At the Hatsu tournament in Tokyo,
OzekiMusashimaru wins his third
top division championship or
yusho, his first since November 1996, with a 12–3 record. He finishes one win ahead of
sekiwakeTochiazuma who wins the Outstanding Performance Prize. The other sekiwake
Musoyama gets the Fighting Spirit Award, and
komusubiKotonishiki receives his seventh Technique Prize.
YokozunaTakanohana loses three in a row from 8–1 and then withdraws. In the
juryo division,
Kinkaiyama wins the yusho in his first tournament in the division. Announcing their retirements are former
maegashiraAsahisato and former juryo
Daiki, from
Hawaii.
February
In the
Japan Sumo Association board elections, Tokitsukaze Oyakata (former ozeki
Yutakayama) becomes the new chairman or rijicho, replacing Sakaigawa (the former yokozuna
Sadanoyama), who had held the post since 1992. The elections prove controversial for the Takasago
ichimon, with Jinmaku (former yokozuna
Kitanofuji) leaving the Association altogether after failing to receive enough support from his fellow directors, and the
Takadagawa stable thrown out of the ichimon after its head coach (former ozeki
Maenoyama) runs as an independent candidate.
March
In Osaka, ozeki
Wakanohana wins his fourth yusho with a 14–1 score. He finishes one win ahead of yokozuna
Akebono, who drops his first two bouts but then wins thirteen in a row. Takanohana drops out after five days with a liver disorder.
Chiyotaikai wins the Technique prize and
Kaio the Outstanding Performance award. The Fighting Spirit prize is shared between
Tosanoumi and
Aogiyama. The juryo championship is won by veteran
Kushimaumi after a playoff with
Toki.
May
The first day of a Tokyo tournament fails to sell out for the first time since 1970.
Wakanohana wins his second consecutive championship, and earns promotion to yokozuna, creating the first ever sibling grand champions. He defeats Musashimaru on the final day to finish on 12–3. Runners-up are
Takanonami and Kotonishiki on 11–4. Musashimaru, Takanohana, and Akebono all score 10–5. There are six special prize winners:
Akinoshima (Technique), Kotonishiki and
Oginishiki (Outstanding Performance),
Dejima and
Wakanosato (Fighting Spirit). Dejima wins 10 bouts after being out for two tournaments. The juryo championship is won by
Oikari after a three way playoff.
In Nagoya, Takanohana returns from illness to win his 19th championship with a 14–1 score. Musashimaru is runner-up, two wins behind. New sekiwake Chiyotaikai wins eleven and the Technique Prize.
Kotonowaka also wins eleven and gets the Fighting Spirit Award. Dejima defeats two yokozuna and wins the Outstanding Performance prize. Wakanohana finishes on 10–5 in his debut yokozuna tournament. In the juryo division, two former makuuchi veterans, maegashira
Oginohana and komusubi
Misugisato, retire after winning only one and three bouts respectively. The championship is won by
Akinoshu, his first yusho after 14 years in sumo.
September
Takanohana becomes only the fourth man, after
Taiho,
Kitanoumi, and
Chiyonofuji, to reach twenty top division championships. He finishes on 13–2, one win ahead of his brother. Kotonowaka wins the Outstanding Performance prize, and Chiyotaikai the Technique Award.
Chiyotenzan wins the juryo championship. Former maegashira
Yamato from Hawaii, now in
makushita, and former komusubi
Tomoefuji, who has fallen to
sandanme, announce their retirements.
November
Kotonishiki becomes the first wrestler ever to win two championships as a maegashira after winning in Kyushu with a 14–1 score, seven years after his first yusho in September 1991. He finishes two wins ahead of Takanohana and Tosanoumi, and is awarded Technique and Outstanding Performance prizes. Tochiazuma shares the Technique Prize, and Tosanoumi gets the Fighting Spirit award. Wakanohana can score only 9–6, and Akebono sits the tournament out through injury. The juryo yusho goes to former amateur champion
Miyabiyama. Kushimaumi retires, having fallen into the makushita division.
Deaths
10 March: Former komusubi
Kenko, aged 30, of
leukemia.