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This is a list of foreign-born professional sumo wrestlers by country and/or ethnicity of origin, along with original name, years active in sumo wrestling, and highest rank attained. Names in bold indicate a still-active wrestler.

There are 186 wrestlers who have listed a foreign country as their place of birth on the banzuke or official ranking sheets.[1][2] The first foreign born wrestler to reach the top makuuchi division was the Hawaiian born Takamiyama in January 1968,[3] who was also the first to win a top division tournament championship or yūshō in 1972. He was followed by fellow Hawaiians Konishiki who was the first foreigner to reach the second highest ōzeki rank in 1987, and American Akebono who became the first foreign yokozuna, the highest rank, in 1993. In 1992, following the entry of six Mongolians to Ōshima stable, there was an unofficial ban (called enryo or "restraint") instigated by the Japan Sumo Association's head Dewanoumi on any more foreign recruitment.[4] Speaking at a Western Japan Press Club luncheon in Osaka in 1995, Dewanoumi reportedly said, "There are no official regulations, but stable masters have a tacit agreement not to scout foreigners actively because they have difficulty adapting to Japanese customs."[5] In 1998 this ban was relaxed but there was also the first official restrictions, a cap of forty foreigners in professional sumo as a whole, not counting those who had obtained Japanese citizenship.[4] In February 2002 this was changed to one foreigner per heya or training stable,[6] although foreigners recruited prior to the rule change were not affected. Despite these restrictions, foreigners began to dominate the highest levels of the sport. By 2013, foreign born wrestlers made up just seven percent of the 613 wrestlers active in professional sumo, yet occupied one third of the 42 spots in the top division.[7] No Japanese-born wrestler won a top division tournament between Tochiazuma in January 2006 and Kotoshōgiku in January 2016, with 56 of the 58 tournaments held in that period won by Mongolians.[8]

Several foreign-born sumo wrestlers have become sumo elders after their retirement as wrestlers.[9]

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

NOTE: (#) marks active foreign-born wrestler credited with Japanese shushin (hometown), and hence not counting against current one-foreigner-per-heya restriction; (§) marks a retired foreign-born wrestler who became a sumo elder.

Bulgaria

NOTES: (‡) marks active foreign-born wrestler naturalized as Japanese citizen; (§) marks a retired foreign-born wrestler who became a sumo elder.

Canada

China

NOTES: Hong Kong and Taiwan are listed separately; (§) marks a retired foreign-born wrestler who became a sumo elder.

Czech Republic

Egypt

Estonia

Georgia

Hong Kong

Hungary

Indonesia

Japanese-born rikishi of non-Japanese or mixed ethnicity

Kazakhstan

Korea, North

NOTE: Korea was ruled by the Empire of Japan from 1910 to 1945. Japanese-born Koreans are noted above. Rikidōzan was officially recorded with a shusshin (hometown) of Ōmura, Nagasaki so is not regarded as having been a foreign rikishi by the Sumo Association.

Korea, South

NOTE: Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945. Japanese-born Koreans are noted above.

Mongolia

NOTES: (#) marks active foreign-born wrestler credited with Japanese shushin (hometown), and hence not counting against current one-foreigner-per-heya restriction; (‡) marks active foreign-born wrestler naturalized as a Japanese citizen; (§) marks a retired foreign-born wrestler who became a sumo elder.

Paraguay

Philippines

NOTE: (#) marks active foreign-born wrestler credited with Japanese shushin (hometown) and hence not counted against current one-foreigner-per-heya restriction.

Russia

NOTE: prior to the end of WWII, the southern half of Sakhalin was controlled by Japan as Karafuto. For a Karafuto-born wrestler, see Japanese-born rikishi of non-Japanese or mixed ethnicity.

Samoa

NOTE: Rikishi from American Samoa and Hawaiians of Samoan descent are listed under the United States heading.

Sri Lanka

Taiwan

Tonga

Ukraine

United Kingdom

United States

(§) marks a retired foreign-born wrestler who became a sumo elder.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rikishi – All Foreigners". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  2. ^ Schreiber, Mark (28 January 2017). "2017: a year for sumo nostalgia". Japan Times. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  3. ^ Discounting those such as Toyonishiki and Rikidozan who were born outside Japan but nonetheless listed a Japanese hometown with the Sumo Association.
  4. ^ a b Furelaud, Gilles (January 2004). "Foreigners in Makuuchi: a chaotic history". Le Monde Du Sumo. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  5. ^ Associated Press (9 March 1995). "A closed-door policy?". The Honolulu Advertiser.
  6. ^ Miji, Shuki (26 March 2019). "SUMO ABC No. 97 / Quota agreement in 2002 has nearly halved lineup of foreign wrestlers". The Japan News. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  7. ^ Krieger, Daniel (Jan 24, 2013). "In Japan, Sumo Is Dominated by Foreigners". New York Times. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Kotoshogiku's sumo tournament victory ends long run of foreign wrestler domination". The Mainichi. January 25, 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  9. ^ "News Navigator: What happens when you become a sumo elder?". The Mainichi. Sep 11, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Gunning, John (24 October 2018). "Sumo boasts rich history of multiculturalism". Japan Times. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  11. ^ Furelaud, Gilles (February 2004). "Hoshitango: intai and danpatsu-shiki in 11 days". Le Monde Du Sumo. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  12. ^ a b Armstrong, Jim (July 10, 2015). "Canadian sumo wrestler Brodik Henderson going pro in Japan". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  13. ^ Robinson, Eugene (July 19, 2014). "It's Not The Size Of This Sumo Wrestler That's Stunning". NPR. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Egyptian sumo wrestler storms his way into ancient sport". Yahoo News. July 31, 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  15. ^ Gunning, John. "Veteran Masutoo still seeking promotion to top division". Japan Times. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  16. ^ Furelaud, Gilles (Nov 18, 2006). "Banzuke's newcomers". Le Monde du Sumo. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  17. ^ Buckton, Mark (July 5, 2006). "The competition finally arrives". Japan Times. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  18. ^ a b c Gunning, John (31 August 2017). "More multiracial wrestlers making mark in raised ring". Japan Times. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  19. ^ Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
  20. ^ a b Schreiber, Mark (Jan 26, 2003). "Whether crisis or not, sumo's show must go on". Japan Times. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  21. ^ "ポーランド出身の父持つ露草、角界入りは「日本の男にロマン感じた」" (in Japanese). Sanspo. September 2, 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  22. ^ Furelaud, Gilles (February 2004). "Kazafuzan, the tiger from Kazakhstan". Le Monde Du Sumo. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  23. ^ Gunning, John. "Hakuho may be on path to becoming great stablemaster if latest recruit pans out". Japan Times. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Mongolian wrestler Terunofuji becomes sumo's 73rd yokozuna". The Japan Times. 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  25. ^ Pastor, Pam (27 July 2017). "'Sinigang' gets this sumo wrestler going". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d Gunning, John (12 March 2020). "Roho's career defined by unsavory incidents". Japan Times. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  27. ^ Nishimoto, Hideshi (18 September 2017). "Sumo ring in Taiwan replaces dohyo pushed out after war". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  28. ^ a b Hirada, Hiroshi (25 September 2015). "Former Tongan sumo wrestler still sports the Asahiyama stable sign". Japan Times. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  29. ^ "Aonishiki". Japan Sumo Association.
  30. ^ Gunning, John (3 January 2020). "Reviewing last year, previewing 2020 in sumo". Japan Times. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g John Gunning (15 May 2019). "Sumo 101:Americans in sumo". Japan Times. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  32. ^ Gunning, John (16 December 2020). "American rikishi recalls extremely wild times in sumo world". Japan Times. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  33. ^ Wehrfritz, George (20 June 1999). "The Gaijins' Woeful Tale". Newsweek. Retrieved 11 September 2018.