Yokozuna Onosato won the September 2026 Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo after defeating ozeki Aonishiki in the final scheduled bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Onosato used tsukidashi, a thrust-out, to finish the 15-day Autumn Basho at 12-3 and claim the Emperor’s Cup.
The victory gave Onosato his sixth makuuchi, or top-division, championship. Aonishiki finished 11-4 after entering the final day level with Onosato at 11-3, turning the closing bout into a winner-takes-the-title showdown.
Aonishiki Falls One Win Short
The final bout carried more than the immediate title race. Aonishiki had returned to ozeki for Tokyo after a two-tournament absence from the rank, and his 11-4 finish put him one win away from turning that return into another Emperor’s Cup.
Onosato faced a different kind of pressure. The yokozuna had not won the championship since the September 2025 tournament, so the chance to end that year-long wait was on the line when he met Aonishiki with both men at 11-3 on the final day.
That made the showdown a meeting of two very different goals: Aonishiki trying to cap a remarkable return to ozeki, and Onosato trying to reassert himself as champion. Onosato’s victory gave him his sixth top-division title; Aonishiki fell short, but his position in the final scheduled bout underlined how quickly he had returned to the centre of the title picture.
Fujinokawa And Churanoumi Take Special Prizes
Two wrestlers received Fighting Spirit Prizes from the Japan Sumo Association. West sekiwake Fujinokawa finished 11-4, while West maegashira 3 Churanoumi completed the tournament at 10-5.
No Outstanding Performance Award or Technique Prize was awarded for the September tournament. Fujinokawa and Churanoumi’s prizes recognize strong campaigns in a basho where the championship was settled by the sport’s highest-ranked names.
Looking Ahead To Fukuoka
The next Grand Sumo Tournament will take place at Fukuoka Kokusai Center from November 8 to November 22. Onosato will arrive as the September champion, while Aonishiki, Fujinokawa, and Churanoumi will each carry meaningful momentum into the final tournament of 2026.
The November banzuke will show how the September results reshape the top division. For fans, the immediate question is whether Onosato can build on this title or whether one of the challengers can turn a strong Tokyo performance into a new run in Fukuoka.
Plan Ahead For 2027
The November 2026 Fukuoka Grand Sumo Tournament experience is sold out. Sumo Tours is currently accepting booking requests for its 2027 Grand Sumo Tournament experiences with a sumo expert guide.
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Join the waiting list for our Fukuoka Grand Sumo Tournament November 2027 with a Sumo Expert Guide.
