List of sumo tournament top division champions


This is a list of wrestlers who have won the top division championship since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan.

1958 to present

The first table below lists the champions since the six-tournament system was instituted in 1958. The championship is determined by the wrestler with the highest win-loss score after fifteen bouts, held at a rate of one per day over the duration of the 15-day tournament. In the event of a tie a play-off is held between the wrestlers concerned.
Names in bold mark an undefeated victory. Names in italics mark a victory by a maegashira or lower ranked wrestler. Figures in brackets mark the number of championships earned up to that tournament for wrestlers who won the championship more than once.
JanuaryMarchMayJulySeptemberNovember
year
in sumo		TokyoOsakaTokyoNagoyaTokyoKyushu
2020TokushoryuHakuhō No tournament
2019TamawashiHakuhō AsanoyamaKakuryū Mitakeumi Hakuhō
2018TochinoshinKakuryū Kakuryū Mitakeumi Hakuhō Takakeishō
2017Kisenosato Kisenosato Hakuhō Hakuhō Harumafuji Hakuhō
2016KotoshōgikuHakuhō Hakuhō Harumafuji GōeidōKakuryū
2015Hakuhō Hakuhō TerunofujiHakuhō Kakuryū Harumafuji
2014Hakuhō Kakuryū Hakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō
2013Harumafuji Hakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō Harumafuji
2012BarutoHakuhō KyokutenhōHarumafuji Harumafuji Hakuhō
2011Hakuhō No tournament
Hakuhō Harumafuji Hakuhō Hakuhō
2010Asashōryū Hakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō
2009Asashōryū Hakuhō Harumafuji Hakuhō Asashōryū Hakuhō
2008Hakuhō Asashōryū KotoōshūHakuhō Hakuhō Hakuhō
2007Asashōryū Hakuhō Hakuhō Asashōryū Hakuhō Hakuhō
2006Tochiazuma II Asashōryū Hakuhō Asashōryū Asashōryū Asashōryū
2005Asashōryū Asashōryū Asashōryū Asashōryū Asashōryū Asashōryū
2004Asashōryū Asashōryū Asashōryū Asashōryū Kaiō Asashōryū
2003Asashōryū Chiyotaikai Asashōryū Kaiō Asashōryū Tochiazuma II
2002Tochiazuma II Musashimaru Musashimaru Chiyotaikai Musashimaru Asashōryū
2001Takanohana II Kaiō Takanohana II Kaiō KotomitsukiMusashimaru
2000MusōyamaTakatōrikiKaiō Akebono Musashimaru Akebono
1999Chiyotaikai Musashimaru Musashimaru DejimaMusashimaru Musashimaru
1998Musashimaru Wakanohana III Wakanohana III Takanohana II Takanohana II Kotonishiki
1997Wakanohana III Takanohana II Akebono Takanohana II Takanohana II Takanonami
1996Takanonami Takanohana II Takanohana II Takanohana II Takanohana II Musashimaru
1995Takanohana II Akebono Takanohana II Takanohana II Takanohana II Wakanohana III
1994Takanohana II Akebono Takanohana II Musashimaru Takanohana II Takanohana II
1993Akebono Wakahanada* Takanohana II Akebono Akebono Akebono
1992Takahanada* Konishiki Akebono MitoizumiTakahanada* Akebono
1991KirishimaHokutoumi Asahifuji KotofujiKotonishiki Konishiki
1990Chiyonofuji Hokutoumi Asahifuji Asahifuji Hokutoumi Chiyonofuji
1989Hokutoumi Chiyonofuji Hokutoumi Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji Konishiki
1988Asahifuji Ōnokuni Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji
1987Chiyonofuji Hokutoumi Ōnokuni Chiyonofuji Hokutoumi Chiyonofuji
1986Chiyonofuji Hoshi* Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji
1985Chiyonofuji Asashio IVChiyonofuji Hokuten'yū Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji
1984Takanosato Wakashimazu Kitanoumi Wakashimazu TagaryūChiyonofuji
1983Kotokaze Chiyonofuji Hokuten'yū Takanosato Takanosato Chiyonofuji
1982Kitanoumi Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji Chiyonofuji Takanosato Chiyonofuji
1981Chiyonofuji Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Chiyonofuji Kotokaze Chiyonofuji
1980Mienoumi Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Wakanohana II Wajima
1979Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Wakanohana II Wajima Kitanoumi Mienoumi
1978Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Kitanoumi Wakanohana II
1977Wajima Kitanoumi Wakamisugi II* Wajima Kitanoumi Wajima
1976Kitanoumi Wajima Kitanoumi Wajima Kaiketsu Kitanoumi
1975Kitanoumi Takanohana I Kitanoumi Kongō Takanohana I Mienoumi
1974Kitanoumi Wajima Kitanoumi Wajima Wajima Kaiketsu
1973Kotozakura Kitanofuji Wajima Kotozakura Wajima Wajima
1972Tochiazuma IHasegawaWajima Takamiyama IIKitanofuji Kotozakura
1971Taihō Tamanoumi II Kitanofuji Tamanoumi II Kitanofuji Kitanofuji
1970Kitanofuji Taihō Kitanofuji Kitanofuji Tamanoumi II Tamanoumi II
1969Taihō Kotozakura Taihō KiyokuniTamanoshima* Kitanofuji
1968Sadanoyama WakanamiTamanoshima* Kotozakura Taihō Taihō
1967Taihō Kitanofuji Taihō Kashiwado Taihō Sadanoyama
1966Kashiwado Taihō Taihō Taihō Taihō Taihō
1965Sadanoyama Taihō Sadanoyama Taihō Kashiwado Taihō
1964Taihō Taihō Tochinoumi FujinishikiTaihō Taihō
1963Taihō Taihō Taihō KitabayamaKashiwado Tochinoumi
1962Taihō Sadanoyama Tochinoumi Taihō Taihō Taihō
1961Kashiwado Asashio III Sadanoyama Taihō Taihō Taihō
1960Tochinishiki Wakanohana I Wakamisugi IWakanohana I Wakanohana I Taihō
1959Wakanohana I Tochinishiki Wakanohana I Tochinishiki Wakanohana I Wakahaguro
1958Wakanohana I Asashio III Tochinishiki Wakanohana I Wakanohana I Asashio III

