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Makuuchi

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Makuuchi

Makuuchi (幕内), or makunouchi (幕の内), is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (rikishi), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the makuuchi broadcast having bilingual English commentary. Makuuchi literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses (kachi-koshi) results in a promotion, and the reverse (make-koshi) results in demotion. There are stricter criteria for promotion to the top two ranks, which are also privileged when considered for demotion.

Tables

· <i>Sekiwake</i> › Wrestlers with most <i>sekiwake</i> appearances in history
Tamagaki
Tamagaki
Col 1
1
Name
Tamagaki
Total
25
First
October 1797
Last
November 1811
Highest rank
Ōzeki
Kotomitsuki
Kotomitsuki
Col 1
2
Name
Kotomitsuki
Total
22
First
January 2001
Last
July 2007
Highest rank
Ōzeki
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
Col 1
3
Name
Hasegawa
Total
21
First
January 1969
Last
January 1974
Highest rank
Sekiwake
21
21
Col 1
Kaiō
Name
21
Total
January 1995
First
July 2000
Last
Ōzeki
21
21
Col 1
Kotonishiki
Name
21
Total
November 1990
First
January 1997
Last
Sekiwake
Musōyama
Musōyama
Col 1
6
Name
Musōyama
Total
20
First
March 1994
Last
March 2000
Highest rank
Ōzeki
Mitakeumi
Mitakeumi
Col 1
7
Name
Mitakeumi
Total
19
First
November 2016
Last
November 2022
Highest rank
Ōzeki
Tochiazuma
Tochiazuma
Col 1
8
Name
Tochiazuma
Total
17
First
September 1997
Last
November 2001
Highest rank
Ōzeki
17
17
Col 1
Wakanosato
Name
17
Total
January 2001
First
September 2005
Last
Sekiwake
Nayoroiwa
Nayoroiwa
Col 1
9
Name
Nayoroiwa
Total
15
First
May 1938
Last
March 1953
Highest rank
Ōzeki
15
15
Col 1
Takatōriki
Name
15
Total
July 1991
First
November 1998
Last
Sekiwake
15
15
Col 1
Gōeidō
Name
15
Total
May 2009
First
July 2014
Last
Ōzeki
Name
Total
First
Last
Highest rank
1
Tamagaki
25
October 1797
November 1811
Ōzeki
2
Kotomitsuki
22
January 2001
July 2007
Ōzeki
3
Hasegawa
21
January 1969
January 1974
Sekiwake
Kaiō
21
January 1995
July 2000
Ōzeki
Kotonishiki
21
November 1990
January 1997
Sekiwake
6
Musōyama
20
March 1994
March 2000
Ōzeki
7
Mitakeumi
19
November 2016
November 2022
Ōzeki
8
Tochiazuma
17
September 1997
November 2001
Ōzeki
Wakanosato
17
January 2001
September 2005
Sekiwake
9
Nayoroiwa
15
May 1938
March 1953
Ōzeki
Takatōriki
15
July 1991
November 1998
Sekiwake
Gōeidō
15
May 2009
July 2014
Ōzeki
· <i>Komusubi</i> › Wrestlers with most <i>komusubi</i> appearances in history
Miyagino
Miyagino
Col 1
1
Name
Miyagino
Total
23
First
October 1818
Last
January 1834
Highest rank
Sekiwake
Takamiyama
Takamiyama
Col 1
2
Name
Takamiyama
Total
19
First
November 1969
Last
January 1979
Highest rank
Sekiwake
Akinoshima
Akinoshima
Col 1
3
Name
Akinoshima
Total
15
First
November 1988
Last
September 2000
Highest rank
Sekiwake
Dewanishiki
Dewanishiki
Col 1
4
Name
Dewanishiki
Total
14
First
May 1950
Last
May 1962
Highest rank
Sekiwake
14
14
Col 1
Tochiōzan
Name
14
Total
May 2009
First
September 2017
Last
Sekiwake
Amatsukaze
Amatsukaze
Col 1
6
Name
Amatsukaze
Total
13
First
March 1765
Last
March 1778
Highest rank
Sekiwake
13
13
Col 1
Kotonishiki
Name
13
Total
September 1990
First
January 1999
Last
Sekiwake
13
13
Col 1
Tosanoumi
Name
13
Total
January 1996
First
September 2003
Last
Sekiwake
13
13
Col 1
Wakabayama
Name
13
Total
January 1925
First
May 1933
Last
Sekiwake
Dewanohana
Dewanohana
Col 1
10
Name
Dewanohana
Total
12
First
November 1979
Last
September 1987
Highest rank
Sekiwake
12
12
Col 1
Kisenosato
Name
12
Total
July 2006
First
September 2010
Last
Yokozuna
12
12
Col 1
Ōmatoi
Name
12
Total
April 1869
First
January 1877
Last
Sekiwake
Name
Total
First
Last
Highest rank
1
Miyagino
23
October 1818
January 1834
Sekiwake
2
Takamiyama
19
November 1969
January 1979
Sekiwake
3
Akinoshima
15
November 1988
September 2000
Sekiwake
4
Dewanishiki
14
May 1950
May 1962
Sekiwake
Tochiōzan
14
May 2009
September 2017
Sekiwake
6
Amatsukaze
13
March 1765
March 1778
Sekiwake
Kotonishiki
13
September 1990
January 1999
Sekiwake
Tosanoumi
13
January 1996
September 2003
Sekiwake
Wakabayama
13
January 1925
May 1933
Sekiwake
10
Dewanohana
12
November 1979
September 1987
Sekiwake
Kisenosato
12
July 2006
September 2010
Yokozuna
Ōmatoi
12
April 1869
January 1877
Sekiwake
· <i>Maegashira</i> › Wrestlers with most <i>maegashira</i> appearances without a <i>san'yaku</i> title
61
61
Total
61
Wrestler
Sadanoumi
First
May 2014
Last
November 2025
Highest rank
Maegashira 1
53
53
Total
53
Wrestler
Higonoumi
First
March 1993
Last
November 2001
Highest rank
Maegashira 1
52
52
Total
52
Wrestler
Asanowaka
First
March 1994
Last
May 2004
Highest rank
Maegashira 1
Toyohibiki
Toyohibiki
Total
Toyohibiki
Wrestler
July 2007
First
May 2017
Last
Maegashira 2
51
51
Total
51
Wrestler
Kotoryū
First
July 1996
Last
March 2005
Highest rank
Maegashira 1
50
50
Total
50
Wrestler
Tokitsuumi
First
September 1998
Last
September 2007
Highest rank
Maegashira 3
49
49
Total
49
Wrestler
Kitakachidoki
First
January 1989
Last
May 1998
Highest rank
Maegashira 1
46
46
Total
46
Wrestler
Minatofuji
First
July 1993
Last
July 2001
Highest rank
Maegashira 2
44
44
Total
44
Wrestler
Narutoumi [ja]
First
October 1949
Last
November 1960
Highest rank
Maegashira 1
43
43
Total
43
Wrestler
Daiyū
First
May 1963
Last
September 1972
Highest rank
Maegashira 1
Hirosegawa [ja]
Hirosegawa [ja]
Total
Hirosegawa [ja]
Wrestler
January 1943
First
May 1958
Last
Maegashira 3
Total
Wrestler
First
Last
Highest rank
61
Sadanoumi
May 2014
November 2025
Maegashira 1
53
Higonoumi
March 1993
November 2001
Maegashira 1
52
Asanowaka
March 1994
May 2004
Maegashira 1
Toyohibiki
July 2007
May 2017
Maegashira 2
51
Kotoryū
July 1996
March 2005
Maegashira 1
50
Tokitsuumi
September 1998
September 2007
Maegashira 3
49
Kitakachidoki
January 1989
May 1998
Maegashira 1
46
Minatofuji
July 1993
July 2001
Maegashira 2
44
Narutoumi [ja]
October 1949
November 1960
Maegashira 1
43
Daiyū
May 1963
September 1972
Maegashira 1
Hirosegawa [ja]
January 1943
May 1958
Maegashira 3

