Nagoya Basho 2026 Yusho & Sansho

Nagoya Basho 2026 Yusho & Sansho

Yusho

Makuuchi Aonishiki (12:3)

Juryo Shonannoumi

Makushita Asahifuji

Sandanme Tenshoyama

Jonidan Hakugetsuro

Jonokuchi Kakizoe

Sansho

Gino-sho Aonishiki

Shukun-sho Fujinokawa

Kanto-sho Atamifuji, Kotoeiho, Takayasu

The tournament ran July 12–26 at IG Arena in Nagoya, with Aonishiki winning the makuuchi championship after a three-way playoff. Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament 2026: Aonishiki Triumphs in a Tournament of Attrition and Drama The 2026 Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament delivered almost everything a modern honbasho can offer: a crowded championship race, returning champions battling physical limitations, breakthrough performances from lower-ranked wrestlers and, ultimately, a dramatic three-way playoff for the Emperor’s Cup. Held from July 12 to 26 at IG Arena, the Nagoya tournament concluded with sekiwake Aonishiki claiming his third makuuchi championship. The Ukrainian secured the title by defeating Atamifuji and Kirishima in succession after all three finished the regulation tournament with 12–3 records. 1 Aonishiki's remarkable return The central story of the tournament was undoubtedly Aonishiki. The 22-year-old entered Nagoya carrying considerable pressure. After injury disrupted his previous tournaments, he had been relegated from the ozeki rank and needed a strong performance to regain his position among sumo's elite. He delivered emphatically. Aonishiki finished 12–3, secured the Emperor's Cup and reached the ten-win threshold required to regain his ozeki rank. He also received the Technique Prize, underlining that his championship was not simply a product of consistency but of the technical versatility that has become a defining feature of his wrestling. Yet the title did not come easily. On senshuraku, Aonishiki entered the final day as the sole leader but was defeated by fellow sekiwake Atamifuji. That result brought Atamifuji level with him at 12–3. Ozeki Kirishima then defeated Kotozakura to join them at the same record, creating a three-way playoff for the championship. The playoff was an appropriate conclusion to an unpredictable tournament. Atamifuji first defeated Kirishima, putting himself one victory away from the title. Aonishiki then reversed the result from their earlier meeting, forcing Atamifuji out before defeating Kirishima in the deciding bout. The championship therefore belonged to the wrestler who had already demonstrated the ability to recover from adversity — and who produced his best sumo when the tournament was finally on the line. A tournament defined by depth One of Nagoya's most striking characteristics was the depth of the championship race. Behind the three leaders, Takayasu and Kotoeiho both finished 11–4, while Daieisho, Nishikifuji, Takerufuji and Shishi all reached double-digit victories. JJAPAN Forward+1 That distribution of winning records made the tournament considerably more competitive than a simple champion-versus-field narrative suggests. The title remained within reach of several wrestlers deep into the second week, and the eventual three-way playoff was the clearest evidence of how little separated the leading contenders. For experienced maegashira such as Takayasu, an 11–4 record represented another strong tournament. Kotoeiho matched that mark, while Shishi's 10–5 performance was particularly notable as the Ukrainian continued to establish himself as a serious presence in the top division. JJAPAN Forward Atamifuji's missed opportunity — and major statement Atamifuji finished the tournament with the same 12–3 record as the champion and therefore deserves to be regarded as one of Nagoya's central figures. His victory over Aonishiki on the final day demonstrated the quality of his tournament, but the playoff exposed the brutal margins that define sumo at this level. After defeating Kirishima, Atamifuji faced Aonishiki with the championship within reach. Aonishiki responded with a frontal force-out and ended his title challenge. Atamifuji nevertheless left Nagoya with the Fighting Spirit Prize, alongside Kotoeiho and Takayasu. JJAPAN Forward His 12–3 record also ensured that the tournament's final standings told a more complicated story than the championship result alone. Kirishima remains firmly in the picture Kirishima was another major figure in the title race. The ozeki entered the final day with a realistic opportunity to claim the championship and finished the regulation tournament at 12–3. His victory over Kotozakura kept him alive before the playoff, but he ultimately fell to Atamifuji and then Aonishiki. JJAPAN Forward Nevertheless, a 12–3 record confirms that Kirishima remains capable of sustaining a championship challenge across fifteen days. His presence in the final playoff also ensured that Nagoya's decisive sequence featured wrestlers from three different positions near the top of the banzuke: ozeki and two sekiwake. The yokozuna question The tournament also illustrated the difficult physical reality facing sumo's highest-ranked wrestlers. Onosato completed the tournament at 9–6, while Hoshoryu withdrew after suffering right hamstring pain and finished with a 7–7–1 record. Both had entered Nagoya with fitness concerns following previous injury problems. JJAPAN Forward+1 Their performances inevitably shifted attention toward the wrestlers immediately below them. Instead of a tournament dominated by the yokozuna ranks, Nagoya became a showcase for the depth of the current upper division. That was particularly significant because Aonishiki, despite beginning the tournament as a sekiwake rather than an ozeki, ultimately became the defining figure of the entire fortnight. The significance of the new venue Nagoya's tournament was also notable for its setting. The 2026 July tournament was held at IG Arena, replacing the traditional Nagoya venue. The Japan Sumo Association's official schedule lists the tournament from July 12 through July 26 at IG Arena. SSumo The change gave this year's Nagoya Basho an additional layer of significance. The competitive drama inside the dohyo was accompanied by the transition to a new tournament environment, making the 2026 edition an important chapter in Nagoya's place on the professional sumo calendar. Verdict The 2026 Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament will be remembered principally for its extraordinary finish. Aonishiki's 12–3 championship was impressive in itself, but the manner of victory made it particularly memorable. After losing to Atamifuji on the final day and surrendering the outright lead, he had to win twice in the playoff against two of the tournament's strongest wrestlers. He did exactly that. The broader tournament was equally compelling. Atamifuji and Kirishima pushed the champion to the limit, Takayasu and Kotoeiho produced 11-win campaigns, Shishi emerged as an increasingly significant figure, and the yokozuna ranks were forced to confront the physical demands of another fifteen-day tournament. Most importantly, Nagoya demonstrated the competitive depth of the current makuuchi division. The championship was not decided until the final playoff bout, and the Emperor's Cup ultimately went to a wrestler who had already overcome injury, demotion and a final-day defeat. For Aonishiki, Nagoya was more than another tournament victory. It was a return to the ozeki rank — and a powerful statement about his place at the forefront of sumo's next generation.