extended, which robbed the technique of its power.
UraーYoshinofuji
It was a bout full of give-and-take. Yoshinofuji tried to insert a left sashi (inside grip) and raise Ura’s upper body, but Ura blocked Yoshinofuji’s left arm.
With his left unable to find its way in, Yoshinofuji used his right hand to twist Ura’s head, tilting Ura’s upper body, then slipped his left arm inside and turned his forearm back
—only for Ura to respond instantly with a makikae (grip switch).
The technical battle between the two, and the speed at which it unfolded, made for a fascinating contest. In the end, Ura retreated and dug his own grave. From that position, it was hard to imagine how pulling back could have improved the situation.
Yoshinofuji looks very good. As for Ura, despite six straight losses, he does not seem injured or out of sorts in any way. I think he is still producing sumo that is very much true to his usual style.
GonoyamaーFujinokawa
This was the best bout of the day. It felt as though the arena was more energized than at any other point. Gonoyama unleashed a barrage of fierce harite (open-hand slaps), to the point where one might wonder if he had some kind of personal grudge against Fujinokawa.(In reality, that's not the case. They are seniors and juniors at the same high school.)
Fujinokawa, however, endured it brilliantly. He never flinched, never turned his face away or dropped his gaze, and instead counterattacked decisively, finishing by oshitaoshi (push-down). It was—honestly—extremely impressive. Fujinokawa consistently delivers “Zeni no toreru sumo.” (sumo worth paying to see)
In the closing stages, Gonoyama relied too much on slapping from the outside, which allowed Fujinokawa to get inside his guard. Had he mixed in straight tsuki (thrusts), the bout might have taken a very different turn.
Hoshoryu－Takanosho
Hoshoryu’s hari-zashi (slapping-and-inserting an inside grip at the tachi-ai) today was fast and razor-sharp. It brought back memories of the tomoe-sen (three-way playoff) he fought against Kinbozan and Oho. Ideally, he could have finished the bout quickly with a straight yorikiri (frontal force-out), but instead he won with a hatakikomi (slap-down).
There was plenty of space behind him, and he had a firm grip on the back of Takanosho’s neck, so it never felt particularly dangerous.
WakatakakageーOnosato
Onosato also won by hatakikomi (slap-down), but it never felt dangerous. That said, the fact that even after settling into migi-yotsu (right-hand inside grip) he was unable to plow through his opponent like a bulldozer and uproot him entirely shows that he is not yet back to full strength.
There was also a noticeable difference in how Onosato and Wakatakakage used their left hands. While Onosato’s left ottsuke (forearm block) was not effective, Wakatakakage’s left ottsuke and shibori (squeezing pressure) were clearly working, and I believe that led directly to his counterattack.
That said, for Onosato, coming back from an injury-related absence, being able to avoid defeat and close out his wins should be more than enough. It feels a bit harsh to demand high-quality content from him at this stage.
Abi extended his winning streak to six straight victories. He is a rikishi capable of defeating yokozuna and Ozeki, so if he stays in the championship race, the tournament could become very interesting indeed.
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...
Hoshoryu Shows Yokozuna Pride, Hands Onosato His Only Loss of the Tournament Hoshoryu demonstrated the pride and dignity expected of a yokozuna, handing Onosato his only defeat this tournament. The head-to-head record now stands at five wins for Hoshoryu and two for Onosato (with one of Onosato’s wins being by default), clearly favoring Hoshoryu. However, the content of their bouts tells a different story. In nearly every match, it has been Onosato who dictated the pace and gained the upper hand, only to be ultimately brought down by one of Hoshoryu’s well-executed throwing techniques. This pattern played out once again in today’s bout. Hoshoryu’s uwate-hineri (overarm twist-down) was expertly timed and executed, but it must be said that Onosato’s center of gravity was too high, and his ottsuke (press up on the outside of opponent’s elbow from below, as if twisting and lifting it) from the left lacked its usual sharpness. Throughout this tournament, Onosato has d...
As many of you know, Hoshoryu won the January tournament and was promoted as the 74th Yokozuna. During his victory interview, he shared that after experiencing the heartbreak of losing on the final day of the November tournament, he made a promise to "a certain person." He vowed to channel that frustration into the January tournament and win the championship no matter what. That "certain person" is Ruri Kubota, whom Hoshoryu refers to as his "mother in Japan." And the boy who sat beside Hoshoryu in the open car during the victory parade was none other than Ruri’s son, Teruchika, whom Hoshoryu calls his "younger brother in Japan." Teruchika has Down syndrome. Hoshoryu first met Teruchika and his mother in 2019, when he was still in the Juryo division. Their connection began when Hoshoryu was invited to coach Teruchika through Kashiwa Sumo Club, where the club’s representative happened to be Hoshoryu’s former high school mentor. Hoshoryu was deep...
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