List of sumo record holders

This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo. Only performances in official tournaments or honbasho are included here. Since 1958 six honbasho have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more opportunities to accumulate championships and wins. Before this, tournaments were held less frequently; sometimes only once or twice per year.

Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler. The tables are up to date as of the end of the March 2020 tournament.

Most top division championships

Most career championships

Official championships since 1909⁺
	Name	Total	Years
1	Hakuhō	44	2006–
2	Taihō	32	1960–1971
3	Chiyonofuji	31	1981–1990
4	Asashōryū	25	2002–2010
5	Kitanoumi	24	1974–1984
6	Takanohana II	22	1992–2001
7	Wajima	14	1972–1980
8	Futabayama	12	1936–1943
8	Musashimaru	12	1994–2002
10	Akebono	11	1992–2000

⁺Raiden is said to have had the best record in 28 tournaments between 1790 and 1810, Tanikaze 21 between 1772 and 1793, and Kashiwado 16 between 1812 and 1822. Tachiyama won two unofficial championships and nine official, giving him a total of 11.

Most undefeated championships

*Zenshō-yūshō* since 1949⁺
	Name	Total	Years
1	Hakuhō	15	2007–
2	Futabayama	8	1936–1943
2	Taihō	8	1963–1969
4	Tachiyama	7	1910–1915
	Kitanoumi	7	1977–1984
	Chiyonofuji	7	1983–1989
7	Tochigiyama	6	1917–1925
8	Asashōryū	5	2004–2006
9	Haguroyama	4	1944–1952
	Tsunenohana	4	1921–1928
	Takanohana II	4	1994–1996

⁺ Tournaments have been consistently fifteen days long since May 1949. Before that date there were a number of different lengths, including ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen days. The records of Tachiyama, Tochigiyama and Tsunenohana also include some draws, holds and rest days.

Most consecutive championships

Consecutive championships
	Name	Total	Years
1	Asashōryū	7⁺	2004–2005
1	Hakuhō	7^†	2010–2011
3	Taihō	6	1962–1963
	Taihō	6	1966–1967
	Hakuhō	6	2014–2015
5	Futabayama	5^‡	1936–1938
	Kitanoumi	5	1978
	Chiyonofuji	5	1986–1987

⁺ Includes a sweep of all six tournaments in 2005. Asashōryū remains the only sumotori to have won all tournaments in a 6-tournament calendar year (post-1949).
^† Four of these titles were zenshō-yūshō (undefeated championships) and were part of Hakuhō's second-place streak of 63 consecutive wins.
^‡ All of Futabayama's victories in this streak were zenshō-yūshō (undefeated championships) and were part of Futabayama's record setting 69 consecutive wins.

Most championship playoffs

Most playoffs
	Name	Total	Won	Lost
1	Hakuhō	10	6	4
1	Takanohana II	10	5	5
3	Kitanoumi	8	3	5
4	Akebono	7	4	3
4	Musashimaru	7	1	6
6	Chiyonofuji	6	6	0
	Asashōryū	6	5	1
	Taihō	6	4	2
9	Hokutoumi	5	3	2
10	Wajima	4	3	1
	Takanonami	4	2	2
	Sadanoyama	4	1	3
	Wakanohana III	4	1	3

Most wins

Most career wins

	Name	Wins	Years	Highest rank
1	Hakuhō	1170	2001–	Yokozuna
2	Kaiō	1047	1988–2011	Ōzeki
3	Chiyonofuji	1045	1970–1991	Yokozuna
4	Ōshio	964	1962–1988	Komusubi
5	Kitanoumi	951	1967–1984	Yokozuna
6	Kyokutenhō	927	1992–2015	Sekiwake
7	Wakanosato	914	1992–2015	Sekiwake
8	Aminishiki	907	1997–2019	Sekiwake
9	Taihō	872	1956–1971	Yokozuna
10	Terao	860	1979–2002	Sekiwake

