I recently heard that two groups of guests whom I guided in July attended the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. It reminded me once again of how popular sumo has become among international visitors to Japan.
At the Nagoya tournament, Aonishiki, who had been ranked as a Sekiwake (the third-highest rank), won the championship and secured his return to the rank of Ozeki, the second-highest rank in professional sumo. Aonishiki is from Ukraine. Another Ukrainian wrestler, Shishi, was somewhat overshadowed by Aonishiki’s success, but he also performed well and is expected to move up the rankings at the September tournament in Tokyo.
Professional sumo currently has just under 600 wrestlers, but only about 30 of them are foreign-born, accounting for less than 5% of the total. However, among the top division, known as Makuuchi, which consists of only 42 wrestlers, around 10 are foreign-born. In other words, nearly one-quarter of the elite division comes from overseas, highlighting the remarkable success of foreign wrestlers.
All professional sumo wrestlers live and train together in facilities called heya, or sumo stables. To limit the number of foreign-born wrestlers, the Japan Sumo Association has adopted a rule that, in principle, each stable may recruit only one foreign-born wrestler. As a result, the total number of foreign wrestlers is unlikely to increase significantly.
Recently, another interesting piece of news was announced. The monthly salaries of sekitori—the salaried wrestlers in the top two divisions (Makuuchi and Juryo)—will be increased substantially. The new monthly salaries are as follows:
Rank Current → New
Yokozuna Approx. ¥3,000,000 → Approx. ¥3,300,000
Ozeki Approx. ¥2,500,000 → Approx. ¥2,750,000
Sekiwake / Komusubi Approx. ¥1,800,000 → Approx. ¥1,980,000
Makuuchi Approx. ¥1,400,000 → Approx. ¥1,540,000
Juryo Approx. ¥1,100,000 → Approx. ¥1,210,000
In addition, the championship prize for the top division will double from ¥10 million to ¥20 million, marking the first increase in 33 years.
These improvements are partly the result of Japan’s recent inflation, which has pushed up both prices and wages. At the same time, the growing popularity of sumo and the increase in ticket and event revenues have also contributed to these changes.
It is worth noting that only sekitori—the 70 wrestlers in the top two divisions (42 in Makuuchi and 28 in Juryo)—receive a monthly salary. The remaining 500-plus wrestlers are not paid salaries. However, because every wrestler belongs to a sumo stable, their food, housing, and daily necessities are provided.
There is a famous saying in the sumo world: “There is money lying on the ring.” Senior stablemasters often use this phrase to encourage younger wrestlers. Every victory can lead to a higher ranking, and reaching the status of sekitori means earning a regular salary. Winning championships, receiving special prizes, and collecting sponsorship bonuses can further increase a wrestler’s income.
In professional sumo, rank and financial rewards are directly linked. It is a highly competitive merit-based world, and this clear connection between performance and reward serves as a powerful motivation for wrestlers to become stronger.