Sumo Scene / Aonishiki in Spotlight at Upcoming Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament; How Will He Handle Pressure as New Ozeki?

By Kuniyuki Kamimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

12:47 JST, January 7, 2026

As we usher in the New Year, the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament will finally kick off on Sunday.

The spotlight will undoubtedly be on a new ozeki: Aonishiki.

He has a unique, low stance and a sturdy body below the waist. Above all, Aonishiki’s single-minded devotion to sumo, as a wrestler who came to Japan from war-torn Ukraine, has earned him high praise from stablemasters and others. I often hear people speak of their high expectations for him, saying things like, “We hope he will make a run all the way to yokozuna within this year.”

However, even someone who has the mental strength of Aonishiki will feel the pressure of participating in a tournament as a new ozeki. More than anything else, the treatment he receives will change completely.

Ozeki, together with yokozuna, are seen as the “wrestlers that represent” the Japan Sumo Association. After promotion to ozeki is officially confirmed by the association, a new ozeki attends a special promotion ceremony called the “dentatsu-shiki” (ceremony to announce promotion).

An ozeki’s rank on the ranking list of sumo wrestlers will not fall if the ozeki has more losses than wins in only one tournament.

In addition, the number of young wrestlers taking care of him will increase. At venues where tournaments are held in regional areas, he will often be assigned a player’s room separate from those of sekiwake and other lower-ranking rikishi.

When a grand tournament is held at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, they are even permitted to drive their cars into the underground parking garage to enter the venue. It is a special status granted to ozeki and yokozuna, allowing them to enjoy exceptional treatment in every aspect.

Aonishiki was entrusted with a special task during the winter tour of regional areas in December. In conjunction with the tour, Aonishiki, together with yokozuna and other ozeki, visited the Peace Statue in Nagasaki and the cenotaph for the atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima, where they laid flowers.

These were special events held in 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Aonishiki, whose home country still suffers from the ravages of war, humbly said, “In the hope that [war] never happens again,” when he visited Hiroshima, seemingly feeling the weight of his position once again.

Looking back, only a handful of new ozeki have won the tournament immediately upon promotion, including Kiyokuni, Tochiazuma and Hakuho.

Hoshoryu, now a yokozuna, managed only 8 wins, and Onosato 9 wins, both seemingly overwhelmed by the pressure.

What will become of Aonishiki, who is known for his strong nerves? The opening day of the January tournament that is eagerly anticipated by fans and others is drawing close.

— Kamimura is a sumo expert.