Most top division wins

	Name	Wins	Years	Highest rank
1	Hakuhō	1076	2004–	Yokozuna
2	Kaiō	879	1993–2011	Ōzeki
3	Chiyonofuji	807	1975–1991	Yokozuna
4	Kitanoumi	804	1972–1984	Yokozuna
5	Taihō	746	1960–1971	Yokozuna
6	Kotoshōgiku	716	2005–	Ōzeki
7	Kisenosato	714	2004–2019	Yokozuna
8	Harumafuji	712	2004–2017	Yokozuna
9	Musashimaru	706	1991–2003	Yokozuna
10	Takanohana II	701	1990–2003	Yokozuna

Most wins in a calendar year (90 bouts)

	Name	Wins	Year
1	Hakuhō	86	2009
1	Hakuhō	86	2010
3	Asashōryū	84	2005
4	Kitanoumi	82	1978
4	Hakuhō	82	2013
6	Taihō	81	1963
6	Hakuhō	81	2014
8	Kitanoumi	80	1977
	Chiyonofuji	80	1985
	Takanohana II	80	1994
	Takanohana II	80	1995

Most consecutive wins

	Name	Wins^[1]	Start	End	Duration	Defeated by
1	Futabayama	69	7 January 1936	3 January 1939	2 years, 11 months and 27 days	Akinoumi
2	Tanikaze	63	1 October 1778	6 February 1782	3 years, 4 months and 5 days	Onogawa
2	Hakuhō	63	23 January 2010	15 November 2010	9 months and 19 days	Kisenosato
4	Umegatani I	58	1 April 1876	8 January 1881	4 years, 9 months and 7 days	Wakashima
5	Tachiyama	56	9 January 1912	7 May 1916	4 years, 3 months and 28 days	Tochigiyama
6	Chiyonofuji	53	7 May 1988	15 November 1988	6 months and 8 days	Ōnokuni
7	Taihō	45	2 September 1968	2 March 1969	6 months	Toda

Most consecutive wins from entry into sumo

	Name	Wins	Start	End	Duration	Defeated by	Highest rank
1	Jōkōryū	27	11 July 2011	20 January 2012	6 months and 9 days	Senshō	Komusubi
2	Itai	26	12 November 1978	16 May 1979	6 months and 4 days	Ōnishiki	Komusubi
2	Tochiazuma II	26	15 January 1995	12 September 1995	7 months and 28 days	Dewaarashi	Ōzeki
4	Motobayashi	24	8 July 2019	18 January 2020	6 months and 10 days	Kotodaigō	Makushita 10
5	Tokitenkū	22	8 September 2002	11 March 2003	6 months and 3 days	Furuichi	Komusubi
6	Kototenzan	21	12 January 1986	20 July 1986	6 months and 8 days	retired	Makushita 43
6	Enhō	21	15 May 2017	13 November 2017	5 months and 29 days	Jōkōryū	Maegashira 4

Best top division win ratios

All time

The list includes yokozuna and ōzeki (the highest rank before the yokozuna rank was introduced), but excludes so-called kanban or "guest ōzeki" (usually big men drawn from local crowds to promote a tournament who would never appear on the banzuke again) and wrestlers for which insufficient data is available.

	Name	Win-Loss	Years	rate
1	Raiden	254–10	1790–1811	96.2%
2	Umegatani I	116–6	1874–1885	95.1%
3	Tanikaze	258–14	1769–1794	94.9%
4	Jinmaku	87–5	1858–1867	94.6%
5	Onogawa	144–13	1781–1797	91.7%

Modern era

In 1927, Tokyo sumo merged with Osaka sumo and most of the sumo systems were changed, so any pre-1927 records are disregarded. The list excludes active wrestlers.^[2] Among active wrestlers, at the end of the July 2020 tournament, Hakuhō had 1076 wins against 198 losses, giving a ratio of 84.5%.

