Sumo’s Nagoya tournament begins this Sunday
Sumo is back in our lives this weekend, with the 15-day Nagoya basho kicking off on Sunday (July 14) and ending on July 28. The tournament will feature daily bouts featuring all the divisions in Japan’s pro sumo ecosystem. The top division (makuuchi) bouts air last, taking place during prime time in Japan. For folks on the US east coast that means the top bouts will be happening around 3 a.m.
This tournament will be taking place in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture in the Dolphins Arena. This tournament is notorious for sweltering temperatures both outside and inside the non air-conditioned arena.
Preview and rankings
Onosato is the man to watch this tournament. The young phenom won the natsu basho (summer tournament) in May, in only his third appearance in the top division (his previous appearances were both runner-up finishes). Yokozuna Terunofuji is likely out for this competition. He pulled out of the natsu basho on Day 2 citing a laundry list of injuries. Reportedly, he hasn’t been training very hard since then.
If Terunofuji is absent the highest ranked rikishi competing will be those in the ozeki ranks; Kotozakura, Hoshoryu and Takakeisho.
Kotozakura will be hoping to win his first ever top division title in Nagoya. Hoshoryu will be going for his second title (he won the 2023 Nagoya title on route to claiming his promotion to ozeki). Takakeisho will be more concerned with securing a winning record than claiming his fifth title. An injury hit summer tournament means he is coming into this tournament with kadoban status. That means if he finishes with a losing record here he will be demoted from the lauded ozeki ranking.
See below for the complete banzuke (rankings) for the top division.
| 2024 NAGOYA BANZUKE (rankings) | ||
| East | Rank | West |
| Terunofuji 🇲🇳 | Y | |
| Kotozakura 🇯🇵 | O | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 |
| O | Takakeisho 🇯🇵 | |
| Abi 🇯🇵 | S | Onosato 🇯🇵 |
| Kirishima 🇲🇳 | S | |
| Daieisho 🇯🇵 | K | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Meisei 🇯🇵 | M1 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 |
| Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | M2 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 |
| Takayasu 🇯🇵 | M3 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 |
| Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M4 | Ura 🇯🇵 |
| Onosho 🇯🇵 | M5 | Shonannoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M6 | Oho 🇯🇵 |
| Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | M7 | Sadanoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Ryuden 🇯🇵 | M8 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 |
| Oshoma 🇲🇳 | M9 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 |
| Shodai 🇯🇵 | M10 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 |
| Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | M11 | Nishikigi 🇯🇵 |
| Asanoyama 🇯🇵 | M12 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Hokutofuji 🇯🇵 | M13 | Takarafuji 🇯🇵 |
| Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | M14 | Endo 🇯🇵 |
| Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | M15 | Roga 🇷🇺 |
| Kagayaki 🇯🇵 | M16 | Bushozan 🇯🇵 |
| Nishikifuji 🇯🇵 | M17 | |
Broadcast Details
Grand Sumo coverage is presented on NHK World and NHK’s JME.tv app with English commentary. NHK World is available on many US cable packages.
Each day of the tournament NHK broadcasts thirty minute programs showing all the top division bouts. However, they do this on a 24-hour delay. NHK broadcasts these programs on their official YouTube channel also.
JME.tv broadcasts two hour long programs showing all the top division bouts along with the rituals in between. JME broadcasts those programs daily at 2 p.m ET/11 a.m. PT, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.
JME also broadcasts condensed highlights, in Japanese, after the third and fourth airings of the two hour broadcasts.
Sumo content on JME.tv is only available with a paid subscription, which costs $25 a month.
You can watch sumo live through the Abema TV app. Abema costs around $8 a month and is entirely in Japanese with no English translations.
Matches can also be viewed on the official Grand Sumo app, which has some English translations. The Grand Sumo app features unavoidable spoilers. The free version includes ads, which are often twice as long as the actual bouts.
Many streamers on Twitch and YouTube mirror sumo broadcasts from Abema and NHK. Some of those streams are available on demand.
More sumo coverage on Combat Press
Combat Press will provide more coverage of the 2024 Nagoya basho. We will have results at the mid-way point and end of the tournament!
For more sumo news and analysis subscribe to Sumo Stomp! on Substack.