January 2023 Grand Sumo Tournament, Day 1 (Sunday 08 January 2023)

(Looking for a different day? Try the master list!)

Compiled from: NSK's postings for makuuchi, juryo, makushita, sandanme, jonidan and jonokuchi; NSK's absence list, NSK's tournament leader list, NSK's tournament champions list and NSK's Day 1 program in Japanese.

There are 160 bouts listed on the schedule today. It's an odd-numbered day which means the east side is first to get called.

Fan favourite non-salaried rikishi bouts

If you want a non-salaried rikishi from divisions 3 to 6 added to the watch list, get in touch!

Appearing on day 1: Akiseyama, Arise, Baraki, Furanshisu, Gaia, Hanafusa, Hayashiryu, Hogasho, Ishizaki, Kanzaki, Kawazoe, Kazuto, Koki, Mineyaiba, Mogamizakura, Moriurara, Mukainakano, Najima, Rao, Rinko, Satonofuji, Satsumao, Shoketsu, Shunrai, Takerufuji, Tamashoho, Yago, Yoshii

Having a rest on day 1: Asakiryu, Asonoyama, Byakuen, Dewanojo, Ikazuchido, Itadaki, Ito, Kenho, Kototebakari, Kyokutaisei, Maikeru, Miyagi, Nakashima, Shishi, Taiga, Takahashi, Tanji, Tokushoryu, Tomokaze, Urutora, Yamato

Nobody kyujo on day 1:

Note: Each division also has its own mini-report for who's on the schedule and who's kyujo!

Kyujo rikishi

The following rikishi are kyujo on day 1: Chiyotensho, Chiyotsurugi, Detachi, Fujinonami, Fujitoshi, Fukuazuma, Higohikari, Hikarifuji, Hokutoshio, Hokutoyakumo, Ichinojo, Iitsuka, Ishiura, Kanryu, Kenho, Kotomyozan, Mihonoumi, Minorufuji, Mishima, Mitozakura, Motokiyama, Nakaishi, Nakashima, Nishikio, Obara, Oshoryu, Ryubumaru, Sachinofuji, Sakurai, Suguro, Suio, Terunofuji, Wakayahara, Zuiko

Non-rikishi kyujo

Yobidashi: Soichi appears to be absent from day 1

9:05am start

Jonokuchi 序ノ口 (Division 6)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for jonokuchi

Coming up: Moriurara

Shimpan are Onaruto (ozeki Dejima) facing away on mic, Urakaze (maegashira 1 Shikishima) left of dohyo, Asahiyama (sekiwake Kotonishiki) facing us left, Tanigawa (sekiwake Hokutoriki) facing us right, Naruto (ozeki Kotooshu) right of dohyo

Yobidashi is Jin

Gyoji is Shikimori Tomokimi

Jonidan 序二段 (Division 5)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for jonidan

Coming up: Arise, Gaia, Hayashiryu, Mogamizakura, Najima, Satonofuji, Satsumao, Shoketsu, Takerufuji

Gyoji is Shikimori Komei

Gyoji is Kimura Shunta

Gyoji is Kimura Ryunosuke

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Kataonami (sekiwake Tamakasuga) facing away on mic, Tamagaki (komusubi Tomonohana) left of dohyo, Azumazeki (komusubi Takamisakari) facing us left, Tokitsukaze (maegashira 1 Tosayutaka) facing us right, Ikazuchi (komusubi Kakizoe) right of dohyo

Gyoji is Kimura Keitaro

Gyoji is Shikimori Tomotaro

Gyoji is Kimura Narimasa

Sandanme 三段目 (Division 4)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for sandanme

Coming up: Baraki, Furanshisu, Hanafusa, Hogasho, Koki, Rao, Rinko, Shunrai

Gyoji is Shikimori Kainosuke

Gyoji is Shikimori Tatsunosuke

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Asakayama (ozeki Kaio) facing away on mic, Takenawa (sekiwake Tochinonada) left of dohyo, Edagawa (maegashira 1 Aogiyama) facing us left, Sendagawa (komusubi Toki) facing us right, Nishonoseki (yokozuna Kisenosato) right of dohyo

Gyoji is Shikimori Seisuke

Gyoji is Kimura Sakuranosuke

Gyoji is Shikimori Seiichiro

Gyoji is Kimura Kintaro

Gyoji is Kimura Kazuma

Gyoji is Shikimori Shiho

Gyoji is Shikimori Kinosuke

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Tatekawa (sekiwake Tosanoumi) facing away on mic, Hanaregoma (sekiwake Tamanoshima) left of dohyo, Futagoyama (ozeki Miyabiyama) facing us left, Oshima (sekiwake Kyokutenho) facing us right, Takasago (ozeki Asasekiryu) right of dohyo

Gyoji is Shikimori Tomokazu

Makushita 幕下 (Division 3)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for makushita

Coming up: Akiseyama, Kanzaki, Kazuto, Mineyaiba, Mukainakano, Yago, Yoshii

Gyoji is Kimura Ennosuke

Gyoji is Kimura Satoshi

Gyoji is Shikimori Kazuki

Yobidashi is Yohei

Yobidashi is Keisuke

Gyoji is Kimura Hideaki

Yobidashi is Fujio

Yobidashi is Shigetaro

Gyoji is Kimura Kozaburo

Yobidashi is Tasuke

Gyoji is Kimura Zennosuke

Yobidashi is Satoru

Gyoji is Kimura Chishu

Yobidashi is Masao

Gyoji is Kimura KANKURO

2:05pm Juryo dohyo-iri

Makushita Joi 幕下上位 (Division 3)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for makushita

