January • 9: The
Japan Sumo Association announces that
Emperor Naruhito will attend the sumo tournament in Tokyo on 18 January (Day 8). It will be the first –sumo performed in the presence of the Emperor–in six years. • 10: The Sumo Association announces a record number of (prize money envelope) applications at the upcoming January grand sumo tournament. There are applications for a total of 3,469 prize envelopes, which breaks the record set in September of last year. There are also 258 envelopes set to be distributed on 11 January, which will break the previous single-day record set in January of last year. • 14: Top
Yoshinofuji defeats
Ōnosato after winning against
Hōshōryū the previous day, becoming the first competitor in six years to defeat two on consecutive days. This feat would be repeated later by
Atamifuji, who entered the tournament having never earned a . • 16: The Sumo Association announces the retirement of former
Daiamami. • 18:
Hakunofuji defeats
Ōnosato in front of Emperor Naruhito, becoming the third wrestler since the start of the
Shōwa era to collect at least one in four consecutive tournaments. • 22:
Nishikifuji withdraws on Day 12 of the January 2026 tournament. His
stablemaster cites returning neck and elbow pain stemming from earlier injuries. • 23: Hakunofuji withdraws on Day 13 of the January 2026 tournament due to a ligament injury in his left big toe. Two days earlier, he appeared to collapse from his left knee during his loss to
Aonishiki. Hakunofuji's scheduled opponent,
Ōnokatsu–who was Nishikifuji's scheduled opponent the day before–becomes the fourth sumo wrestler in history to win two consecutive matches by
default.The
Japan Sumo Association announces that the election of directors and deputy directors for the new two-year term at the head of the organization will not be subject to a vote for the fourth consecutive term, as the number of candidates matches the number of positions up for election. It has also been announced that the exact occupancy of the positions will be revealed on 8 March. • 25: The January 2026 tournament concludes with
Aonishiki winning the championship
playoff against
rank-and-file wrestler
Atamifuji, securing his second consecutive
Emperor's Cup. Aonishiki and Atamifuji were tied in the standings entering Day 15 with eleven wins each. After Atamifuji won his scheduled Day 15 contest, which eliminated opponent
Ōshōumi and three others (
Abi,
Kirishima and
Ōnosato) from title contention, Aonishiki defeated
Kotozakura to force a playoff–just like he did in the previous tournament last November. The two () leaders faced each other in the playoff, where Atamifuji pushed Aonishiki to the edge of the ring before Aonishiki stayed low and took his opponent down with a
headlock throw. Aonishiki's victory marks the first time in almost 20 years, since
Hakuhō in the May 2006 tournament, that a newly promoted has won the championship. He is also the first wrestler in 89 years (since
Futabayama in 1937) to win consecutive titles as a newly promoted and a newly promoted . Aonishiki will be a candidate for potential promotion at the next tournament in March. The
Sumo Association awards runner-up Atamifuji with his third Fighting Spirit prize, one of three
special prizes handed out. A Fighting Spirit prize is also awarded to Kirishima () for the fourth time in his career.
Yoshinofuji () collects his first Outstanding Performance prize; he has now collected at least one Special Prize in three of his four career tournaments in the top division.The division championship is won by 22-year-old
Tochigi native (), who collects his first professional sumo title. • 26: Two months after it was announced, Tokiwayama stable is transferred from the retiring Tokiwayama (former
Takamisugi) to Minatogawa (former
Takakeishō) and becomes
Minatogawa stable. • 28: Three promotions from to are announced for the March tournament by the Sumo Association. One of two wrestlers promoted to for the first time is 25-year-old Mongolian , a recruit of
Hakuhō with two years of professional experience and one lower-division championship. He is the first promotion for former
Terunofuji since taking over
Isegahama stable last year. The other is 19-year-old , an All Japan Sumo Championship quarterfinalist as a high school student who debuted as a competitor one year ago. In the March 2026 tournament he will take on the new of . Former competitor
Shimazuumi returns to the second-highest sumo division after six tournaments.The Sumo Association announced multiple retirements including former , a 23-year veteran and the last remaining active wrestler from the former
Mihogaseki stable. • 30:
Sanae Takaichi, the first female
Prime Minister of Japan, says that she will respect
sumo traditions regarding women and not enter the . The remarks are in relation to the presentation of the Prime Minister's Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the
top divison at every grand sumo tournament. In the January tournament, special advisor
Takahiro Inoue presented the Prime Minister's Cup to
Aonishiki on her behalf. • 31: The
retirement ceremony is held at the
Ryōgoku Kokugikan for the 73rd
Terunofuji.
