List of years in sumo

The following is a list of year in sumo articles listed in chronological order from the most recent. Each gives an overview of the happenings in sumo for each year listed. The highlights below refer only to top division championships.

2020s

• 2023 in sumo - Tochinoshin retires.
• 2022 in sumo - Six different wrestlers win titles; Wakatakakage, Ichinojō, and Abi each win their first titles.
• 2021 in sumo - Kakuryū and Hakuhō retire. Hakuhō wins his 45th and final title. Terunofuji wins four of six titles and is promoted to yokozuna.
• 2020 in sumo - Gōeidō and Kotoshōgiku retire. The May basho is cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

2010s

• 2019 in sumo - Kisenosato retires.
• 2018 in sumo - Tochinoshin wins his sole title, the first title won by a maegashira since 2012. Takakeishō wins his first title.
• 2017 in sumo - Kisenosato is promoted to yokozuna. Harumafuji retires following alleged assault allegations.
• 2016 in sumo - Kotoshogiku and Goeido win the first titles by Japanese-born wrestlers in ten years.
• 2015 in sumo - Hakuhō wins a record-breaking 33rd top division title.
• 2014 in sumo - Kakuryū wins first title and is promoted to yokozuna.
• 2013 in sumo - Sokokurai becomes the first expelled wrestler to be reinstated.
• 2012 in sumo - Baruto and Kyokutenhō win their only titles. Harumafuji is promoted to yokozuna.
• 2011 in sumo - A match-fixing scandal leads to the cancellation of the March tournament.
• 2010 in sumo - Asashōryū retires after an alleged nightclub brawl. Several wrestlers are suspended for illegal baseball gambling. Hakuhō establishes the postwar record with a 63-match winning streak.

2000s

• 2009 in sumo - Harumafuji's wins his first title, Hakuhō wins 3 titles and establishes the all-time record of 86 wins from 90 matches in one year.
• 2008 in sumo - Asashōryū returns. Kotoōshū becomes the first European-born champion. marijuana scandals begin.
• 2007 in sumo - Hakuhō is promoted to yokozuna, Asashōryū is first suspended yokozuna, Tokitsukaze stable hazing scandal
• 2006 in sumo - Asashōryū's general dominance continues, Hakuhō wins his first title.
• 2005 in sumo - Asashōryū is first to sweep all championships in his "grand slam" year
• 2004 in sumo - Asashōryū just misses all championship sweep, Kaiō wins 5th and last championship
• 2003 in sumo - Takanohana and Musashimaru retire, Asashōryū debuts as yokozuna
• 2002 in sumo - Takanohana out most of year due to injury, Asashōryū wins first of many championships
• 2001 in sumo - number of wrestlers win championships in spite of injury, Kotomitsuki wins his only and all 3 special prizes
• 2000 in sumo - 3 wrestlers win championships for first time, Akebono wins his 11th and last championship

1990s

• 1999 in sumo - Musashimaru dominates, Chiyotaikai and Dejima win their first championships
• 1998 in sumo - Between them, the Futagoyama brothers dominate, Kotonishiki becomes only wrestler to win two championships at maegashira rank
• 1997 in sumo - Futagoyama wrestlers continue championship dominance
• 1996 in sumo - Takanohana takes 4 championships, and stablemate Takanonami one for a near year sweep
• 1995 in sumo - Takanohana takes 4 championships to dominate; his brother Wakanohana takes 1
• 1994 in sumo - Musashimaru wins 1st championship, Takanohana achieves necessary criteria for promotion to yokozuna
• 1993 in sumo - Akebono becomes first foreign-born yokozuna, has most dominant year at 4 championships, Futagoyama brothers take one each
• 1992 in sumo - Asahifuji retires leaving no yokozuna for the next eight months, championships are split Takahanada* 2, Akebono 2, and 1 each for Konishiki and Mitoizumi
• 1991 in sumo - Hokutoumi and Asahifuji win their last championships, Kotonishiki wins his first, Kirishima and Kotofuji win their only championships
• 1990 in sumo - championships split at two each between Ōzeki Asahifuji, and yokozunas Hokutoumi and Chiyonofuji, the second win would be Chiyonofuji's last

*Takahanada would later become the 2nd Takanohana.

