is the highest rank of sumo wrestling. It was not recorded on the until 1890 and was not officially recognised as sumo's highest rank until 1909. Until then, was merely a licence given to certain to perform the ceremony. It was not always the strongest but those with the most influential patrons who were chosen.

The first list of (with 17 names in total) was compiled by the 12th Jinmaku Kyūgorō in 1900 but was not regarded as official until 1926 when it was published by the newly formed Japan Sumo Association and updated to 31 names. Since that time, 44 more have been promoted. The Sumo Association has overseen all promotions since Chiyonoyama's in 1951. Two consecutive tournament championships or an "equivalent performance" at level are the minimum requirement for promotion to in modern sumo.

The longest serving ever was Hakuhō, who was promoted in 2007 and retired in 2021.

The number of top division championships () won by each is also listed. Those listed for active before the summer tournament of 1909 are historically conferred from the win–loss records of the time as no system of championships existed up to this time.

List

{|class="wikitable"

|-

!?

|Information is uncertain

|-

!†

|Wrestler died as

|-

!¤

|Elder left their position early and quit the Sumo Association

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!rowspan=2|No. !! colspan=2|Name !! rowspan=2| !! rowspan=2|Stable !! rowspan=2|Home town !! rowspan=2|Promoted !! rowspan=2|Retired !! rowspan=2| !! rowspan=2|Elder name

|-

!Rōmaji !! Japanese

|-

!1

|Akashi Shiganosuke

|

|

|

| Utsunomiya, Tochigi ?

|

|1649 ? †

|

|

|-

!2

|Ayagawa Gorōji

|

|

|

| Tochigi ?