February • 1: The
retirement ceremony for former
Mitoryū is held at the
Ryōgoku Kokugikan. • 7: The is held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan with over 4,300 in attendance. Among the musicians performing songs with sumo wrestlers was idol group
STU48 and singers
Miyuki Kawanaka and
Kaori Mizumori. • 8:
Hōshōryū wins the 50th Japan Grand Sumo Tournament, a one-day tournament held for professional sumo wrestlers at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, before 9,030 attendees. It is his second career win in the tournament. The Fighting Spirit prize recipient was
Hiradoumi, who had only lost in semi-finals to eventual tournament champion. • 13: Former top-division wrestler
Daishōhō announces his retirement after a final tournament in the division where he had recorded a negative score. • 24: The Sumo Association releases the
rankings for the March 2026 tournament in Osaka, in which Ukrainian
Aonishiki vies for his third straight
Emperor's Cup and promotion to
yokozuna. The only change among the ranks is the elevation of January runner-up
Atamifuji to the fourth-highest rank of for the first time in his career. He is the first wrestler from
Shizuoka Prefecture to be promoted to the upper ranks of sumo since
Tenryū was promoted to in 1930. There are two new promotions to the top division: and , both from
Fujishima stable. 28-year-old Fujiseiun is a five-year veteran with four championships in the lower divisions, most recently in May 2024. Fujiryōga, who is promoted a few days before his 23rd birthday, is a who placed high in three amateur tournaments in 2024 before he debuted for Fujishima stable in March 2025. He picked up the title in his fifth professional tournament last November. Returning to the top division is 22-year-old
Kotoeihō, whose only other tournament as a was in July of last year. Mongolian
Tamawashi will appear in his 99th tournament in the top division, tying him with Ōshima (former
Kyokutenhō) for the third-most tournament appearances in sumo history. As a result of the latest rankings,
Kasugano stable is left without a -ranked wrestler for the first time in 91 years. • 27: It is reported that the Japan Sumo Association's compliance committee is investigating alleged violent behavior by Isegahama (the 73rd
Terunofuji) against
Isegahama stable wrestler
Hakunofuji. According to reports, Isegahama himself informed the Sumo Association about the matter, and he along with Hakunofuji and
Nishikifuji had been questioned by the compliance committee earlier in the week. On the same day that the news was reported, Isegahama admits to the press that he committed an act of violence.
March • 6: The Sumo Association announces that
Midorifuji will be absent from the upcoming March tournament due to heart failure. His medical certificate indicates one month of treatment. His absence from the entire tournament will likely result in his demotion to in May. • 9: Two withdraw from the tournament following opening day losses.
Ōnokatsu is diagnosed with a left ankle sprain after appearing to land awkwardly in his defeat to
Ichiyamamoto.