	Name	Win-Loss	Years	rate
1	Taihō	746–144	1960–1971	83.8%
2	Futabayama	276–68	1932–1945	80.2%
3	Asashōryū	596–153	2001–2010	79.6%
4	Haguroyama	321–94	1937–1953	77.3%
5	Kitanoumi	804–247	1972–1985	76.5%

Most bouts

Losses by default are excluded.

Most career bouts

	Name	Total	Years	Highest rank
1	Ōshio	1891	1962–1988	Komusubi
2	Kyokutenhō	1870	1992–2015	Sekiwake
3	Aminishiki	1805	1997–2019	Sekiwake
4	Terao	1795	1979–2002	Sekiwake
5	Kaiō	1731	1988–2011	Ōzeki
6	Wakanosato	1691	1992–2015	Sekiwake
7	Takamiyama	1654	1964–1984	Sekiwake
8	Aobajō	1630	1964–1986	Sekiwake
9	Fujizakura	1613	1963–1985	Sekiwake
10	Akinoshima	1575	1982–2003	Sekiwake

Most top division bouts

	Name	Total	Years	Highest rank
1	Kyokutenhō	1470	1998–2015	Sekiwake
2	Kaiō	1444	1993–2011	Ōzeki
3	Takamiyama	1430	1968–1984	Sekiwake
4	Aminishiki	1399	2000–2018	Sekiwake
5	Terao	1378	1985–2001	Sekiwake
6	Kotoshōgiku	1321	2005–	Ōzeki
7	Akinoshima	1283	1988–2003	Sekiwake
8	Hakuhō	1265	2004–	Yokozuna
9	Kotonowaka	1260	1990–2005	Sekiwake
10	Takekaze	1257	2003–2018	Sekiwake

Most consecutive bouts

Most consecutive career bouts

	Name	Total	Years	Highest rank
1	Aobajō*	1630	1964–1986	Sekiwake
2	Fujizakura	1543	1963–1984	Sekiwake
3	Takatōriki*	1456	1983–2002	Sekiwake
4	Takamiyama	1425	1964–1981	Sekiwake
5	Dairyūgawa*	1367	1961–1979	Maegashira 1
6	Terao	1359	1979–1997	Sekiwake
7	Toyonoumi*	1316	1981–1999	Maegashira 1
8	Hidanohana*	1297	1969–1989	Maegashira 1
9	Tamawashi	1272	2004–	Sekiwake
10	Ōzutsu	1267	1978–1992	Sekiwake

* Did not miss any bouts in entire career

Most consecutive top division bouts

	Name	Total	Years	Highest rank
1	Takamiyama	1231	1968–1981	Sekiwake
2	Ōzutsu	1170	1979–1992	Sekiwake
3	Kurohimeyama	1065	1969–1981	Sekiwake
4	Terao	1063	1985–1997	Sekiwake
5	Hasegawa	1024	1965–1976	Sekiwake
6	Takatōriki	975	1990–2001	Sekiwake
7	Ohikari	945	1950–1963	Komusubi
8	Aonosato	885	1959–1968	Sekiwake
8	Kaneshiro	885	1974–1984	Sekiwake
10	Kitanoumi	863	1972–1981	Yokozuna

Most tournaments

The March 2011 and May 2020 tournaments were cancelled and are not included in these totals.

Most tournaments ranked in the top division

	Name	Total	First	Last	Highest rank
1	Kaiō	107	July 1993	July 2011	Ōzeki
2	Kyokutenhō	99	January 1998	July 2015	Sekiwake
3	Takamiyama	97	January 1968	January 1984	Sekiwake
3	Aminishiki	97	July 2000	May 2018	Sekiwake
5	Hakuhō	96	May 2004	n/a	Yokozuna
6	Terao	93	March 1985	May 2001	Sekiwake
7	Akinoshima	91	March 1988	May 2003	Sekiwake
7	Kotoshōgiku	91	January 2005	n/a	Ōzeki
9	Kotonowaka	90	November 1990	November 2005	Sekiwake
10	Wakanosato	87	May 1998	July 2014	Sekiwake

