Begin with the banzuke
The banzuke is the official ranking list published for a professional tournament. It is more than a league table sorted by the current number of wins: it establishes each wrestler’s position before the tournament begins. Results from the preceding tournament are central to movement, but promotions and demotions also depend on rank, available positions and the overall pattern of results.
Names are arranged on east and west sides. At the same numbered rank, east conventionally takes precedence over west. These are ranking designations, not permanent clubs or geographic national teams. A wrestler can change sides on a later banzuke without having moved to a different stable.
Understand the divisions first
Professional sumo has six divisions. Makuuchi is the highest, followed by juryo, makushita, sandanme, jonidan and jonokuchi. Wrestlers in makuuchi and juryo are collectively called sekitori. Crossing into juryo therefore marks a significant change in professional status, not merely a different place on an otherwise uniform list.
New entrants may appear in maezumo, preliminary bouts used before placement on the regular ranking list. Maezumo is not a seventh ranked division. Some successful amateur competitors enter with an advanced starting placement under applicable qualification rules, so not every professional career begins at exactly the same rung.
| Division | Position | Usual full tournament schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Makuuchi | Top division | 15 bouts |
| Juryo | Second division | 15 bouts |
| Makushita | Third division | 7 bouts |
| Sandanme | Fourth division | 7 bouts |
| Jonidan | Fifth division | 7 bouts |
| Jonokuchi | Sixth division | 7 bouts |
These are regular schedules, not a promise that every wrestler will complete every bout. Injury withdrawals, absences, exceptional scheduling and championship playoffs can affect what a spectator actually sees. Below juryo, wrestlers ordinarily compete on selected days rather than every day of the tournament.
Then read the ranks within makuuchi
Within the top division, the hierarchy runs from yokozuna and ozeki through sekiwake and komusubi to the numbered maegashira ranks. A maegashira number is therefore not a separate division. The lower the maegashira number, the higher the position within that part of the ranking.
Promotion to ozeki is not automatic upon reaching one simple published win total. The often-mentioned benchmark of 33 wins over three tournaments at the relevant high ranks is a useful guide to discussion, not an unconditional entitlement. Quality of performance and the governing body’s judgment matter. Yokozuna promotion likewise involves sustained results at ozeki and an assessment of suitability, not just winning one championship.
Read the record without overreading it
A kachi-koshi is a winning record; a make-koshi is a losing record. On a completed 15-bout schedule, eight wins ensure more wins than losses. On a seven-bout schedule, four wins do the same. The record influences the next ranking, but it is not a calculator that always moves a wrestler one fixed number of places.
A tournament championship, or yusho, goes to the division’s winning competitor under the tournament’s results and playoff procedures. When wrestlers finish tied for the best record, a playoff can be necessary. A wrestler can earn a strong promotion case without winning the championship, while a championship does not automatically award the sport’s highest rank.
Follow the annual rhythm
The established professional calendar has six grand tournaments, or honbasho, each year, ordinarily lasting 15 days. January, May and September are held in Tokyo; March is in Osaka, July in Nagoya and November in Fukuoka. Check the Japan Sumo Association’s current information for the actual dates and venues rather than relying on a remembered building name.
Tokyo tournaments are associated with Ryogoku Kokugikan. Other host cities have used different buildings as venues change over time. The city rhythm is helpful background, but ticket availability, seating rules, access arrangements and entry times are separate practical questions. This website does not sell tickets or confirm admission.
Watch the schedule develop
The full set of matchups is not fixed in advance as a simple round robin. Pairings develop through the tournament, considering rank, results and eligibility restrictions. Wrestlers from the same stable ordinarily do not meet in regular tournament bouts, although championship playoffs can be exceptions. This explains why an apparently obvious matchup may not appear on the daily program.
For your first tournament, follow three wrestlers rather than trying to track everyone: one near the top ranks, one in mid-maegashira and one close to the juryo promotion boundary. Their results reveal three different stories: championship contention, rank movement and divisional survival. All belong to the same competitive ladder.
Verify current banzuke, results, schedules and promotion announcements with the Japan Sumo Association. For individual bout outcomes, return to the rules guide.