|

|1765 ? †

|

|

|-

!3

|Maruyama Gondazaemon

|

|

|Nanatsumori

| Tome, Miyagi

|1749

|1749 †

|

|

|-

!4

|Tanikaze Kajinosuke

|

|21

|Isenoumi

| Sendai, Miyagi

|1789

|1795 †

|

|

|-

!5

|Onogawa Kisaburō

|

|7

|Onogawa

| Ōtsu, Shiga

|1789

|1797

|

|Onogawa

|-

!6

|Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke

|

|5

|Shikoroyama

| Noto, Ishikawa

|1828

|1835

|

|Onomatsu

|-

!7

|Inazuma Raigorō

|

|10

|Sadogatake

| Inashiki, Ibaraki

|1830

|1839

|

|

|-

!8

|Shiranui Dakuemon

|

|1

|Urakaze

| Uto, Kumamoto

|1840

|1844

|

|Minato

|-

!9

|Hidenoyama Raigorō

|

|6

|Hidenoyama

| Kesennuma, Miyagi

|1847

|1850

|

|Hidenoyama

|-

!10

|Unryū Kyūkichi

|

|7

|Jinmaku

| Yanagawa, Fukuoka

|1861

|1865

|Shiranui

|Oitekaze

|-

!11

|Shiranui Kōemon

|

|3

|Sakaigawa

| Matsue, Shimane

|1863

|1869

|Unryū

|Minato

|-

!12

|Jinmaku Kyūgorō

|

|5

|Hidenoyama

| Ichikawa, Chiba

|1867

|1867

|

|

|-

!13

|Kimenzan Tanigorō

|

|7

|Takekuma

| Yōrō, Gifu

|1869

|1870

|

|

|-

!14

|Sakaigawa Namiemon

|

|3

|Sakaigawa

| Ōzu, Kumamoto

|1877

|1881

|

|Minato

|-

!15

|Umegatani Tōtarō I

|

|9

|Tamagaki

| Asakura, Fukuoka

|1884

|1885

|

|Ikazuchi

|-

!16

|Nishinoumi Kajirō I

|

|2

|Takasago

| Satsumasendai, Kagoshima

|1890

|1896

|

|Izutsu

|-

!17

|Konishiki Yasokichi I

|

|7

|Takasago

| Yokoshibahikari, Chiba

|1896

|1901

|

|Hatachiyama

|-

!18

|Ōzutsu Man'emon

|

|2

|Oguruma

| Shiroishi, Miyagi

|1901

|1908

|

|Matsuchiyama

|-

!19

|Hitachiyama Taniemon

|

|8

|Dewanoumi

| Mito, Ibaraki

|1903

|1914

|

|Dewanoumi

|-

!20

|Umegatani Tōtarō II

|

|3

|Ikazuchi

| Toyama

|1903

|1915

|Unryū

|Ikazuchi

|-

!21

|Wakashima Gonshirō

|

|4

|Nakamura

| Ichikawa, Chiba

|1905

|1907

|

|Wakashima ¤

|-

!22

|Tachiyama Mineemon

|

|11

|Tomozuna

| Toyama

|1911

|1918

|Shiranui

|Azumazeki ¤

|-

!23

|Ōkido Moriemon

|

|10

|Minato

| Kobe, Hyōgo

|1912

|1914

|

|Minato

|-

!24

|Ōtori Tanigorō

|

|2

|Miyagino

| Inzai, Chiba

|1915

|1920

|Unryū

|Miyagino

|-

!25

|Nishinoumi Kajirō II

|

|1

|Izutsu

| Nishinoomote, Kagoshima

|1916

|1918

|Unryū

|Izutsu

|-

!26

|Ōnishiki Uichirō

|

|5

|Dewanoumi

| Osaka

|1917

|1923

|Unryū

|

|-

!27

|Tochigiyama Moriya

|

|9

|Dewanoumi

| Tochigi

|1918

|1925

|Unryū

|Kasugano

|-

!28

|Ōnishiki Daigorō

|

|6

|Asahiyama

| Yatomi, Aichi

|1918

|1922

|Unryū

|

|-

!29

|Miyagiyama Fukumatsu

|

|6

|Takadagawa

| Ichinoseki, Iwate

|1922

|1931

|Unryū

|Shibatayama

|-

!30

|Nishinoumi Kajirō III

|

|1

|Izutsu

| Kirishima, Kagoshima

|1923

|1928

|Unryū

|Asakayama

|-

!31

|Tsunenohana Kan'ichi

|

|10

|Dewanoumi

| Okayama

|1924

|1930

|Unryū

|Dewanoumi

|-

!32

|Tamanishiki San'emon

|

|9

|Nishonoseki

| Kōchi

|1932

|1938 †

|Unryū

|

|-

!33

|Musashiyama Takeshi

|

|1

|Dewanoumi

| Yokohama, Kanagawa

|1935

|1939

|Unryū

|Dekiyama ¤

|-

!34

|Minanogawa Tōzō

|

|2

|Sadogatake

| Tsukuba, Ibaraki

|1936

|1942

|Unryū

|Minanogawa ¤

|-

!35

|Futabayama Sadaji

|

|12

|Tatsunami

| Usa, Ōita

|1937

|1945

|Unryū

|Tokitsukaze

|-

!36

|Haguroyama Masaji

|

|7

|Tatsunami

| Niigata

|1941

|1953

|Shiranui

|Tatsunami

|-

!37

|Akinoumi Setsuo

|

|1

|Dewanoumi

| Hiroshima

|1942

|1946

|Unryū

|Fujishima ¤

|-

!38

|Terukuni Manzō

|

|2

|Isegahama

| Yuzawa, Akita

|1942

|1953

|Unryū

|Isegahama

|-

!39

|Maedayama Eigorō

|

|1

|Takasago

| Yawatahama, Ehime

|1947

|1949

|Unryū

|Takasago

|-

!40

|Azumafuji Kin'ichi

|

|6

|Takasago

| Taitō, Tokyo

|1948

|1954

|Unryū

|Nishikido ¤

|-

!41

|Chiyonoyama Masanobu

|

|6

|Dewanoumi

| Fukushima, Hokkaido

|1951

|1959

|Unryū

|Kokonoe

|-

!42

|Kagamisato Kiyoji

|

|4

|Tokitsukaze

| Sannohe, Aomori

|1953

|1958

|Unryū

|-

!43

|Yoshibayama Junnosuke

|

|1

