Japanese Sumo Spring Provincial Tour Visits Earthquake-Hit Noto Region City; Nanao Residents Enjoy Sumo Matches

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:31 JST, April 6, 2025

NANAO, Ishikawa — After a one-year delay due to the earthquake disaster in January 2024, the sumo spring provincial tour made its way Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Saturday.

A banner was raised that read, “Noto never loses,” at a gym neighboring temporary housing units for victims of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Many local sumo fans watched rikishi sumo wrestlers practice and enjoyed their matches, including those from the prefecture like ozeki Onosato.

Onosato, who is from Tsubata, Ishikawa Prefecture, won the championship in the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament and will challenge himself to get promoted to the top rank of yokozuna.

“I want to become energized from the cheers of people in the Noto region and try to get promoted to a higher rank,” Onosato told reporters.

Other wrestlers who are from the prefecture voiced their respective hopes for the region’s quick reconstruction.

“Since reconstruction has just started, I want to show sumo matches that can cheer up people,” said Kagayaki, a juryo-ranked wrestler from Nanao.

Endo, a makuuchi-division wrestler from Anamizu in the prefecture, said, “I’m glad if my sumo fights convey my passion to people.”