Most tournaments ranked at yokozuna

	Name	Total	First	Last
1	Hakuhō	77	July 2007	n/a
2	Kitanoumi	63	July 1974	January 1985
3	Chiyonofuji	59	September 1981	May 1991
4	Taihō	58	November 1961	May 1971
5	Takanohana II	49	January 1995	January 2003
6	Akebono	48	March 1993	January 2001
7	Kashiwado	47	November 1961	July 1969
7	Wajima	47	July 1973	March 1981
9	Asashōryū	42	March 2003	January 2010
10	Kakuryū	37	May 2014	n/a

Most tournaments ranked at ōzeki

	Name	Total	First	Last	Ended by
1	Chiyotaikai	65	March 1999	November 2009	Demotion
1	Kaiō	65	September 2000	July 2011	Retirement
3	Takanohana I	50	November 1972	January 1981	Retirement
4	Kotoōshū	47	January 2006	November 2013	Demotion
5	Hokuten'yū	44	July 1983	September 1990	Retirement
6	Konishiki	39	July 1987	November 1993	Demotion
7	Takanonami	37	March 1994	May 2000	Demotion
8	Asashio	36	May 1983	March 1989	Retirement
9	Yutakayama	34	March 1963	September 1968	Retirement
10	Gōeidō	33	September 2014	January 2020	Retirement

Most tournaments ranked in junior san'yaku (komusubi and sekiwake ranks)

	Name	Total	First	Last	Highest rank
1	Kotonishiki	34	September 1990	September 1999	Sekiwake
2	Kaiō	32	May 1994	July 2000	Ōzeki
3	Musōyama	31	March 1994	September 2000	Ōzeki
4	Hasegawa	30	November 1965	September 1974	Sekiwake
4	Kotomitsuki	30	January 2001	July 2007	Ōzeki
6	Akinoshima	27	November 1988	September 2000	Sekiwake
6	Takamiyama	27	November 1969	September 1982	Sekiwake
8	Takatōriki	26	May 1991	May 2000	Sekiwake
8	Wakanosato	26	November 2000	September 2005	Sekiwake
10	Tochiōzan	25	May 2009	September 2017	Sekiwake

Progress to top division

The table for the fastest progress shows wrestlers with the fewest tournaments from their professional debut to their top division debut since the six tournaments a year system was introduced in 1958. It excludes makushita tsukedashi and sandanme tsukedashi entrants who made their debut in the third makushita division and the fourth sandanme division.

Fastest progress to top division

	Name	Tournaments	Pro Debut	Top division debut	Highest rank
1	Jōkōryū	9	May 2011	November 2012	Komusubi
2	Ōsunaarashi	10	March 2012	November 2013	Maegashira 1
2	Hokutōfuji	10	March 2015	November 2016	Komusubi
4	Kotoōshū	11	November 2002	September 2004	Ōzeki
	Aran	11	January 2007	November 2008	Sekiwake
	Shōdai	11	March 2014	January 2016	Sekiwake
	Tomokaze	11	May 2017	March 2019	Maegashira 3
8	Itai	12	September 1978	September 1980	Komusubi
	Konishiki	12	July 1982	July 1984	Ōzeki
	Tochiazuma II	12	November 1994	November 1996	Ōzeki
	Asashōryū	12	January 1999	January 2001	Yokozuna
	Tokitenkū	12	July 2002	July 2004	Komusubi
	Yoshikaze	12	January 2004	January 2006	Sekiwake
	Baruto	12	May 2004	May 2006	Ōzeki
	Sakaizawa	12	March 2006	March 2008	Maegashira 15
	Yamamotoyama	12	January 2007	January 2009	Maegashira 9
	Ura	12	March 2015	March 2017	Maegashira 4

