Sumo

Sumo’s New Yokozuna Onosato Celebrated in Hometown Parade; Rikishi Vows to Prepare Thoroughly for Next Tournament

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Onosato, right, waves to fans during a parade with his stablemaster Nishonoseki in Tsubata, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Sunday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, June 30, 2025

TSUBATA, Ishikawa — About 37,000 people lined the streets of Onosato’s hometown of Tsubata, Ishikawa Prefecture, for a parade to celebrate his promotion as the 75th yokozuna.

Onosato, who belongs to the Nishonoseki stable, rode near the town hall in a white convertible on Sunday, waving his smiling fans.

“I’ve returned [to Tsubata] for the first time since becoming a yokozuna. I’m glad so many people came,” Onosato said after the parade.

A 92-year-old fan watched the event with a handmade paper fan that read “Congratulations [on becoming] a yokozuna.”

“I’m happy to see his face up close,” she said.

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Onosato holds the banzuke rankings.

The banzuke rankings for the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament that will start on July 13 were announced on Monday. “After seeing my name in the rankings as a yokozuna, it felt real,” Onosato said at a press conference in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on the day. “I’ll prepare thoroughly, as the [next] tournament will be really important.”