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Takerufuji celebrates his victory at the spring tournament in Osaka on March 24, 2023, with his mother, Ishioka Momoko, at his side. He was the first sumō wrestler in 110 years to win the championship in his debut appearance in the upper makunouchi division. (© Jiji)
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Maegashira Takahanada (left), who would later take the name Takanohana and go on to become a yokozuna, and ōzeki Konishiki stand with their championship portraits at an unveiling ceremony in Tokyo in 1992. The presentation of portraits of the winners of the previous two competitions takes place the day before the start of each of the three tournaments held at the Kokugikan in Tokyo. (© Jiji)
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Championship portraits hanging inside the Kokugikan. Commissioned by the Mainichi newspaper company, the images are of the winners of the last 32 tournaments. (© Jiji)
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An 1849 print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861) depicts the ring-entering ceremony. (Courtesy Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library collection)
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Wrestlers stand in a circle during the ring-entering ceremony. It is only performed prior to the start of matches in the jūryō and makunouchi divisions, the top two. (© Jiji)
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Yokozuna Terunofuji performs the ring-entering ceremony in the Shiranui style. (© Kyōdō)
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Takayasu slaps his shimekomi to prepare himself for a bout. (© Jiji)
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Gōnoyama (left) pushes ōzeki Kotozakura during practice as lower-ranked wrestlers look on. (© Jiji)
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From left: Takamizakari’s keshō mawashi plays on his “Robocop” nickname; Atamifuji’s displays a brand of custard pudding from his hometown; and Tobizaru’s features the Monkey King, a legendary character who, like the wrestler, is small but powerful. (© Jiji)
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