Slowest progress to top division

	Name	Tournaments	Pro Debut	Top division debut	Highest rank
1	Hoshiiwato	115	May 1970	July 1989	Maegashira 14
2	Kyokunankai	105	March 1993	September 2010	Maegashira 16
3	Yoshiazuma	93	January 1996	September 2011	Maegashira 12
4	Kotokasuga	91	March 1993	May 2008	Maegashira 7
5	Kototsubaki	89	March 1976	January 1991	Maegashira 3
6	Toyozakura	88	March 1989	November 2003	Maegashira 5
7	Takanomine	87	September 1974	March 1989	Maegashira 12
8	Kitazakura	86	March 1987	July 2001	Maegashira 9
9=	Daimanazuru	85	May 1992	July 2006	Maegashira 16
9=	Kitaharima	85	March 2002	July 2016	Maegashira 15

Most special prizes

Special prizes or sanshō were first awarded in 1947. They can only be given to wrestlers ranked at sekiwake or below. For the current list of active special prize winners, see here.

	Name	Total	Outstanding Performance	Fighting Spirit	Technique	Years	Highest rank
1	Akinoshima	19	7	8	4	1988–1999	Sekiwake
2	Kotonishiki	18	7	3	8	1990–1998	Sekiwake
3	Kaiō	15	10	5	0	1994–2000	Ōzeki
4	Tsurugamine	14	2	2	10	1956–1966	Sekiwake
	Asashio	14	10	3	1	1979–1983	Ōzeki
	Takatōriki	14	3	10	1	1990–2000	Sekiwake
7	Musōyama	13	5	4	4	1994–2000	Ōzeki
	Tosanoumi	13	7	5	1	1995–2003	Sekiwake
	Kotomitsuki	13	2	4	7	2000–2007	Ōzeki
10	Tochiazuma II	12	3	2	7	1996–2001	Ōzeki
10	Aminishiki	12	4	2	6	2000–2017	Sekiwake
12	Takamiyama	11	6	5	0	1968–1981	Sekiwake
	Daiju	11	4	1	6	1970–1973	Ōzeki
	Kirinji	11	4	4	3	1975–1988	Sekiwake
	Hokutoumi	11	3	3	5	1983–1986	Yokozuna
	Gōeidō	11	5	3	3	2007–2014	Ōzeki
	Tochinoshin	11	2	6	3	2009–2018	Ōzeki

Most gold stars

Gold stars or kinboshi are awarded to maegashira ranked wrestlers who defeat a yokozuna. For a list of current kinboshi earners, see here.

	Name	Total	Years	Highest rank
1	Akinoshima	16	1988–1999	Sekiwake
2	Takamiyama	12	1968–1978	Sekiwake
2	Tochinonada	12	1998–2008	Sekiwake
4	Tosanoumi	11	1995–2003	Sekiwake
5	Kitanonada	10	1954–1961	Sekiwake
	Annenyama	10	1955–1961	Sekiwake
	Tsurugamine	10	1955–1961	Sekiwake
	Dewanishiki	10	1949–1963	Sekiwake
	Ōzutsu	10	1979–1986	Sekiwake
10	Mitsuneyama	9	1944–1957	Ōzeki
	Tamanoumi	9	1953–1958	Sekiwake
	Hasegawa	9	1965–1974	Sekiwake
	Fujizakura	9	1973–1981	Sekiwake
	Takatōriki	9	1990–1998	Sekiwake

Notes

^ the winning streaks of Tanikaze, Umegatani, and Tachiyama were interrupted by draws and rest days. The others listed were all wins only.
^ Losses by default are excluded, but wins by default are included; as is standard in sumo records.

References

Japan Sumo Association
Sumo Reference
The Sumo Colosseum
Grand Sumo, Lora Sharnoff, Weatherhill, 1993. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X

[1] the winning streaks of Tanikaze, Umegatani, and Tachiyama were interrupted by draws and rest days. The others listed were all wins only.

[2] Losses by default are excluded, but wins by default are included; as is standard in sumo records.

[1]

[2]