The Japan Sumo Association released the latest banzuke (ranking document) last week. That document sorted the hundreds of registered rikishi (sumo wrestlers) into ranks and divisions, mostly based on their performances at the previous tournament (the 2025 Kyushu basho in November). The makuuchi (top division) is home to the sport’s elite talent, including our two yokozuna. These wrestlers will be competing for the top division championship at the hatsu basho (New Year tournament), which begins on Sunday, January 11.
See below for the rankings for the makuuchi:
Grand Sumo Top Division Rankings
| East | Rank | West |
| Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | Onosato 🇯🇵 |
| Kotozakura🇯🇵 | Ozeki | Aoinishiki 🇺🇦 |
| Kirishima 🇲🇳 | Sekiwake | Takayasu 🇯🇵 |
| Oho 🇯🇵 | Komusubi | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 |
| Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | M1 | Yoshinofuji 🇯🇵 |
| Ura 🇯🇵 | M2 | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 |
| Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M3 | Hakunofuji 🇯🇵 |
| Daieisho 🇯🇵 | M4 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 |
| Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | M5 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | M6 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 |
| Oshoma 🇲🇳 | M7 | Fujinokawa 🇯🇵 |
| Shodai 🇯🇵 | M8 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 |
| Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | M9 | Roga 🇷🇺 |
| Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | M10 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 |
| Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | M11 | Nishikifuji 🇯🇵 |
| Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | M12 | Abi 🇯🇵 |
| Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M13 | Tomokaze 🇯🇵 |
| Shishi 🇺🇦 | M14 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 |
| Ryuden 🇯🇵 | M15 | Asakoryu 🇯🇵 |
| Asanoyama 🇯🇵 | M16 | Oshoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Asahakuryu 🇯🇵 | M17 | Hatsuyama 🇯🇵 |
Aonishiki one step from eternity
The 2026 January rankings includes Aonishiki in the ozeki spot for the first time ever. The Ukrainian phenom, who doesn’t turn 22 until March, earned his spot on the second highest rung on the ladder thanks to his yusho (championship) in November. That win, teamed with his highly impressive run of 11-4 records throughout the year earned him the promotion to ozeki. He joins Kotozakura at that rank and balances out the banzuke for the first time since Onosato was promoted from ozeki to yokozuna last summer.
San’yaku shake-up
The spots directly under Aonishiki are known as the san’yaku. For the January tournament there’s been quite a change in the sekiwake and komusubi ranks. In November Aonishiki and Oho were sekiwake and Takanosho and Takayasu were komusubi.
Aonishiki ascended from this section of the banzuke leaving a spot open for former ozeki Kirishima. Kirishima had one of the best records in November, going 11-4. Takanosho and Oho both had losing records. That sees Oho drop to komusubi and Takanosho drop out the san’yaku completely. Takayasu managed to move up to sekiwake. Wakamotoharu moved up to get the open komusubi spot (off his mediocre 8-7 record in November).
Isegahama dominates the joi
Ranks maegashira 1 to 4 are known collectively as the joi. These wrestlers have the hardest job in sumo. They are the ones who will be matched up against the yokozuna and ozeki during the first week of the tournament. So it’s very hard for these wrestlers to get off to good starts and maintain momentum heading into the second week of the tournament.
For this tournament there are four wrestlers in the joi who all train at the Isegahama stable (under former yokozuna Terunofuji). Yoshinofuji, Atamifuji and Hakunofuji (whose name was recently changed from Hakuoho) are all youngsters with a lot of potential. They’ll have their hands full in January with opening days spent against the likes of Hoshoryu, Onosato and Aonishiki. However, they will each benefit from not having to fight each other.
Stabelmates aren’t matched up against each other unless it is a play-off for the championship.
Ichiyamamoto has the top spot in the joi, earned off his 11-4 record in November. This is the highest ever rank for the extremely likeable man from Hokkaido.
Rounding out the joi are the veterans Ura, Wakatakakage and Tamawashi.
Asanoyama returns to the top division
Former ozeki Asanoyama makes his makuuchi return in January. He has made history by becoming the first rikishi to be promoted from the sixth division, all the way to the first, twice! After becoming an ozeki in 2020 Asanoyama was suspended multiple tournaments for breaking COVID-19 protocols. That saw him busted down to the bottom of the grand sumo tier system. He clawed his way back to the top division after a few years, but then suffered a major knee injury. That injury, and the resulting surgery, forced him out long enough that he was again demoted all the way down to the sixth division.
Friendly demotions for Takanosho and Shodai
Veterans Takanosho and Shodai had poor November showings. Takanosho went 5-10 and Shodai went 4-11. Takanosho has dropped from komusubi 1 to maegashira 3. That’s three rank demotions off of five net losses. Shodai has dropped 2.5 ranks from maegashira 5 to 8 on seven net losses. Usually, in a banzuke net wins/losses determine how many ranks someone should go up or down. Takanosho’s friendly demotion makes sense, since the JSA is often lenient with wrestlers who are in either the san’yaku or the joi. It’s thought that the tough schedule they face there shouldn’t be punished the same way a low record in the lower maegashira ranks should. However, Shodai’s lenient demotion is more of a head scratcher. He was outside the joi in November and is still getting an extremely kind demotion. Shodai will need to be careful in January. If he does poorly this month he might get a harsh demotion, designed to even things out.
Other notes
Along with Asanoyama, Hatsuyama and Asahakuryu were promoted to the makuuchi for the January tournament. This is their first appearances in the makuuchi, Asahakuryu is a stable mate of both Asanoyama and Asakoryu (known for his small and muscular frame).
Meisei, Sadanoumi and Shonannoumi were demoted to the second division. Meisei, stable mate and close friend of Hoshoryu, missed half of the November tournament due to injury. If healthy, he’s the odds-on favourite to win the second division and gain an immediate promotion.
More Sumo on Combat Press
Combat Press will provide more Grand Sumo coverage in the coming weeks. We’ll have our own power rankings and then a preview and viewing guide for the Hatsu basho.
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