Coming up: Ishizaki, Kawazoe, Tamashoho

Shimpan are Kumegawa (komusubi Kotoinazuma) facing away on mic, Tamagaki (komusubi Tomonohana), Azumazeki (komusubi Takamisakari), Tokitsukaze (maegashira 1 Tosayutaka), Ikazuchi (komusubi Kakizoe)

Yobidashi is Rokuro

Gyoji is Kimura Kichijiro

Yobidashi is Hiroyuki

Gyoji is Shikimori Shinnosuke

Juryo 十両 (Division 2)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for juryo

Yobidashi is Matsuo

Gyoji is Kimura Yukihiro

Yobidashi is Kunio

Gyoji is Kimura Mitsunosuke

Yobidashi is Mitsuaki

Gyoji is Kimura Takao

Yobidashi is Rikinojo

Gyoji is Kimura Asanosuke

Yobidashi is Koji

Gyoji is Shikimori Kiichiro

Yobidashi is Teruki

Gyoji is ❤️ Kimura Yonosuke ❤️

Sumo Association Greeting

Yobidashi is Daikichi

Gyoji is Kimura Ginjiro

3:35pm Intermission and ceremonies

Makuuchi dohyo-iri

Abi returns the Emperor's cup

Yusho portrait presentations for Tamawashi and Abi

Makuuchi 幕内 (Division 1)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for makuuchi

Shimpan are Sadogatake (sekiwake Kotonowaka I) facing away on mic, Takenawa (sekiwake Tochinonada), Edagawa (maegashira 1 Aogiyama), Sendagawa (komusubi Toki), Nishonoseki (yokozuna Kisenosato)

Yobidashi is Kotoyoshi

Gyoji is Shikimori Kindayu

Yobidashi is Kotozo

Gyoji is Kimura Akijiro

Yobidashi is Ryuji

Gyoji is Kimura Motoki

Yobidashi is Akira

Gyoji is Shikimori Kandayu

Yobidashi is Kokichi

Gyoji is Kimura Hisanosuke

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Fujishima (ozeki Musoyama) facing away on mic, Hanaregoma (sekiwake Tamanoshima), Futagoyama (ozeki Miyabiyama), Oshima (sekiwake Kyokutenho), Takasago (ozeki Asasekiryu)

Yobidashi is Goro

Gyoji is Kimura Konosuke

Yobidashi is Shigeo

Gyoji is Kimura Shotaro

Yobidashi is Shiro

Gyoji is Kimura Yodo

Yobidashi is Katsuyuki

Gyoji is Kimura Tamajiro

Yobidashi is Jiro

Gyoji is Shikimori Inosuke

Bow-twirling with Satonofuji

Appendices

General knowledge

Wikipedia has a list of winning techniques like oshidashi, yorikiri, etc and a sumo glossary, the heaviest grand sumo competitors ever, and an English-language page for just about every sekitori there is or was.

SumoDB has the entire banzuke in both Japanese and English. SumoDB also contains information about historical results and head to head matchups.

Nihon Sumo Kyokai (Japan Sumo Association) links: current rankings Japanese/English; yobidashi (ushers & attendants) Japanese/English; gyoji (referees) Japanese/English; oyakata (coaches) Japanese/English; heya (training stables) Japanese/English. NSK homepage in English.

News sources and blogs: Tachi-Ai sumo blog (in English); Japan Times sumo coverage (in English); Nikkan Sports sumo articles (in Japanese); Sponichi sumo articles (in Japanese); Chunichi sumo articles (in Japanese). Hochi.news sumo articles (in Japanese). Useful Japanese terms to search in the highlights page for: 休場 (kyujo, absence); コロナ (korona, COVID).

Japanese language resources: DeepL for translating entire articles; Jisho for looking up specific words and kanji; the 10ten extension for Firefox lets you mouse over particular Japanese text of interest on websites.

Curiosities: that time half a stable went AWOL because the stablemaster's wife was being too harsh on them.

Videos

Miscellaneous

A comprehensive gallery featuring head shots and bios of rikishi, oyakata, gyoji, yobidashi and more (correct to the beginning of 2022). Pre-bout rituals explained; What do the gyoji say?

Who's that shimpan (ringside judge)?

Thanks to the maintainer of this page for providing these images! Click the name of the shimpan to see what they look like. (You may need to middle-click it to open the link in a new window.)

Shimpan groups

Izutsu (former Toyonoshima) is taking over Edagawa's old spot! Otherwise, same as before.

Members of this senior group join up with other shimpan groups to act as head shimpan after the juryo ring entrance ceremony & intermission.

Due to a scandal, Isegahama (yokozuna Asahifuji) resigned from his position in the NSK hierarchy. He is no longer a senior shimpan.

If shimpan start to drop out like last basho, expect to see one or more of these folks: Hatachiyama (komusubi Tochinohana), Minato (maegashira 2 Minatofuji), Shiranui (komusubi Wakakoyu), Takadagawa (sekiwake Akinoshima) and senior Fujishima (ozeki Musoyama)

Who's that off-schedule yobidashi

The official program only lists sekitori yobidashi from Soichi onwards. Even after their match-calling shifts, these youngsters work throughout the day as attendants.

There's a slightly outdated gallery of yobidashi headshots with bios at Heyaaz - it's missing Jin because he debuted during 2022, plus there's some yobis in that chart who retired in 2022.

To help spot them, here's links to screencaps of the non-sekitori yobidashi in their order of appearance, including onscreen bios in Japanese: