Sumo Scene / Japan’s Sumo Wrestlers Join Association to Hold Discussions, Social Activities

By Kuniyuki Kamimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

10:35 JST, March 18, 2026

The Spring Grand Sumo Tournament is in full swing in Osaka, and the action has been electric. Although the wrestlers fiercely battle it out on the dohyo, outside the ring they band together in an organization called the “Rikishi-kai.”

This association is comprised of wrestlers in the uppermost makuuchi division and the second-tier juryo division. It has been customary for members to get together six times a year for regular meetings on the day after each tournament’s banzuke rankings are released.

The meetings are held in the city hosting the tournament. The latest gathering was on Feb. 25 at Edion Arena Osaka, where the current tournament is being held.

The association is a mutual aid society of sorts. Among other activities, retiring members receive a farewell cash gift, and wrestlers can participate in exhibition bouts held in conjunction with the topknot-cutting ceremony for a retiring rikishi.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the opportunities for wrestlers to have meals together declined, and have yet to pick up in recent years. Regular meetings now often wrap up with just the announcement of important messages from the Japan Sumo Association and financial reports.

However, in the past, the Rikishi-kai regularly held events such as sports days, during which wrestlers would take part in running races, tug-of-war competitions, costume parades and other activities which attracted widespread attention. Several years ago there were calls to resume the events, but this hasn’t happened yet amid concerns over potential injuries.

Unlike a labor union, the association does not in principle negotiate with the JSA over improved treatment and working conditions for the wrestlers. However, the association has previously found itself in a potentially explosive situation with the governing body.

In 2011, after revelations about match-fixing emerged, the JSA delivered harsh punishments to the wrestlers involved, including urging them to retire. One disgruntled rikishi from overseas suggested that wrestlers should boycott the next tournament, throwing the meeting into chaos.

The commotion subsided after ozeki Kaio, now stablemaster Asakayama, who was a coordinator of the association at the time, urged the wrestlers to calm down. The memories of the highly charged atmosphere inside the room at this time of crisis are still fresh.

When nothing happens, it is a sign that things are peaceful, but that incident can’t be avoided when discussing the history of the Rikishi-kai.

— Kamimura is a sumo expert.