Ex-yokozuna Hakuho to Retire from Sumo Association

Jiji Press

17:55 JST, June 2, 2025

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Former yokozuna professional sumo grand champion Hakuho, now stablemaster Miyagino, will retire from the Japan Sumo Association, it was learned Monday.

The move comes as there is no prospect that the Miyagino stable of the 40-year-old, the most successful sumo wrestler ever with 45 grand tournament victories, would be reopened.

The former Hakuho, who was born in Mongolia and acquired Japanese citizenship in 2019, was demoted by two ranks from “iin” to “toshiyori” in the association in February last year, in the wake of a scandal involving violence by Hokuseiho, a wrestler who belonged to the stable at the time.

The Miyagino stable halted operations after last year’s spring grand tournament in March.