|Takashima

| Ishikari, Hokkaido

|1954

|1958

|Shiranui

|Miyagino

|-

!44

|Tochinishiki Kiyotaka

|

|10

|Kasugano

| Edogawa, Tokyo

|1954

|1960

|Unryū

|Kasugano

|-

!45

|Wakanohana Kanji I

|

|10

|Hanakago

| Hirosaki, Aomori

|1958

|1962

|Unryū

|Futagoyama

|-

!46

|Asashio Tarō III

|

|5

|Takasago

| Tokunoshima, Kagoshima

|1959

|1962

|Unryū

|Takasago

|-

!47

|Kashiwado Tsuyoshi

|

|5

|Isenoumi

| Tsuruoka, Yamagata

|1961

|1969

|Unryū

|Kagamiyama

|-

!48

|Taihō Kōki

|

|32

|Nishonoseki

| Teshikaga, Hokkaido

|1961

|1971

|Unryū

|Taihō

|-

!49

|Tochinoumi Teruyoshi

|

|3

|Kasugano

| Inakadate, Aomori

|1964

|1966

|Unryū

|Kasugano

|-

!50

|Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

|

|6

|Dewanoumi

| Shin-Kamigotō, Nagasaki

|1965

|1968

|Unryū

|Nakadachi

|-

!51

|Tamanoumi Masahiro

|

|6

|Kataonami

| Gamagōri, Aichi

|1970

|1971 †

|Shiranui

|

|-

!52

|Kitanofuji Katsuaki

|

|10

|Kokonoe

| Asahikawa, Hokkaido

|1970

|1974

|Unryū

|Jinmaku

|-

!53

|Kotozakura Masakatsu

|

|5

|Sadogatake

| Kurayoshi, Tottori

|1973

|1974

|Shiranui

|Sadogatake

|-

!54

|Wajima Hiroshi

|

|14

|Hanakago

| Nanao, Ishikawa

|1973

|1981

|Unryū

|Hanakago ¤

|-

!55

|Kitanoumi Toshimitsu

|

|24

|Mihogaseki

| Sōbetsu, Hokkaido

|1974

|1985

|Unryū

|Kitanoumi

|-

!56

|Wakanohana Kanji II

|

|4

|Futagoyama

| Ōwani, Aomori

|1978

|1983

|Unryū

|Magaki

|-

!57

|Mienoumi Tsuyoshi

|

|3

|Dewanoumi

| Matsusaka, Mie

|1979

|1980

|Unryū

|Musashigawa

|-

!58

|Chiyonofuji Mitsugu

|

|31

|Kokonoe

| Fukushima, Hokkaido

|1981

|1991

|Unryū

|Kokonoe

|-

!59

|Takanosato Toshihide

|

|4

|Futagoyama

| Aomori

|1983

|1986

|Shiranui

|Naruto

|-

!60

|Futahaguro Kōji

|

|0

|Tatsunami

| Tsu, Mie

|1986

|1988

|Shiranui

|

|-

!61

|Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi

|

|8

|Kokonoe

| Hiroo, Hokkaido

|1987

|1992

|Unryū

|Hakkaku

|-

!62

|Ōnokuni Yasushi

|

|2

|Hanaregoma

| Memuro, Hokkaido

|1987

|1991

|Unryū

|Shibatayama

|-

!63

|Asahifuji Seiya

|

|4

|Ōshima

| Tsugaru, Aomori

|1990

|1992

|Shiranui

|Isegahama

|-

!64

|Akebono Tarō

|

|11

|Azumazeki

| Oʻahu, Hawaii, United States

|1993

|2001

|Unryū

|Akebono ¤

|-

!65

|Takanohana Kōji

|

|22

|Futagoyama

| Nakano, Tokyo

|1994

|2003

|Unryū

|Takanohana ¤

|-

!66

|Wakanohana Masaru

|

|5

|Futagoyama

| Nakano, Tokyo

|1998

|2000

|Shiranui

|Fujishima ¤

|-

!67

|Musashimaru Kōyō

|

|12

|Musashigawa

| Oʻahu, Hawaii, United States

|1999

|2003

|Unryū

|Musashigawa

|-

!68

|Asashōryū Akinori

|

|25

|Takasago

| Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

|2003

|2010

|Unryū

|

|-

!69

|Hakuhō Shō

|

|45

|Miyagino

| Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

|2007

|2021

|Shiranui

|Miyagino ¤

|-

!70

|Harumafuji Kōhei

|

|9

|Isegahama

| Govi-Altai, Mongolia

|2012

|2017

|Shiranui

|

|-

!71

|Kakuryū Rikisaburō

|

|6

|Izutsu

| Sükhbaatar, Mongolia

|2014

|2021

|Unryū

|Otowayama

|-

!72

|Kisenosato Yutaka

|

|2

|Tagonoura

| Ushiku, Ibaraki

|2017

|2019

|Unryū

|Nishonoseki

|-

!73

|Terunofuji Haruo

|

|10

|Isegahama

| Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

|2021

|2025

|Shiranui

|Isegahama

|-

!74

|Hōshōryū Tomokatsu

|

|2

|Tatsunami

| Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

|2025

|style="background-color:#98FB98"|active

|Unryū

|

|-

!75

|Ōnosato Daiki

|

|5

|Nishonoseki

| Tsubata, Ishikawa

|2025

|style="background-color:#98FB98"|active

|Unryū

|

|}

Timeline

See also

  • Glossary of sumo terms
  • List of active sumo wrestlers
  • List of past sumo wrestlers
  • List of sumo top division champions
  • List of sumo top division runners-up
  • List of
  • List of
  • List of

Notes

References

  • Yokozuna list at the Japanese Sumo Association (English)