References

  1. Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke
    https://www.sumo.or.jp/EnHonbashoBanzuke/index/
  2. "Sumo 101: Making the Tsuna"
    https://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_7/Sumo101.htm
  3. Japan And Things Japanese
    https://books.google.com/books?id=tIUECwAAQBAJ&dq=yokozuna+history&pg=PT595
  4. "Konishiki"
    http://sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_12/Konishiki.htm
  5. "Rikishi of Old: Chiyonoyama"
    http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_4/Rikishi_of_Old.htm
  6. 双羽黒 光司
    https://web.archive.org/web/20070715234038/http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sumo/profile/1/19840901.htm
  7. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/02/world/tokyo-journal-wrestler-fails-to-keep-hold-on-an-honorable-past.html
  8. Mainichi Daily News
    https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20181126/p2a/00m/0sp/018000c
  9. Japan Times
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170907032751if_/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2010/02/06/editorials/end-of-the-line-for-asashoryu/#.WbC8yc37RPY
  10. mainichi.jp
    https://web.archive.org/web/20201124131533/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201124/p2g/00m/0sp/026000c
  11. Kyodo News
    https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/77a9bf004ea0-sumo-hakuho-remains-subject-to-warning-over-injury-absences.html
  12. Kyodo News
    https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/443456bd50d5-breaking-news-sumo-association-approves-retirement-of-yokozuna-kakuryu.html
  13. "本日5月28日、七月場所の番付編成会議と臨時理事会を開き、大の里の横綱昇進が決定しました。"
    https://x.com/sumokyokai/status/1927515364797349919
  14. "SUMO ABC (45) / While there need not be any yokozuna, 2 ozeki must always exist – in theory"
    http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003519992
  15. Asahi Shimbun
    https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN2S4PTSN2QUTQP019.html
  16. "【初場所新番付】大関は2人名を連ねるのが慣例のため照ノ富士兼務し「横綱大関」に"
    https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202212250001457.html
  17. "【夏場所新番付】霧馬山の大関とりなるか、若貴以来30年ぶりの兄弟関脇も誕生/三役以上編"
    https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202304300001746.html
  18. "大関1人で新横綱の大の里が「横綱大関」に 新横綱では千代の富士以来44年ぶり"
    https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2025/06/30/kiji/20250630s00005000191000c.html?page=1
  19. "SUMO/ Kiribayama secures ozeki promotion to join Takakeisho"
    https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14919594
  20. "豊昇龍が新関脇 かど番御嶽海は据え置き―大相撲秋場所"
    https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022082900112
  21. "Professional rankings: The Banzuke"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20121001032019/http://www.scgroup.com/sumo/faq/faq4.html
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