Hakunofuji re-aggravates a foot injury he sustained in the previous tournament. Both wrestlers would later re-enter the tournament, but Ōnokatsu is later forced to pull out for the second time. • 10:
Abi withdraws from the tournament due to a diagnosed
spinal fracture following his loss to
Ichiyamamoto on Day 2. He is the fourth to withdraw from this tournament. He later returned to the tournament on Day 9. • 21:
Kirishima maintains a two-win lead on the second-to-last day of the March 2026 tournament to officially clinch his third in the top division. Entering Day 14 as the leader with both
Hōshōryū and
Kotoshōhō behind him by two wins, Kirishima needed to defeat
Aonishiki–whose promotion bid already fell apart. Although Kirishima was defeated in his match, so were Hōshōryū and Kotoshōhō in their respective contests, resulting in their elimination from championship contention. Despite Kirishima's Day 14 loss, has totaled 34 victories over the last three tournaments as either a or , which passes the 33-win threshold for a second promotion to .Earlier in the day, it is announced that top
Wakatakakage would withdraw after injuring his right arm in his Day 13 win, which gave him his
eighth victory of the tournament. • 22: Kirishima loses his final match against
Kotozakura, but his promotion to sumo's second-highest rank is all but assured as a request is made to Sumo Association president
Hakkaku to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Directors. Four
special prizes are handed out to four wrestlers. Tournament champion
Kirishima collects his first Outstanding Performance prize for his third special prize in a row and ninth overall. Tournament runner-up
Kotoshōhō wins his third Fighting Spirit prize. A Fighting Spirit prize is also awarded to debutant . The Technique prize is awarded to
Fujinokawa who collected the first two
gold stars of his career at the tournament, having defeated both Ōnosato and Hōshōryū on the third and fourth day, respectively. Meanwhile Aonishiki, who entered the tournament with the chance at promotion, instead finds himself battling to
keep his rank in the next tournament after
losing his eighth match.25-year-old Mongolian () clinches the championship with a playoff victory over (), while former
Tsurugishō becomes the first competitor in six years to post 15 straight losses in a tournament. • 23: Hakkaku (the 61st
Hokutoumi) is elected for the sixth straight time as chairman of the
Japan Sumo Association. Four are elected as association directors for the first time: Fujishima (former
Musōyama), Onoe (former
Hamanoshima), Kataonami (former
Tamakasuga) and Oitekaze (former
Daishōyama).The Sumo Association announces the retirements of former
Chiyomaru and
Hidenoumi. • 25: Kirishima's second promotion to is unanimously approved by the Sumo Association. He becomes the third wrestler since the introduction of the
system in 1969 to return to the rank after failing to immediately do so.Following the Sumo Association board meeting to determine the May tournament rankings, four promotions to are announced. The lone first-time promotion to sumo's second-highest rank is 24-year-old , who entered professional sumo two years ago as a competitor. Three others return to : ,
Tochitaikai, and
Enhō. • 26: Sumo Association's director of public relations Fujishima (former
Musōyama), announces that the Sumo Association will hold an extraordinary meeting on 9 April to discuss the allegations of physical abuse involving Isegahama (the 73rd
Terunofuji). Earlier in the month, it was announced that Terunofuji would not be participating in the March tournament as a provisional measure.
April • 6: The Sumo Association has announced the retirement of former
Tsurugishō following his final rank tournament; a tournament in which he failed to secure a single victory. • 10: After accusations of physical abuse at
Isegahama stable by stablemaster Isegahama (the former
Terunofuji), the
JSA board of directors has announced that Terunofuji will be demoted two ranks in the hierarchy of . He will face a 10% pay cut for three months- a lighter punishment than usual due to his remorse, his self-reporting, and the fact that wrestler
Hakunofuji, the victim of the violence, had also had "
intolerable behavior" that warranted reprimands from his master. As a result of his behavior, Hakunofuji is also receiving a formal warning. • 27: The Japan Sumo Association publishes the for the May 2026 tournament in Tokyo. The release of the rankings also finalizes the list of wrestlers who will participate in the international tour taking place in Paris in June.
Kirishima had his second promotion to following his championship victory at the March tournament.
Atamifuji, who was just promoted to the ranks for the March tournament, moves up another rank to become a .
Kotoshōhō is promoted to , whose promotion after 35 tournaments in makes him the tenth-slowest wrestler to reach this rank.
Fujinokawa, one of the division’s youngest wrestlers, is promoted to the top of the ranks, just one rank away from making his debut. , the former January champion, makes his top-division debut after another standout performance in March. In doing so, he becomes the fifth wrestler from
Tochigi Prefecture to enter since the end of
World War II and the first wrestler from
Minatogawa stable to earn this promotion since the stable was taken over by former
Takakeishō.
Enhō, the popular wrestler and former member, is also making his return to the
salaried ranks, becoming the first former top-division wrestler in sumo history to return to the ranks after being demoted to . ==Deaths==