1980s

• 1989 in sumo - Chiyonofuji and Hokutoumi vie for dominance at three and two championships respectively, Konishiki gets first tournament win
• 1988 in sumo - Asahifuji has first win, Chiyonofuji takes the last four tournaments and record for longest bout winning streak in modern sumo history - later surpassed by Hakuho
• 1987 in sumo - Hokutoumi and Onokuni are promoted to yokozuna; Futahaguro is forced to retire
• 1986 in sumo - Stablemates Chiyonofuji and Hoshi* claim all six Yusho with five and one respectively. Futahaguro is promoted to Yokozuna. Takanosato retires.
• 1985 in sumo - Chiyonofuji wins 4 of the 6 tournaments, Asashio IV wins his first and only yusho, Hokuten'yū wins 2nd and last yusho. Kitanoumi retires. The new Ryōgoku Kokugikan is opened.
• 1984 in sumo - Wakashimazu takes home his 1st and 2nd yusho, Kitanoumi wins his 24th and final yusho, Takanosato wins 4th and final yusho as well, surprise maegashira 12 Tagaryū claims a yusho, Chiyonofuji claims 10th yusho.
• 1983 in sumo - Both Chiyonofuji and Takanosato win 2 yusho, with Kotokaze and Hokuten'yū winning the other two. Takanosato is promoted to Yokozuna. Wakanohana II retires.
• 1982 in sumo - Chiyonofuji dominates winning 4 yusho, Kitanoumi and Takanosato win the other two.
• 1981 in sumo - Chiyonofuji and Kitanoumi vie for dominance at three and two championships respectively, Kotokaze gets first tournament win. Chiyonofuji promoted to Yokozuna. Wajima retires.
• 1980 in sumo - Kitanoumi wins 3 yusho, Mienoumi, Wakanohana II, and Wajima win their last titles. Mienoumi retires.

*Hoshi would later become Hokutoumi

1970s

• 1979 in sumo - Kitanoumi wins three tournaments, Mienoumi, Wajima, and Wakanohana II win the other three. Mienoumi is promoted to Yokozuna.
• 1978 in sumo - Kitanoumi dominates with 5 yusho, with Wakanohana II taking the other. Wakanohana II is promoted to Yokozuna.
• 1977 in sumo - Wajima and Kitanoumi again vie for dominance with 3 and 2 yusho respectively, Wakamisugi II* wins his first Championship.
• 1976 in sumo - Kitanoumi and Wajima vie for dominance with 3 and 2 yusho respectively, Kaiketsu wins his second and last yusho.
• 1975 in sumo - Kitanoumi and Takanohana I take 2 yusho, while Mienoumi and Kongo both take their first.
• 1974 in sumo - Wajima wins 3 yusho while Kitanoumi takes his first 2, Kaiketsu wins his first title. Kitanoumi promoted to Yokozuna. Both Kitanofuji and Kotozakura retire.
• 1973 in sumo - Wajima wins 3, Kotozakura wins 2, and Kitanofuji wins his last yusho. Kotozakura and Wajima are promoted to Yokozuna.
• 1972 in sumo - There is a different winner for each basho with Hasegawa, Kitanofuji, Kotozakura, Takamiyama, Tochiazuma I, and Wajima winning one yusho a piece. Takamiyama becomes first foreign born top division champion.
• 1971 in sumo - Kitanofuji and Tamanoumi II again vie for dominance with 3 and 2 yusho respectively, while an ageing Taihō wins his last title and retires. Tamanoumi dies suddenly in October after a delayed appendectomy.
• 1970 in sumo - Kitanofuji and Tamanoumi II vie for dominance with 3 and 2 yusho respectively, while Taihō manages just one. Kitanofuji and Tamanoumi are promoted to Yokozuna.

*Wakamisugi II would later become Wakanohana II

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of active sumo wrestlers
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo record holders