*Hoshi would later become Hokutoumi.
*Takahanada would later become the 2nd Takanohana.
*Tamanoshima would later become the 3rd Tamanoumi.
*Wakahanada would later become the 3rd Wakanohana.
*Wakamisugi II would later become the 2nd Wakanohana.

1909 to 1957

The following tables list the champions before the introduction of the current tournament system. The system was less regularized between years, with a different number of tournaments held at different times and in different venues, and often with a changing number of bouts fought in each tournament.
JanuaryMarchMaySeptemberNovember
TokyoOsakaTokyoTokyoKyushu
1957Chiyonoyama Asashio III AnnenyamaTochinishiki Tamanoumi I

New YearSpringSummerAutumn
TokyoOsakaTokyoTokyo
1956Kagamisato Asashio III Wakanohana I Kagamisato
1955Chiyonoyama Chiyonoyama Tochinishiki Kagamisato
1954YoshibayamaMitsuneyamaTochinishiki Tochinishiki
1953Kagamisato Tochinishiki TokitsuyamaAzumafuji

SpringSummerAutumn
TokyoTokyoTokyo
1952Haguroyama Azumafuji Tochinishiki
1951Terukuni Chiyonoyama Azumafuji
1950Chiyonoyama Azumafuji Terukuni
1949Azumafuji Masuiyama Chiyonoyama
1948no tournamentAzumafuji Masuiyama
1947no tournamentHaguroyama Haguroyama
1946no tournamentno tournamentHaguroyama
1945no tournamentBishūyamaHaguroyama
1944SaganohanaHaguroyama Maedayama
1943Futabayama Futabayama no tournament
1942Futabayama Futabayama no tournament
1941Futabayama Haguroyama no tournament
1940Futabayama Akinoumino tournament
1939Dewaminato Futabayama no tournament
1938Futabayama Futabayama no tournament
1937Futabayama Futabayama no tournament
1936Tamanishiki Futabayama no tournament
1935Tamanishiki Tamanishiki no tournament
1934Minanogawa Shimizugawa no tournament
1933Asashio** Tamanishiki no tournament

SpringMarchSummerOctober
TokyovariedTokyovaried
1932Shimizugawa OkitsuumiTamanishiki Shimizugawa
1931Tamanishiki Tamanishiki MusashiyamaAyazakura
1930Toyokuni Tsunenohana YamanishikiTamanishiki
1929Tamanishiki Toyokuni Tsunenohana Tsunenohana*
1928HitachiiwaNoshirogataTsunenohana Miyagiyama
1927Miyagiyama Tsunenohana Tsunenohana Tsunenohana

*tournament held in September
SpringSummer
1926Tsunenohana Orochiyama
1925Tochigiyama Nishinoumi III
1924Tochigiyama Tochigiyama
1923Tochigiyama Tsunenohana
1922TsurugahamaŌnishiki
1921Ōnishiki Tsunenohana
1920Ōnishiki Ōnishiki
1919Tochigiyama Tochigiyama
1918Tochigiyama Tochigiyama
1917Ōnishiki Tochigiyama
1916Nishinoumi II Tachiyama
1915Ōtori Tachiyama
1914Tachiyama Ryōgoku
1913Ōtori Tachiyama
1912Tachiyama Tachiyama
1911Tachiyama Tachiyama
1910Hitachiyama Tachiyama
1909see below*Takamiyama I

*A yūshō system giving the wrestler with the best tournament record a prize was introduced by the Mainichi newspaper in the second half of 1909, and this was officially integrated by the JSA in 1926. All tournaments predating the second tournament of 1909 did not recognize or award a championship. As a consequence of this, yokozuna Hitachiyama had seven pre-1909 mathematical "championship" equivalents that are uncounted here, and yokozuna Tachiyama had two.
**Asashio would later become Minanogawa Tōzō

Most career championships

;Official
NameTotalYears
1Hakuhō442006–
2Taihō321960–71
3Chiyonofuji311981–90
4Asashōryū252002–10
5Kitanoumi241974–84
6Takanohana II221992–2001
7Wajima141972–80
8Futabayama121936–43
8Musashimaru121994–2002
10Akebono111992–2000

NameTotalYears
11Tsunenohana101921–1930
11Tochinishiki101952–60
11Wakanohana I101956–60
11Kitanofuji101966–73
15Tachiyama9*1904–16
15Tochigiyama91917–25
15Tamanishiki91929–36
15Harumafuji92009–17
19Hokutoumi81986–91
20Haguroyama71941–52

;Unofficial
NameTotalYearsHighest rank
1Raiden281790–1810Ōzeki
2Tanikaze211772–93Yokozuna
3Kashiwado161812–22Ōzeki
4Inazuma101824–37Yokozuna
5Hitachiyama9*1899–1910Yokozuna
5Umegatani I91874–84Yokozuna