The rankings for the July 2026 Grand Sumo Tournament in Nagoya have officially been released. The Nagoya Basho will take place from July 12 to July 26 at IG Arena, where the sport’s top rikishi will compete over 15 days of action.
| Makuuchi Division | ||
| East | Rank | West |
| Hoshoryu | Yokozuna | Onosato |
| Kirishima | Ozeki | Kotozakura |
| Atamifuji | Sekiwake | Kotoshoho |
| Wakatakakage | Sekiwake | Aonishiki |
| Yoshinofuji | Komusubi | Oho |
| Fujinokawa | Maegashira 1 | Takanosho |
| Gonoyama | Maegashira 2 | Churanoumi |
| Hiradoumi | Maegashira 3 | Hakunofuji |
| Daieisho | Maegashira 4 | Ichiyamamoto |
| Ura | Maegashira 5 | Oshoma |
| Shodai | Maegashira 6 | Fujiseiun |
| Kotoeiho | Maegashira 7 | Takayasu |
| Wakamotoharu | Maegashira 8 | Roga |
| Fujiryoga | Maegashira 9 | Tobizaru |
| Asanoyama | Maegashira 10 | Chiyoshoma |
| Wakanosho | Maegashira 11 | Mitakeumi |
| Asahakuryu | Maegashira 12 | Abi |
| Nishikifuji | Maegashira 13 | Takerufuji |
| Kinbozan | Maegashira 14 | Shishi |
| Onokatsu | Maegashira 15 | Kazuma |
| Daiseizan | Maegashira 16 | Asakoryu |
For the complete official rankings, see the full banzuke (the official ranking of the grand tournament) here.
Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke
Wakatakakage Returns To Sekiwake
The headline for this tournament is Wakatakakage’s return to sekiwake after winning the previous grand tournament in May in Tokyo. He is listed at East sekiwake, his first appearance at the rank in five tournaments, joining a crowded sekiwake group that also includes Atamifuji, Kotoshoho, and Aonishiki.
For Wakatakakage, the new ranking confirms how quickly the picture can change after a tournament championship. Sekiwake is the third-highest rank in sumo, below ozeki and yokozuna, and it places him back among the wrestlers expected to shape the title race from the first week.
Atamifuji remains at sekiwake, while Kotoshoho also stays in the rank and in sanyaku (“three ranks” elite title). Aonishiki’s placement is especially notable because it follows his drop from ozeki due ti his absence during the entire Tokyo May Grand Sumo Tournament. And gives the Nagoya tournament another possible major comeback storyline near the top of the banzuke.
Kirishima Leads The Ozeki Rank
At the very top, Hoshoryu is listed as East yokozuna and Onosato as West yokozuna. Kirishima holds the East ozeki position, with Kotozakura on the West side.
Kirishima enters Nagoya as one of the central names to watch after finishing runner-up to Wakatakakage in the May Sumo Grand Tournament. The ozeki rank carries championship expectations, and his position on the East side gives him a prominent place in a tournament where the upper ranks should feel much more complete than they did in the previous grand tournament, when Onosato was absent from Day 1 and Hoshoryu withdrew after his opening-day bout.
Kotozakura is also an important storyline. The Japan Sumo Association’s banzuke topics list him as kadoban, meaning an ozeki who needs a winning record to avoid demotion. That adds immediate pressure to his 15-day campaign in Nagoya.
Yoshinofuji And Oho At Komusubi
Yoshinofuji has been promoted to East komusubi after a strong 11-win performance in the Tokyo May Grand Tournament. Komusubi is the fourth-highest rank in sumo and is often one of the toughest positions on the banzuke because it usually means facing the top-ranked opponents early.
The Japan Sumo Association notes that Yoshinofuji is the first rikishi from Isegahama Stable to make his komusubi debut since Atamifuji in March 2026. He is also listed as the ninth postwar rikishi from Kumamoto Prefecture to reach the rank.
On the West side, Oho returns to komusubi, a rank he previously held in January. His return gives the lower sanyaku ranks a mix of new momentum and familiar top-division experience.
New Makuuchi Debuts
Two wrestlers are making their makuuchi debuts in Nagoya: Kazuma and Daiseizan. Makuuchi is the top division, so a debut here is one of the major career milestones for a professional rikishi.
Kazuma enters at West maegashira 15. The JSA lists him as the first wrestler from Kise Stable to make a makuuchi debut since Churanoumi in November 2023.
Daiseizan is ranked East maegashira 16. His debut is also historic in its own way: the JSA notes that he is the first wrestler from Arashio Stable to make a makuuchi debut since Kotokuzan in March 2022, and the second Chinese rikishi to reach the top division after Sokokurai.
Returnees And Other Notable Movements
Takerufuji returns to makuuchi at West maegashira 13, while Onokatsu returns at East maegashira 15. Both add extra depth to the lower half of the division, where winning records can quickly create movement for the next banzuke.
Asanoyama remains at East maegashira 10, the same rank he held in the previous tournament. His placement is worth watching because he withdrew from the Summer Tournament after injuring his left foot, finishing with a 7-5-3 record.
There is also a generational note on this banzuke. With Tamawashi (the oldest sumo wrestler) dropping to East juryo 7, Nikkan Sports reports that there are no Showa-born wrestlers in the makuuchi division for this tournament. The Showa era ended in 1989, and Showa-born rikishi had been continuously present in the top division for 76 years.
Taken together, the July 2026 banzuke gives the Nagoya Basho a clear sense of pressure and transition before opening day. Wakatakakage returns to sekiwake as the latest tournament champion, Kirishima occupies East ozeki, and Kotozakura must protect his rank as a kadoban ozeki. Further down the rankings, Kazuma and Daiseizan make their makuuchi debuts, while Tamawashi’s move to juryo marks the end of a 76-year run of Showa-born wrestlers in the top division.
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Sumo Morning Training
Get a behind-the-scenes look at a real sumo training session at a master stable in Nagoya, in the lead-up to the Nagoya July Sumo Tournament!
