Nagoya Sumo Tournament Winner Kotoshoho Climbs Ladder Following Elder-Brother-Like Kotozakura

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:28 JST, July 28, 2025

Kotoshoho, a wrestler with a low rank in the makuuchi division, cemented his name on Sunday as the first champion of a Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament since the event was relocated to the IG Arena in Kita Ward, Nagoya.

The 25-year-old wrestler from the Sadogatake Stable won the Emperor’s Cup as a No. 15 maegashira, well down the rankings. He has notably never reached the sanyaku — the three ranks of ozeki, sekiwake and komusubi just below yokozuna.

“I still feel that my emotions have not caught up with reality,” he said with a smile in an interview after winning the championship. “But I’m glad.”

Kotoshoho is from Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. He took up sumo in his childhood and had practiced hard as a member of a local sumo group.

Ozeki Kotozakura, 27, who is two years Kotoshoho’s senior, also participated in the group. Because of the personal tie, Kotoshoho had often visited the Sadogatake Stable for fun since his childhood.

Stablemaster Sadogatake, who is former sekiwake Kotonowaka and the father of Kotozakura, recalled his impression of the boy who became Kotoshoho, saying, “He was a soft kid with a big body.”

Like Kotozakura, Kotoshoho enrolled at Saitama Sakae High School, known as a sumo powerhouse. He made his debut as a professional sumo wrestler in the 2017 Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

He was promoted to the juryo division in two years and changed his shikona wrestler name from Kototebakari to Kotoshoho. The kanji character of “sho” was taken from his deceased grandmother’s posthumous Buddhist name, and the kanji character of “ho” means a mountain peak — indicating his determination to reach the summit of the sumo world.

Kotoshoho is strongly built and stands 190 centimeters tall. In 2020, the year following his promotion to the juryo division, he was again promoted to the makuuchi division. However, his record has been largely unremarkable partly due to leg injuries.

Other oyakata coaches in the stable encouraged him to scale the ladder further. “You are no longer a junior wrestler,” one of them once told him. “When are you going to reach the sanyaku?”

In the 2023 New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, Kotoshoho entered the final day of the tourney tied for the lead with ozeki Takakeisho, but lost the head-to-head clash.

As a result, Kotoshoho fell one step short of summiting the sumo world. “My basic ability is insufficient,” he said at the time. “I want to be stronger.”

Using his regrets as motivation, Kotoshoho practiced hard.

Stablemaster Sadogatake said, “I shed tears in delight. Kotoshoho has made great efforts and been spurred on by Kotozakura’s achievements.” Kotozakura won the championship in last year’s September Grand Sumo Tournament.

The stablemaster also expressed his desire for the two wrestlers to grow further, saying, “I hope Kotoshoho’s championship will prompt Kotozakura to achieve even more.”

In a parade to celebrate his championship, Kotoshoho asked Kotozakura, whom he respects like an elder brother, to sit next to him in the car as the holder of the championship flag. Kotoshoho beamed to spectators during the parade.